Recommended reading for writers (part II)
Erin
Dorothea Brande, *Becoming a Writer*
T.P Archer, Inc., 1981 ISBN 0-874-77164-1
"This book was originally published in 1934, and is as fresh as ever
today. An excellent and complete book, dealing with almost every
aspect of the art of writing, with many wonderful suggestions on
how to overcome blocks, view ones own work critically, etc. The
current printing has a foreward by John Gardner, himself an author
of many books dealing with the art and craft of fiction."
Annie Dillard, *The Writing Life*
Harper & Row, 1989 ISBN 0-06-091988-4
"Taken from essays that first appeared in Esquire, the TriQuarterly,
and several other maagazines, in this book Annie Dillard describes
her own personal experience as a writer. The book is not a how-to
volume in any sense; the crisp prose provides a direct glimpse into
a writer's fertile mind."
John Gardner, *On Becoming a Novelist*
Harper & Row, 1983 ISBN 0-06-091126-3
"The Foreword by Raymond Carver alone makes this book worthwhile.
Although
you could call the book 'inspirational' in nature because it deals
with
the art rather than the craft of writing (and although it says
'Novelist'
in the title, the book is also valuable to short story writers), it
is not
an exercise in cheerleading, but rather a serious discussion of the
nature
and training of a fiction writer (there is also a chapter titled
'Publication and Survival'). A wonderful book for the serious
artist."
Natalie Goldberg, *Writing Down the Bones*
Shambhala Publications, 1986 ISBN 0-87773-375-9
"The book consists of about 60 two- or three-page chapters, each of
which presents a brief technique or suggestion by which to improve
one's writing and creative process, with emphasis on the latter.
Many
times, the advice is presented via anecdotes. A very 'zen' approach
to creative writing, as one might guess from the publisher."
Brenda Ueland, *If You Want to Write*
Greywolf Press, 1987, P.O. Box 75006, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55175
ISBN 0-915308-94-0, $8.95
"This fine little book was originally published at about the same
time as
Dorothea Brande's book and must be the *most* inspirational writing
book
ever to fall into my possession. Carl Sandberg called this book
'The best
book ever written about how to write.' This is not a "nuts-n-bolts"
book;
it's one that raises you up, brushes you off, and sends you along
the path to new heights of creativity."
Bradbury, Ray. _Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity._
Santa Barbara, CA: Joshua Odell Editions, Capra Press, 1989.
Hardcover,
154 pp., $18.95.
Review by "Terry L. Jeffress" <TE...@ut-rdadmin.apple.com>
Condensed and edited by M Barnard
Zen in the Art of Writing is an interesting examination into the
modus
operandi of one of the great writers of our century which adequately
fulfils the title by describing Bradbury's beliefs about Zen in
writing, but it is only a self-examination and may not be useful to
other many other writers.
________
BOOKS: LITERARY CRITICISM (SF)
Stanislaw Lem, *MICROWORLDS*
Harcourt, Brace, & Jovanovich, 1984 ISBN 0-15-659443-9
"Lem is probably one of the world's greatest living writers, and one
of the few SF writers to publish a volume which analyzes the field
critically. Lem makes many excellent points about the state of SF
as he saw it when he was writing."
DISSENTING REVIEW: "Lem has clearly done very little reading in
SF, and his criticism shows this."
Larry McCaffery, *Across the Wounded Galaxies*
Univ. of Illinois Press, 1990 ISBN 0-252-06140-3
"Larry McCaffery is best known for his criticism of Donald Barthelme
and
other authors of 'metafiction', but he has, in this book, compiled a
stunning collection of interviews with some of America's greatest
contemporary SF authors, including William S. Burroughs, William
Gibson, Samuel Delany, Octavia Butler, Gene Wolfe, Ursula Le Guin,
Bruce Sterling, and Greg Benford. These are not fan-oriented
interviews, either, but involved questions that probe each author's
views about his or her craft and the state of the art in
general. A fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable read."
_______
BOOKS: TECHNICAL WRITING
Janet Van Wicklen, _The Tech Writing Game_. Facts on File Books, 1992.
ISBN 0-8160-2607-6. $22.95 hardcover.
"The author is a Silicon Valley veteran technical writer, and her
advice is
right on the mark. Even at the hardcover price, the book is worth
every
penny."
(dia...@genmagic.com)
________
BOOKS: MARKET RESEARCH
*The Science Fiction Writer's Market Place and Sourcebook*,
Writer's Digest Books, 1994. ISBN 0-89879-692-X. 494 pages.
Review by Alex von Thorn
Edited by EBH
The essential market reference for writers of speculative fiction;
this book
tells everything you need to know to turn a saleable manuscript into a
sale. 170 pages of magazine markets; 3-5 pgs given to each major
magazine
and a page each for secondary markets. 80 pages on novel markets;
3-5 pages each to the dozen major novel publishers. They focus on
what
editors want, how they think, and what basic strategy each publisher
uses.
Other sections include: trends in SF, craft & technique, how to get an
agent, the editorial process, and a long list of other resources. The
latter
includes a complete list of Hugo and Nebula awards, SF bookstores,
organizations, conventions, workshops, online references, pointers on
other sources of up-to-date market information, and much more.
The Bible of market research is
*Writer's Market*, Writer's Digest Books,
1507 Dana Avenue,
Cincinnati, OH 45207. Updated annually.
There are innumerable variations (*Poet's Market*, *Novel and Short
Story Writer's Market*, etc.) Any public library should have these
books. You can buy a copy more cheaply by joining the Writer's
Digest Book Club; see *Writer's Digest* magazine for a blow-in
card.
BE SURE TO USE THE LATEST AVAILABLE EDITION! The publishing
industry is a giant amoeba; not only do publishers' needs change,
but editors change employment as frequently as Warren Beatty ...
well, you get the idea. If you can, check the listed editor's name
against another source (a friend at the publishing house, the
masthead
of the magazine) before submitting.
*The International Directory of Little Magazine and Small Presses*
Dustbooks,
P.O. Box 100, Paradise, CA 95967 ISBN 0-916685-17-9
Published annually.
"Called the 'bible of the business' by the Wall Street Journal, this
thing
is *huge*, and full of small and literary markets that you won't
find in
any of the Writer's Digest books above."
Bly, Robert W. _Secrets of a Freelance Writer: How to Make $85,000 a
Year._ New
York: Henry Holt, 1988. Trade paperback, 273 pp., $10.95. ISBN
0-8050-1192-7.
Review by "Terry L. Jeffress" <TE...@ut-rdadmin.apple.com>
Condensed and edited by M Barnard
Bly goes into great detail about the various kinds of writing that
businesses often need: advertising (print, radio, and television),
corporate reports, brochures, direct mail. He tells how to find
clients
that need these types of services, how much to charge, how long such
jobs
usually take. Bly describes how to promote yourself, find and
maintain
clients, and plan your time. He handles issues on how to handle the
business end of freelance work better than most, but he still skims
over
many areas that could be described in detail.
__________
BOOKS: RHETORIC
Barzun, Jaques. *Simple and Direct, A Modern Rhetoric for Writers*
Harper-Collins ISBN 0-06-091122-0
"Does not describe rhetoric in the classical sense, but he does give
some
excellent suggestions for becoming aware of and tightening up one's
writing. Eye opening and well worth the reading. Although it covers
mainly
Rhetoric, this book really applies to any kind of technical or
expository
writing, and to some extent narrative fiction. I'd classify it as a
General Purpose writing improvement book. Hardback edition out of
print."
Corbett, Edward P.J. *Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student*, 3rd
ed
Oxford University Press, New York. 1990. ISBN 0-19-506293-0
$38.00(?)
"Highly Recommended text for learning the ins and outs of expository
writing. Includes technical topics such as discovering (inventing)
material, organizing material, stylistic tricks and stunts,
exercises,
modes of reasoning and other methods of persuasion, and
examples/analysis
of these techniques in actual everyday (and formal) use in prose of
various people ranging from Homer to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The principles described herein apply to any kind of prose used to
persuade and inform an audience. Concentration here is mainly on
the written word rather than the spoken word (the more commonly
associated domain of Rhetoric)."
___________
BOOKS: STYLE GUIDES AND ENGLISH GRAMMARS
Strunk and White, *The Elements of Style*
Macmillan, ISBN 0-02-418200-1, $3.50
The classic. 92 pages that can change your life. *Not* a general
reference manual.
William Zinsser, *On Writing Well*, Harper and Row, 1988, ISBM
0-06-091479-3
"The book is subtitled 'An Informal Guide to Writing
Nonfiction' and contains lots of good, basic advice on writing.
This book is an interesting read as well as being useful."
For exhaustive reference:
*The Chicago Manual of Style*, 14th edition, University of Chicago
Press,
ISBN 0-226-10389-7
The 14th edition of the CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE has just been
released. It
has been eleven years since the 13th edition and so the new edition
contains a good deal of updated material. New material has also
been
added--the new edition is about 200 pages longer than the 13th.
$40.00.
*Words into Type*, Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0-13-964262-5
Amusing, quirky, and often irritating:
Fowler, *Modern English Usage*, Oxford University Press
You either love this one or you hate it. A period piece, written by
an Englishman immediately after the Great War.
[[[ I have no information other than the title on the following:
Thomas S. Kane, *The New Oxford Guide to Writing*, Oxford University
Press, 1988
$22.95 ]]]
If you are concerned about biased language:
Rosalie Maggio, *The Dictionary of Bias-Free Usage,a Guide to
Nondiscriminatory
Language*, Oryx Press, 1991. ISBN 0-89774-653-8
"Instamatic review: Looks like a good starting place for decisions
about
some issues in language."
Casey Miller and Kate Swift, "The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing (For
Writers,
Editors, and Speakers)", Harper and Row, 1988. ISBN 0-06-096238-0
(pbk.)
"It offers both general guidelines and many helpful examples."
_________
MAGAZINES: HOW TO BE A WRITER
Pulphouse Publishing, *The Report*
Pulphouse Publishing, Box 1227, Eugene, OR 97440
$2.95/copy, $10.00/four issues
Pulphouse's blurb says, "a writer's magazine, filled with writers
talking about all aspects of writing". Primarily for people
interested in speculative fiction (SF, fantasy, horror). Comes out
more-or-less quarterly.
*Poets & Writers Magazine*
$3.50/copy. $20/six issues (I think).
"This magazine is great. It's full of interviews of authors like
Amy Tan
and John Irving, and includes many articles about creative writing
and
even *teaching* creative writing. This magazine is aimed at serious
authors, not the "gee, I wanna write" audience that Writer's Digest
seems geared towards. There are also copious listings of contests,
grants, and workshops in the back half of each issue. *And* there's
even
a helpline for subscribers. Yep, call up and get advice on writing/
publishing direct from the staff!"
*ByLine*
Subscription $20/year, Sample Copy $3.50
There are 11 issues per year (one double to make up for the missing
one).
This magazine is subscription only and costs $20.- per year.
Subscriptions available from: ByLine, P.O.Box 130596, Edmond,
Oklahoma
73013.
"Every issue features several articles on writing, market
information,
contests, some poetry, one short story, and a philosophical end
piece.
ByLine is as much entertaining as enlightening, and even though
helping
writers sell is a topic, encouraging them to sit down and write is
one of
the primary messages. ByLine assumes an intelligent and educated
reader,
willing to do the footwork for an article or story.
A big plus IMHO: ByLine is subscriber paid and has no
advertisements."
_________
MAGAZINES: MARKET REPORTS -- GENERAL
*Publishers Weekly*
P.O. Box 1979
Marion, OH 43306-2079 $97.00/year
Subscription inquiries: (800)842-1669
Expensive; contains useful industry gossip, hot off the
presses. (I learned about the various suits against Donning Press
from *PW*; *Locus* and *SF Chronicle* didn't get the story until a
month later.) Skim it in your library -- the book reviews can help
you get a handle on what your competition is up to.
_________
MAGAZINES: MARKET REPORTS -- CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Society for Children's Book Writers' Newsletter
(included in $40/year membership fee)
Society of Children's Book Writers
P.O. Box 296, Mar Vista Station
Los Angeles, CA 90066
CHILDREN'S BOOK INSIDER. Subscriptions are $29.95 (12 monthly
issues).
Children's Book Insider
PO Box 1030
Fairplay, CO 80440-1030
_________
MAGAZINES: MARKET REPORTS -- SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY/HORROR
*Bulletin* [[[of the Science Fiction Writers of America]]]
To subscribe without joining SFFWA, contact
Pulphouse Publishing, Box 1227, Eugene, OR 97440
*Gila Queen's Guide to Markets*
Kathy Ptacek, editor
PO Box 97, Newton, NJ 07860-0097
$24.00/12 issues; sample copy for $3.00
r $7/6 months
1st class mail without advertising flyers $18/year or $9/6 months
*Science Fiction Chronicle*
P.O. Box 2730, Brooklyn, NY 11202-0056, $30/year
Has quarterly Market Report sections. Useful source
of information on new theme anthologie
Locus Publications, P.O. Box 13305, Oakland, CA 94661, $35.00/year
A better source of industry gossip than *SF Chronicle*; I suspect a
working SF writer could live without it, though. Richard Curtis's
industry column has ended, removing one good reason to subscribe.
Locus also prints market reports, but these are done irregularly,
and tend
to have a "theme", such as pro market or book publisher or small
press.
Locus prints updates as available.
*Scavenger's Newsletter*
Janet Fox, ed., 519 Ellinwood, Osage City KS 66523-1329, phone (913)
528-3538
(quoting from SFFWA Newsletter)
"This little zine focuses on market information, covering, in the
current issue, 91 magazines and fanzines."
Bulk mailing with advertising flyers $14/year or $7/6 months
1st class mail without advertising flyers $18/year or $9/6 months
*Science Fiction Chronicle*
P.O. Box 2730, Brooklyn, NY 11202-0056, $30/year
Has quarterly Market Report sections. Useful source
of information on new theme anthologies, editor shifts, & the
like."
*Locus*
Locus Publications, P.O. Box 13305, Oakland, CA 94661, $35.00/year
A better source of industry gossip than *SF Chronicle*; I suspect a
working SF writer could live without it, though. Richard Curtis's
industry column has ended, removing one good reason to subscribe.
Locus also prints market reports, but these are done irregularly,
and tend
to have a "theme", such as pro market or book publisher or small
press.
Locus prints updates as available.
*Scavenger's Newsletter*
Janet Fox, ed., 519 Ellinwood, Osage City KS 66523-1329, phone (913)
528-3538
(quoting from SFFWA Newsletter)
"This little zine focuses on market information, covering, in the
current issue, 91 magazines and fanzines."
Bulk mailing with advertising flyers $14/year or $7/6 months
1st class mail without advertising flyers $18/year or $9/6 months
*Science Fiction Chronicle*
P.O. Box 2730, Brooklyn, NY 11202-0056, $30/year
Has quarterly Market Report sections. Useful source
of information on new theme anthologies, semi-pro magazines,
and other non-obvious markets.
________
MAGAZINES: NOT RECOMMENDED
*The Writer*
*Writer's Digest*
Most misc.writing contributors find these magazines are aimed at
people who want to be writers rather than people who write.
If you judge a magazine's intended audience by its advertisers,
you'll notice that most ads in *Writer's Digest* promise to
edit/read/ghost-write/publish your masterpiece for pay; very few
tell you how to invest your enormous royalty income.
Some of the columns in *Writer's Digest* are quite good;
read these in the library.
NOTE: The annual Writer's Digest magazine poll often contains
incorrect
information, in regards to markets available, what these markets
are
looking for, and where these markets are. A number of magazine
editors
have asked WD to *not* include them in the list of ranked markets.
Be
aware inclusion or exclusion from the list is *not* an indication
of
quality or availability
Send corrections, additions, and suggestions to Erin Barrett-Hamner:
<lad...@scott.net>
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