Books for Writers Part 2

Thanks for checking back in! Today is part two of my series of books for writers. This week it's all about a few of the books that I have found helpful as a fantasy writer. The books are as follows:

Writing Monsters by Philip Athans
The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference with an introduction by Terry Brooks
Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction with sections by Orson Scott Card, Philip Athans, Jay Lake

Writing Monsters is a relatively new acquisition that I haven't had as much time as I would like to have spent flipping through the pages. This book first attempts to define what a monster is, what makes them scary, and their origin story. It also discusses monsters as literary devices such as a metaphor, an obstacle, an agent, a source of pity, or as a source of magic or technology. The book also has many fantastic charts or worksheets that help to outline the monsters that you create or will be using in your fiction.

The Fantasy Reference guide is one that I have had for many, many years. It has proved useful several times over. I currently have the page on types of magic system bookmarked, as well as sections on arms, armor, and armies. There is also a great section on medieval clothes and terms which I have referenced, as well as the castle and fortress diagrams. These references have all been irreplaceable while outlining and writing my fantasy novels.

Once again Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction is a newer acquisition. The world building chapters are great, and covers both creating a fantasy world as well as a science fiction one. They are incredibly detailed and cover such topics as time travel and magic systems. There is even a large section on steampunk which, a long with fantasy and science fiction, is experiencing a boom in popularity.

As a fantasy writer these books have been a wealth of resources for me. Especially before I used the internet to do more research. There is something about the feel of a book, highlighters, and sticky notes in hand that a computer just doesn't have. Plus, if the computer doesn't work, or I don't have the internet I have a resource for information.

Again, this post was not sponsored or promoted by Writers Digest, just a strange and to me humorous coincidence.

Stick around, next week is all about the books that I have found useful in the self-publication process!