Want to write a novel? Start collecting resource books. Here’s the tower of books I used to write A Tight Grip, my debut novel. Each one helped in a different way. All offer different types of information from different perspectives, and have varied degrees of entertainment value. If you skipped Anatomy class in college like I did, you can learn a lot from Human Anatomy and come across as an expert. Specificity is uber-important to the craft of writing. I needed a word for that thingy a boater ties his craft to on the dock. What’s what? supplied ‘cleat.’ New word for me, and I’ll remember it forever. Spice up your prose with exotic words from They Have a Word for It: if your antagonist is a boozer, have her experience a Katzenjammer (a horrible hangover). Need a writing exercise for practice, or to help you create some conflict, try What if? Think you must be insane for trying to write a novel, you are a little. Now that you know, check in to the asylum: your home office, local coffee shop, library. If you have a question about how I used, and continue to use, these books, please ask me via the comment section. Or, just post a comment. Do you have a resource tower?
Resource books for writers
