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Learning to Be a Writer

Recently, I was asked how I learned to write for publication.  The answer, so far, is by reading books. Here is a list of books I've read and recommend:

• Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.
• 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost
• Make Your Words Work by Gary Provost
• On Writing Well by William Zinsser
• The 29 Most Common Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them by Judy Delton
• Writer to Writer by Bodie & Brock Thoene
• Writing for the Soul by Jerry B. Jenkins
• Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan
• Handbook for Magazine Article Writing by Writer's Digest
• Creative NonFiction by Philip Gerard
• Sell & Resell Your Magazine Articles by Gordon Burgett
• The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them by Jack M. Bickham
• Fiction Writing Demystified by Thomas B. Sawyer
• Don't Murder Your Mystery by Chris Roerden
• You Can Write a Mystery by Gillian Roberts
• Writing Mysteries edited by Sue Grafton
• Writing the Modern Mystery by Barbara Norville
• The Way to Write for Children by Joan Aiken
• The Writer's Guide for Crafting Stories for Children by Nancy Lamb
• Guerrilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson

Here are some books I am reading or going to read:

• Telling True Stories by Mark Kramer
• Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by Jon Franklin
• Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne
• Creating Fiction by Julie Checkoway
• Stein on Writing by Sol Stein
• Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
• Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain
• The Portable MFA in Creative Writing published by New York Writer's Workshop
• Gotham Writers' Workshop: Writing Fiction by Gotham Writers' Workshop
• Fiction Writer's Workshop by Josip Novakovich
• Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story by Jordan E. Rosenfeld
• The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose and Technique by Donald Maass
• The Power of Point of View by Alicia Rasley
• Creating Character Emotions by Ann Hood
• Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint by Nancy Kress
• Write Great Fiction - Dialogue by Gloria Kempton
• Description & Setting: Techniques and Exercises by Ron Rozelle
• The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure by Christopher E. Vogler
• Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises by James Scott Bell
• Elements of Writing Fiction - Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
• Elements of Fiction Writing - Plot by Ansen Dibell
• Picture Writing by Anastasia Suen
• Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin

What's next?

I've finished my college degree, finally; so now it's time to get to work! My immediate goal is to finish my new Web site, How To Homeschool Today. I hope to make this a helpful resource for homeschoolers all over the country.

Next, I'll continue to write educational products and magazine articles, as well as reviews of books, educational products and iPhone apps.

Eventually, I want to write a mystery. I'm looking into taking a fiction writing course to help me with this, as I have no idea how to write fiction. I'm sure I'll need a traditional publisher for this type of work. In preparation, I'm looking into online classes such as Christian Writer's Guild, Writer's Online Workshops, or Gotham. Anyone out there have any experience with any of these? I'd love to hear your experiences. Email me at cindy@me.com.

I'm also going to try to get involved in a writer's group. I'm a member of several, but haven't had time to really get involved. I'm looking forward to that.

In the meantime, I'm reading lots of books on writing. I'll add reviews here as I can.

Whatever is in store for me, I look forward to learning more about the writing profession and sharing what I learn.