Word for Word – Laurie Lisle

"This is a memoir about living a writing life - wanting to be a writer, becoming a writer, and being a writer - as acts of self-expression, self-assertion, and womanly survival." If I'm honest - and I usually am 😉 - I have very little idea of who Laurie Lisle is, which may not seem …

Create a Story – Chartwell Books

"Every story begins with a single word." There's not really a huge amount to say about this book, a "prompt journal to help you write a story". It's a lovely little idea, there's a large select of prompts, what you then do with it is entirely on you! The prompts are split into ten genres, …

Plan Your Novel Like a Pro – Beth and Ezra Barany

"It's your dream to be a novelist, to touch readers' hearts and minds, to excite and wow them, to transport them." As lock-down rumbles on, are you revisiting a long-held dream of writing a novel - but, not quite sure where or how to start? Perhaps this book will indeed 'get you excited to plan …

Teen Writer’s Guide – Jennifer Jenkins

Your road map to writing. I know, I know - I haven't been a teenager for rather a long time. But when it comes to writing advice, there's a lot to be said about this kind of straightforward, no-nonsense approach. I might have double the years, but I got a lot from this. Interspersed with …

Elements of Fiction – Walter Mosley

"This monograph is concerned with the hope of writing a novel that transcends story in such a way as to allow the writer to plumb the depths of meaning while, at the same time, telling a good yarn." I wasn't sure what to expect from a 'monograph', but this is a rather lovely, personal meander …

Indite: a notebook crafted for writers – Adam Simone, Helen Savore

I love notebooks. I mean - LOVE notebooks. I have a huge stash and best intentions to use some before I buy any more, but that would go out of the window in a heartbeat for a physical copy of Indite. The word means 'write or compose', in case you're wondering, which is exactly what this …

Write Your Novel This Summer – Tish Heath

Sort of NaNoWriMo extreme edition, this takes the whole writing, editing, and publishing journey down to 4 months (guessing author isn't in the UK if they have a 4 month summer! 😉 ) I really can't agree with the tone, that anyone can and should just self-publish something they spat out in 120 days. Yes, …