>Looking around for some books to assist me in writing my own novel
>Every book I find is directed towards screenwriters
>"THREE ACT STORIES ARE GOD" meme
Are there ANY good books out there for would-be novel writers?
I've already read the Lite-Memoirs that everyone suggests (King's "On Writing", Atwood's "Negotiating with the Dead", Baxter's "Burning the House Down") but those are more guides of how to write in that author's style rather than general suggestions on the craft of writing itself.
Study your favorite writers and stories.
>>8274684
>guides of how to write in that author's style rather than general suggestions on the craft of writing itself.
John Garder's Art of Fiction
Basically required reading
>>8275489
How to Write Like Tolstoy
>>8275525
more for assisting your critical reading than your writing.
>>8274652
It's very specific, but the essays contained in The Craft of Science Fiction, editied by Reginald Bretnor, are basically "How to get your sci-fi published: 101"
How not to write a novel is good.
James N. Frey-How to Write a Damn Good Novel A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling is too.
>>8277430
>How to Write a Damn Good Novel A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling
What an awful title
>>8275496
Garder's book is more for getting an A in a creative writing class than anything else.
Not that that is a bad thing, it's just a niche book.
>THREE ACT STORIES ARE GOD
>Implying a beginning, middle, and end isn't LITERALLY the only formula for a story, or any linear event for that matter.
>Unless you're talking non-linear storytelling, in which case...
Write your first draft using the three act formula. Throw it into your mental blender, add ice. Blend on ice crush setting and watch the slurry of your dreams take on the murky and mottled appearance that they so rightly deserve.
Alternative, be a true visionary with what I'm calling the sixteen part formula. It's real hip, and with your help, it's happening.
>End, Middle, End, Beginning, Beginning, End, Middle, Middle, End, Flashback, Sequel, Middle.
>>8280063
I respectfully disagree.
>>8280170
To make things worse; Act I being the beginning, Act II middle and Act III end still remains true no matter how much """non-linear""" (probably just out-of-order linear) storytelling you put in.
>>8274652
are you fucking retarded ? do you expect having some cookbook taking you by hand and explaining everything that makes literature ? why do you even want to write in the first place if you have nothing to say ?
>>8280170
>>Implying a beginning, middle, and end isn't LITERALLY the only formula for a story
Have you read ANY collection of short stories published in the past half-century?
>>8278717
yeah. good book tho
>>8281683
A good short story should have a beginning, middle, and end, what's the problem?
