Someone told me when I started this writing process that I could never hope to be rich at writing unless I spent a lot of money. I don’t think that’s necessarily true, nor do I expect to become filthy rich. I do think, however, that it’s necessary to spend money on how-to books. Unfortunately, that can be a shot in the dark. Here are a few books that I think every fiction writer needs.

1. On Writing by Stephen King. It’s Stephen King. ’nuff said.

2. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman. I feel like I’m cheating when I use this book.

3. The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman

4. Writing Fiction for Dummies by Randy Ingermanson and Peter Economy. Yes, it’s a “For Dummies” book, but Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method is kind of cool.  It’s a great way to organize your thoughts.

5. Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

6. Writer’s Guide to Character Traits by Dr. Linda Edelstein

I haven’t read them yet, but there are two more books out by the same authors as The Emotion Thesaurus, The Positive Trait Thesaurus and The Negative Trait Thesaurus. 

Know of any others?