Top 3 Books on Crafting Stories (KaLyn)

One aspect of being a writer is reading a lot of non-fiction. While I love to learn, I don't like to spend time reading boring books. So engaging or short and easy to read non-fiction books are like gifts.

With that in mind, here are my top three-ish books on the craft of writing.

1) Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder

This book transformed my approach to plotting. I use it in the initial planning phase and during the editing process to ensure stories are hitting the plot points at the right time. It's sort, sweet, and easy to follow - even if you skim read it.

Be sure to check out Jami Gold's handy excel spreadsheet based on the approach outlined in this book.

2) The Emotional Thesaurus Series by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
If you struggle with telling or conveying the right balance of emotions, check out these books. They are the quintessential emotional reference guides for writers. I can't say enough wonderful things about them. They are always close by when I'm writing.

Oh, and don't skip over the beginning chapters in these books! They're packed with helpful tips.

3) Anything by K.M. Weiland

Every book of K.M. Weiland's on the craft of writing, that I've read so far, has been easy to read and helpful. Her books on Outlining and Character Arcs provide a lot of detail and insight without a lot of extra padding. 

What are your favorite books on writing?

Symmetry in Writing (KaLyn)

When I first began writing, all my focus was on characters, plots, settings, and themes. I delved into story structure and, later, ventured deeper to discover how to build it with harmonious symmetry to create a lasting impression. In fact, it's a topic I previously visited on my blog (if you are inclined to read it, you can find the post here).

But, at that point in time, I often overlooked elements like pace and tone. Those were elusive ghosts roaming the halls, their essence unobtainable.

Today, I want to share with you a recent area of exploration: how sounds and syllables affect tone and pace.

Length

Paragraphs, sentences, and words - the length of these can effectively reinforce the pace and tone of a scene. Think of it as a dance. Drawing in your arms shortens the distance between you and your partner, creating intimacy and allowing for a faster tempo. Whereas, extending your arms lengthens the distance, thus adding a sense of formality and a softer flow to the rhythm.

Sound

The sound of a word, whether soft or hard, affects the tone of a scene. Softer sounds are associated with a more relaxed scene, while harder ones leave the reader with a harsher impression of the events.

Telling the difference isn't always easy, but here are a few tips I have learned.

• Words beginning with b, c, d, g, k, p, q, t usually have hard sounds.
• Words beginning with e, f, h, i, j, l, m, n, o, s, w, y usually have soft sounds.
• Exceptions are often determined by the letter sounds following the first one. Is it a plosive sound? Can the word be said in one breath or does it have a longer sound made with a continuing breath? For example, 'take' is short, plosive sound, while 'theater' is a long sound made with a continuing breath. 

Rhythm

If symmetry in writing begins with story structure and cascades down to the tiniest level of prose, how then does it play out with syllable structure? Much like iambic pentameter creates a rhythm, to what end and effect would a particular syllabic rhythm in similar types scenes create in a body of prose?

Considering the discussion of length and sound, imagine a short syllabic rhythm with a cadence that matches the scene or the emotions of a scene - like the rapid heartbeat of your main character as they run from danger. How would a more complex rhythm - like a waltz or an epic ballad - be woven into the syllables of a scene, paralleling the same story or theme as the song?

Something to ponder and experiment.

A lifetime is not long enough to master the craft of fiction writing.

Share your tips, tricks, thoughts, or questions in the comments. And if you know of any good resources, be sure to include those too!