Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

What is literary fiction? And what makes it different from memoirs or genre fiction? Literary fiction is something that will stand the course of time; it will make a bold statement and allow the individual reader to grow in his or her experience merely by reading the story. Basically, literary fiction is a complex work of art, something to be savored, studied and analyzed. So, how does one write literary fiction? It must be assumed that any writer can write a good story, but is it literary fiction? Does it have the potential of becoming literary fiction? There are many elements essential in the creation of a good piece of literary fiction. First of all, characterization is important. “The author who wants to create great stories must characterize well.” The characters give the story focus, meaning, direction and so much more. And that, in the art of literary fiction, is what makes it. In effect, “Meaning and purpose are crucial.”

Author William H. Coles’ Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer’s Guide is a powerful tool to help writers, both beginners and established, to create their great work of literary fiction. Starting with a discussion and comparison of literary fiction versus memoir or genre fiction, the author proceeds to outline the important elements of a good work of literary fiction. Step-by-step, he leads the reader through the complexities of characterization, narration, dialogue, conflict, point of view and so much more. Using examples from classic literature, each important element is explained and compared to help the reader comprehend the complexities of the story’s structure. This is a must-have guide for all writers. Well written and laid out, this is an interesting read.

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

Kill Your Characters: Crime Scene Tips for Writers by Steve Rush is an ideal resource for mystery and crime fiction writers and contains crime scene tips that will help authors improve their writing. The book breaks down crime scenes and provides useful information and prompts that take advantage of Rush’s first-hand knowledge derived from years as a detective and forensic investigator. The goal is to empower writers by giving them the information to make their books into page-turners. The book will no doubt allow writers to answer important questions by making available the facts surrounding a character’s death including evidence, weapon, investigation, and suspects. The vivid details, advice, and prompts will help create realistic scenarios that will lend reality to mysteries and crime fiction.

The goal of the book is to help seasoned writers to strengthen their writing skills and allow beginners to break into the mystery genres with vivid and accurate details that will help to establish a credible plot. The book is broken down into key aspects such as the crime scene, investigation, and evidence which will provide useful data and visuals. The book is beneficial whether you are writing cozy mysteries or murder mysteries with facts that will permit your PI (private investigator) or AS (amateur sleuth) to put together a case. These facts show how to place the details in a concept-conflict-climax story structure which allows you to set up the inciting incident, the offender’s identity, and the investigation. Further details include wounds, autopsy reports, and various causes of death.

The book contains writing exercises and prompts that take what you learn from the chapters and apply it to the beginning stages of writing, such as whether the facts support the scene’s integrity, red herrings, and prompts that help set the scene. The book also has fill-in-the-blank worksheets that cover suspects, venue, and cause of death. A time of death table is included that details the stages of body decomposition. These features make this book one of a kind and a must-have for a writer’s shelf. An empowering read, Kill Your Characters is the go-to handbook for writers looking to step into the mystery genres with thorough details that will make writing murder mysteries and crime fiction a breeze.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Overcoming Writer's Block: The Writer's Guide to Beating the Blank Page by Marcy Pusey reminds us that being a writer is a calling, a passion, and something we writers feel compelled to do. Unfortunately, that’s not always an easy task. We may have an idea for a story, but that blank page or screen in front of us challenges our ability to write a single word, let alone string together multiple sentences that make any sense. How can we overcome this dilemma, the notorious, infamous writer’s block? Writers have shared their thoughts on the subject as well as their experiences, but no one way works for everyone. However, due diligence and perseverance will always pay off, and exploring different possibilities will find the right path that suits each author. Take advice from seasoned authors and learn from the pros. Then try some of their techniques and troubleshoot your block.

Marcy Pusey’s self-help guide, Overcoming Writer’s Block, is a different look at a complex and often debilitating problem that all writers face from time to time. The book shares personal anecdotes as well as advice in this thorough look at the issue. This award-winning author breaks down the problem and addresses it in detail, even scientifically, providing strategies to help writers eliminate the mind freeze that defines writer’s block. The guide suggests how we can individualize our approach to conquering it, removing the block, reigniting our passion, and getting back to what we love most: writing. The approach presented in this book is complete and well-organized, allowing writers to unlock their temporarily frozen inner muse. A unique and informative approach to a real problem.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

What is literary fiction? And what makes it different from memoirs or genre fiction? Literary fiction is something that will stand the course of time; it will make a bold statement and allow the individual reader to grow in his or her experience merely by reading the story. Basically, literary fiction is a complex work of art, something to be savored, studied and analyzed. So, how does one write literary fiction? It must be assumed that any writer can write a good story, but is it literary fiction? Does it have the potential of becoming literary fiction? There are many elements essential in the creation of a good piece of literary fiction. First of all, characterization is important. “The author who wants to create great stories must characterize well.” The characters give the story focus, meaning, direction and so much more. And that, in the art of literary fiction, is what makes it. In effect, “Meaning and purpose are crucial.”

Author William H. Coles’ Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer’s Guide is a powerful tool to help writers, both beginners and established, to create their great work of literary fiction. Starting with a discussion and comparison of literary fiction versus memoir or genre fiction, the author proceeds to outline the important elements of a good work of literary fiction. Step-by-step, he leads the reader through the complexities of characterization, narration, dialogue, conflict, point of view and so much more. Using examples from classic literature, each important element is explained and compared to help the reader comprehend the complexities of the story’s structure. This is a must-have guide for all writers. Well written and laid out, this is an interesting read.

Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite

A Wordsmith's Work by Mark R. Weaver, Esq. is an indispensable guide on crisis communications and how to write more effectively. Other than being about crisis communications and effective writing, the book is a compilation of the author’s writings on the subject that include some of his ghostwriting projects. Every chapter provides meaningful tips on how you can sharpen your writing skills, particularly in the business and media sectors. By taking into consideration the attitude that you express through the words and details you select, you effectively drive your main ideas which are to inform, to entertain, and to persuade. Moreover, it delves into the practice of crisis communications and how writers can wield it to share correct and largely unchangeable information quickly.

I am very glad to have the opportunity to review this book. Much of the things on crisis communications that Mark R. Weaver shares are knowledge I never learned in school. I enjoyed reading about the careful planning that goes into writing about this specialized form as well as the dos and don’ts of effective op-eds. I find Weaver’s instructions to be very absorbing, and his examples truly poke you between the eyes as if to say that you must remember them. It can be tricky to engage your readers nowadays considering the plethora of information jostling for attention. Hopefully, this book can help you rise up and take more control of what you write. I consider A Wordsmith’s Work as good writing education for anyone who wants to further hone their wordsmithing skills. With its solid tips and no-nonsense delivery, it is a book worth visiting regularly.

Reviewed by Jon Michael Miller for Readers' Favorite

Screenwriting for Storytellers: How to Take Your Story from Idea to Script by SherLann D. Moore is a must-read manual for anyone who wants to convert their novel, novella, or short story to the silver screen. If you think this transformation is a simple process, you have a surprise in store. Moore provides a step-by-step guide to margins, page numbers, fonts, camera directions and moves on to character development, sluglines, dialogue, transitions, fade-ins and outs, dissolves, cut-tos, dissolve tos, montages, flashbacks - everything you need to know about the format of a screenplay. She moves on to the hard part, converting your story into a film, which usually requires significant word-cutting to make it “lean, simple, and relevant.” To make her point she provides many examples, including her prize-winning screenplay in its entirety: Stronger When She’s Broken.

As someone who has attempted to convert several of my novels to script form, I wish I had found Moore’s book before I started. I thought, oh, this should be simple enough. But it’s a whole new ballgame. She provides some important advice such as investing in a software program that formats your script automatically, reading lots of scripts in your genre, and how to overcome writer’s block (she includes physical exercises) - all useful to any writer. She gives you an actual assignment of writing a screenplay with you as the main character, and - hugely important - she tells you how to pitch your book in what is called a “pitch deck.” She even gives you quizzes to see if you are paying attention! There is space for notetaking too. Before you try going it alone to convert your novel to a movie, be sure to pick up a copy of Screenwriting for Storytellers by SherLann D. Moore. I sure wish I had.

Reviewed by Daniel D Staats for Readers' Favorite

We are surrounded by bias. Everyone has a degree of prejudice, and their bias often comes out in their writing. Because bias can be hidden or disguised, Erik Bean has written Bias Is All Around You. Erik has developed the KLEMP method to assess the degree of bias in any given situation. Knowing a person’s bias can help us vet the usefulness of their writing. We must stop accepting what the media shoves at us at face value. It is high time we vet the information, throw away much of it, retain the little that seems true with the least amount of bias, and just what is worth sharing. Proper critical thinking cannot be rushed. Sharing information without thoroughly vetting it is irresponsible, risky, and wrong. The stakes are high, so we need to be sure what we share, read, and believe is valid.

Thinking critically is what Erik Bean wants you to do to vet the media. He wants his readers to have the skills and tools to properly vet the information that bombards you daily. In Bias Is All Around You: A Handbook for Inspecting Social Media & News Stories, Erik has taken a complex concept and boiled it down to easy-to-use steps. With his KLEMP method and his myriad of questions found in the book, there is no excuse for anyone not being able to critically discern the value of any report. Erik’s style of writing is informative and concise. He desires to teach others how to analyze data so they can feel confident sharing information with others.

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

When I decided to read Breakthrough by Todd Mitchell, it was because I am one of those writers who has been stuck in what I call a “Go? No!’ state of creativity for the past five years. It feels crummy. So, when Mitchell’s subtitle indicated his book would help me overcome doubt, fear, and resistance so I could once again be my ultimate creative self, I couldn’t wait to read it. Did it work? Well, let’s say it WILL work if I can stop letting my ego, my need to achieve, and my constant comparison of myself to others interfere. But those concepts are only the beginning of what Mitchell explores to help us get out of our creative ruts. 
Breakthrough is one of those books that I couldn’t help but stop every so often to jot down notes. Section after section, I identified things I’ve been doing and thoughts I’ve been having that have held me back for too long. Perhaps the most important concept was the one that should become my mantra: “Stop trying to create things and focus on being creative.”

Ah! That reminds me of what we hear about mindfulness, i.e. living, being in the moment. There are other concepts that, as a writer, I need to remember, like becoming a silent but conscious observer. The stories I might like to write are all around me, as well as deep within me, but “Rather than constantly trying to control my story (and blaming myself for not getting it right), I [must] remind myself that I’m discovering my story as it’s written.” That statement screamed at me, as did so many. But is Breakthrough only for writers? Not at all. Whatever your creative discipline, if doubt, fear, and more are holding your creativity in limbo, you need to read this book. Todd Mitchell writes with such sincerity. He bares his soul. What he suggests comes from his own experience of living on a treadmill that is always seeking new heights, failing, and feeling unhappy. Whatever setbacks we are having now with our creative aspirations, Mitchell has had them too.  

I suppose, if you were pressed for time and wanted quick advice, you could just go to the end of Breakthrough and check out Mitchell’s 13-step program, his short exploration of the various types of meditation, and his brilliant collection of mantras. But you’d miss out on fully understanding why “maybe success isn’t the antidote to failure that people might think it is” and that “creative success is doing what you love and loving what you do.” Don’t shortchange yourself. Read Breakthrough all the way through. Jot down thoughts that jump out at you, and keep this wonderful book in a spot close to where you create. It’s inspiring and motivating.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

There’s a well-repeated phrase, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” While in many ways that saying is true, it can also be said that you can’t choose a book without its cover and, more significantly, its title. When have you ever been attracted to a cover-less, title-less book? What usually draws you first to pick up a book, to see if it’s something you want to read? The title, of course, and the author. If he/she is well known, it may attract more attention from potential readers. So, you’ve finished writing your book, and you are stumped as to what title to use. You may or may not have some ideas, but you want to make sure your ideas suit. Or, perhaps there’s a better option to consider. Did you know that some great books were once duds because their titles were ineffective? Once the titles were changed, these books soared in ratings. So, what can you do to find that perfect title the first time? Where can you turn for potential title ideas?

Scott Lorenz’s Book Title Generator: A Proven System in Naming Your Book is an excellent guide to help you find that perfect title, the one that will pull in more potential readers. Quite simply put, as the author says in his introduction: “Your book needs to stand out from the competition.” And, he has the means to show you how. As the author continues to point out, your book is all about discoverability. What does that mean? Well, if no one knows it’s there on the market, no one’s going to pick it up to read it. And that’s where this book comes in handy to help you choose the right title to increase your book’s discoverability. It boils down to keywords: effective choices and mastering the emotional words that attract. Book Title Generator is well organized with key examples from a wide range of authors and a thorough process to make sure all your books are well titled. A great resource for every author.

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

Story Power: Secrets to Creating, Crafting, and Telling Memorable Stories by Kate Farrell is an ideal resource to help craft your own story. This how-to guide delves into the art of storytelling and encourages others to share their individual stories. The art of telling stories is highlighted to show the importance of how we as humans relate to stories. This book is for anyone in need of telling a good story, whether for your business presentation, communication, sharing, or writing. This book shares various advice, techniques, and exercises that will help inspire, teach, and guide. This will guide you towards discovering your authentic style of storytelling, thanks to the wisdom and advice shared by twenty writers. Woven throughout are examples and prompts along with tips for telling your story, creating your personal branding story. Also included are organizers, seven steps to storytelling, and personal stories.

Kate Farrell creates a female-driving resource to guide women to find their own stories. The resource stems from the desire humans have to tell their personal stories and comes from the idea that our narratives have therapeutic potential. While serving as a writing guide, it also acts as a reminder to be true to ourselves and honest about where we've been and what we have done in our lives. This unique resource is from the perspective that believes in the power of telling our true stories (significantly seen in the #MeToo movement) and delves into the meaningful connections that humans make. Telling unforgettable stories will feel easy after reading the advice various contributors give in this book. Each contributor shares their secrets for how they tell memorable tales. Stories define us, and Story Power embodies the power storytelling has to help everyone discover themselves and better the ways they communicate with others. Story Power is a well-organized book with chapters broken down into popular themes, storytelling delivery, and the rich heritage of folklore. Farrell has organized the book via tools to help navigate the resource with creating, crafting, telling, and exercises. This resource encourages the importance of developing your style and how to tailor your content and structure to fit your delivery and style.

The seven steps to storytelling provide comfort in how you tell your own story by allowing you to feel confident in it. The advice includes tips such as using the idea of a journey to create the narrative arc, exercises such as character benchmarks, exercises for family folklore, encouragement to write even for those that don't believe they can, and understanding legacies that are negative and positive. Discover how to tell your story in Story Power, which acts as a guide for finding your voice as a storyteller through the advice, prompts, and tips shared by incredible contributors.