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When I first decided to try writing novels, I was in my mid-forties and hadn't written so much fiction as a short story since the 8th grade. My starting point as a novelist was a book about how to write novels for children and young adults. It was a great foundation, and I recommend that new novelists start with a general book of this sort. There are many such, Fiction Writing 101, books in print today: the one I recommend is TEACH YOURSELF: WRITING A NOVEL, by Nigel Watts.

A far more advanced look at fiction, together with the process of writing it, is THE ANATOMY OF STORY: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, by John Truby. Another introduction to novel-writing, but with an entirely different approach is NOVELIST'S BOOT CAMP: 101 Ways to Take Your Book from Boring to Bestseller, by Todd A. Stone.

Once you've reviewed the basics in a general how-to book, I recommend all four books in the Writer's Digest Books WRITE GREAT FICTION series:

* CHARACTERS, EMOTION, & VIEWPOINT (Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints), by Nancy Kress

* PLOT & STRUCTURE (Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot that Grips Readers from Start to Finish), by James Scott Bell

* DIALOGUE(Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Effective Dialogue, by Gloria Kempton

* DESCRIPTION & SETTING, by Ron Rozelle.

As you begin drafting your first novel, you'll have to start making a multitude of decisions regarding word choice, sentences, and paragraphs. Unless you were an English major in school, or maybe especially if you were, you'll probably need help with writing style. A great place to start is THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE, Fourth Edition, by William Strunk and E.B. White.

If you're like me, you'll really need help with punctuation and grammar and will need a more detailed reference. My favorite is Writer's Digest GRAMMAR DESK REFERENCE, by Gary Lutz and Diane Stevenson. I find it to be more complete and easier to use, by far, than the other reference books on my shelf.

Most books about writing are well organized and structured logically, but two offer a scrambled format, with subjects in no particular order. I use them as "writing tips of the day" during TV commercials, writing breaks, etc. They are:

* DARE TO BE A GREAT WRITER: 329 Keys to Powerful Fiction, by Leonard Bishop

* ROBERT'S RULES OF WRITING: 101 Unconventional Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know, by Robert Mosello.

Sooner or later in the writing process, you're

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