Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Today I want to share with you my favorite writing resources.

The first resource I want to talk about is a series called Write Great Fiction.

This series of books was so informative to me as a novice writer with no formal creative writing instruction. They broke down essential elements of fiction into separate books that focus on that specific element. The books are Dialogue, Description and Setting, Plot and Structure, Revision and Editing, and Characters, Emotion, and Viewpoint.

The books are written by various authors who showed strengths with that particular element, and they do a great job of pulling examples from other books and authors who are known for being proficient with that element as well. At the end of each chapter, there are a variety of activities and exercises you can use to enhance your skills, or the project you are currently working on.

This series was an easy read, and gave me so many ideas on how to improve my craft as a writer. Additionally, it helped me improve my teaching when it comes to writing instruction for my elementary students.

I found several copies of this series at my local Half Price Books, but you can also find it on Amazon.com.

Ok, this next resource I’d never even heard of until I was browsing through the writing section of Half Price Books and I came across this amazing tome that is the answer to the pesky use of the Thesaurus. First off, I dislike using a Thesaurus, it never really gives you the range that you’re looking for to find that precise word you need. It’s very finicky to get right, and I feel that using the Thesaurus ineffectively is one thing that is a hangup for amateur writers like myself.

So what’s the solution?

boom Boom BOOM!

The Word Menu by Stephen Glazier

First off, sad news, unless I’m mistaken, I think that this is out of print. HOWEVER, I LOVE THIS BOOK!

Want a list of words related to government? Word Menu

Want a list of words used to describe and label body parts? Word Menu

Want a list of words to describe human emotions? WORD MENU!

It’s that easy. You get a huge range of words related to various topics, and organized by those topics. Way better than a Thesaurus, and way easier to use.

So, you can find some used copies on Amazon.com, or you can check out used bookstores. I found two copies at Half Price Books (are you sensing a theme?) and purchased both just because I love it sooo much.

So, that sums up my favorite resources as an amateur writer, I hope everyone has a great Hump Day, and Happy Writing!