Reads to Master the Craft

"It is time," as Rafiki says in the Lion King movie.

Life has become such a maelstrom of chaos that I need to step back, refocus, and breath. I adore blogging with you all, so I won't be gone long or stay too far away. Throughout the month of July, I will pop in now-and-again to say HI. I will continue to write for Oasis for YA during this time, so I hope you pay visits to us over there. On July 17th, I will be participating in LM Preston's Flutter of Luv Blog Tour, plus I'll be announcing the winners of my Q&A with a YA giveaway! If you haven't already entered, please do for your chance to win 1 of 3 YA & 2 MG summer reads! And please keep spreading the word. <3

BUT...I can't just leave you empty handed, so I have a gift.

Back in April, during the A to Z Blogging Challenge, I spotlighted books on craft and technique, grammar, and conjuring up ideas. It was such a hit with readers that I decided to gather a list of Writerly Aids and make a place for them on my site. I have, however, created a widget in the past, listing just that. But that widget grew and became bulky. 

What I've decided to do is create a widget of Perfecting the Craft, which will hold links to specific posts of all sorts. I'm beginning with the following: 

Books on Writing: ~ Incredibly Insightful Books~

• Save the Cat!: Blake Snyder
• The Art of War for Writers: J.S.Bell
• Writing the Breakout Novel: Donald Maass
• Characters/Ems/VP: N. Kress
• Words Overflown by Stars: Creative Writing Instruction and Insight - David Jauss
• From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction - Robert Olen Butler
• Plot Whisperer: Martha Alderson
• The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Martha Alderson
• Hooked: Les Edgerton
• The Emotional Thesaurus: Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
• Elements of Style: Shrunk/White
• Word Power Made Easy: N. Lewis
• Leap Write In: Karen Benke
• Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus
• Rock Your Plot: Cathy Yardley
• Plot & Structure: J.S. Bell
• Elements of Fiction Writing: Beginnings, Middles, & Ends - Nancy Kress
• Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft - Burroway, Stuckey-French, Stuckey-French
• Bird by Bird: Anne Lamott
• A Poetry Handbook: Mary Oliver
• Elements of Fiction Writing: Scene & Structure - Jack Bickham
• The Art of Fiction: John Gardner
• Writing Down the Bones: Natalie Goldberg
• Dynamic Characters: Nancy Kress
• On Writing: Stephen King
• The Extroverted Writer: Amanda Luedeke
• Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Jessica Bell
• The Grammar Devotional: Mignon Fogarty
• The First Five Pages: Noah Lukeman
• Aspects of the Novel: E.M. Forster
• 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary: Funk & Lewis
• Stein on Writing: Sol Stein
• Outlining Your Novel: K.M. Weiland
• How to Write Attention Grabbing Query & Cover Letters: John Wood
• Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: Renni Browne/Dave King 
• Reading Like a Writer: Francine Prose
• Elements of Writing Fiction: Conflict & Suspense - J.S. Bell
• Word Painting: Rebecca McClanahan
• Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting - Robert McKee
• First Draft in 30 Days: Karen S. Wiesner
• The 90 Day Novel: Unlock the Story Within - Alan Watt
• The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller - John Truby
• Alone, With All that Could Happen: David Jauss
• The Moral Premise: Harnessing Viture & Vice for Box Office Success - Stanley Williams
• How to Write and Sell Short Stories: Della Galton
• My Grammar and I or Should That Be Me?: J.A. Wines/Caroline Taggart
• The Writer's Treasury of Ideas: Linda Lewis
• The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Joseph Campbell
• Adverbs & Cliche's In A Nutshell: Jessica Bell

I've even added links to each so you can click and buy the books if you don't already own them. Whoot! 

Within the comments of my original post, many of you graciously suggested other reading material valuable to a writer's growth. So I've amended my original list, adding your suggestions. Thanks goes out to Stina, E. Arroyo, Lisa Gail Green, Heather McCorkle, & Matt MacNish.

August will be the month I will probably be less visable. I know I mentioned an announcement is on its way--and it is a way grander announcement than I thought it'd be when it all began--but I can't spill just yet. These things take time, as I'm discovering. So I might just be breaking in with some news. Until then....

Hearts to you all. Have a fabulous and safe 4th of July and enjoy your summer!