Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
If I had to pick just one resource - it would be this. It will make you a better writer.
Some will have the luxury of highly talented (and expensive) editors when starting out. For the rest of us there’s Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Browne and Dave King.
The magic of this book is that it focuses on technique. Dialog, Point-of-View, Interior Monologue, etc. Concise and pragmatic, it includes examples as well as exercises. It was so valuable I put together a checklist/outline format of it’s wisdom that I use when editing.
Access my Self-Editing Checklist. (Note this is a work in progress - subscribe for update notifications)
On Writing
On Writing, by Steven King. The craft of writing revealed with personal anecdotes and encouragement from the master.
I put this off initially because he’s a discovery writer and I’m a plotter. Don’t. Great advice and source for inspiration.
The Writers Journey
There are a lot of good references on the classic Hero’s Journey. The Writer’s Journey, by Christopher Vogler is one of the best.
This book came from his desire to teach the narrative structure of the hero’s journey to screenwriters.
Brandon Sanderson Lectures
Fantasy mega-author Brandon Sanderson has recorded all lectures from his BYU Science Fiction and Fantasy class and put them on YouTube. A really great overview that will provide context for the other resources, these lecures are just generally interesting and educational.
Creating Character Arcs
Great stories aren’t about plot, they’re about your characters and how they grow and evolve. Creating Character Arcs, by K.M. Weiland was my first complete exposure to this concept and altered how I understand stories.