by Mary Rosenblum

As a writing instructor, I am often approached by students at the end of a writing course. ‘Now what?’ they ask. ‘Can you recommend a good ‘how to write’ book?’

I wish I had a quarter for every time I’ve been asked that question. I wouldn’t need to write that next novel!

So what is my answer? Are there good ‘how to write’ books out there? Do I have the insider’s laundry list? Well, yes and no. There are dozens of ‘how to write’ books on the shelves. The choices can be bewildering, should you search the topic on Amazon.com or visit your local Barnes and Noble – and hazardous to your checkbook or credit card balance! But they can indeed offer a useful resource when you’re just beginning a writing career. Good examples of strong technique can help you find your voice and polish your craft more rapidly than you might achieve without that help. So…how do you choose? IS there an ‘inside laundry list’?

Books are always a ‘buyer beware’ arena. We have all been brought up to believe automatically that anything we see in print must be true. Just ask newspaper reporters about that one! But realistically, publishers publish what sells. It is not their job to investigate the ability of their authors. There is no license required to write a how-to book. Therefore, you need to exercise some caution and do a bit of thoughtful skimming before you plunk down your $29.95 for a how to write book published by a big name author. For one thing, a good writer is not always a good teacher, and many writers couldn’t really tell you how to do what they do if their lives depended on it! But you may enjoy reading about Mr. Big Name’s writing day, and if that’s the case, your money has been well spent, even if you learn nothing from the book, craft wise.

However, there are some books to avoid, in my opinion. These are the ‘template’ books, as I call them. They offer ‘the only way’ to write a story, article, cover letter, query, what have you. They are clear and reassuringly specific. Start this way. Write five scenes, doing this in each scene, and end this way. Voila! You have your first sale, just send it right out…

Ah, if it was only that simple! The trouble with these books is that they claim to know how to write ‘right’ and will tell you what is ‘wrong’. Well, if the ‘right’ form of storytelling works for you, by all means plug your character and setting into the template. But there are infinite ways to tell a story. And while every ‘how to’ book will offer rules for writing, the good ones will encourage you to break those rules, once you have mastered them. If you pick up a how to book and find the author stating that you must do this, and you must not do that, do yourself and your credit card a favor and put it back on the shelf. You might become a best selling author doing just what that writer told you not to do. You never know. And while the ‘rules’ in writing are sound ones – it is much easier to write a strong short story with a single POV character, for example – that does not mean that you can’t write a Pulitzers winner with four POV characters! It’s just going to be a lot tougher.

Before you hit that bookstore, know what you want. Do you need help with plot, character, revision, description? Do you want to know how to network, how to write a strong SF story? A mystery? Now do some homework. Check out the review section on the Long Ridge website. Many students and website regulars review books on writing and their comments can help you decide if that book is for you or not.

When you attend conferences, writers workshop, or just get together with other writers, ask them if they’ve found a book that is particularly helpful. And always listen to your own muse. If an author is telling you that everything you do is wrong, and you know that this is how you want to write…then you need to listen to yourself, no matter how wonderful his credentials are. You are the writer and these are your words. While teachers and how-to books can help you improve them…you need to write your way.

And no matter how helpful how-to books might be, the most important way to become a better writer is to put words on paper or on the screen. Lots of words. More words. Lots more words.

That is how you learn to write.

So get busy!