Resource Guide (Post 1) (Patreon)

Hello to all of you out there in Internet-land. Did you know it’s raining in Seattle RIGHT NOW? For those of you that are not based in the North West edge of the US, this seems like a silly thing for me to be excited about. Seemingly the only things people know about my little corner of the world is that it rains pretty much all the time (somewhat true), we have an obsession with coffee that borders on the unhealthy (absolutely true), it’s fairly expensive to live here (sadly, quite true) and we’re kind of rude. Seattle is known for “freezing out” people, which I think can be true, depending on lots of factors, but I wouldn’t know because that would require me to actually talk to people, and people are the worst. I should know—I am a person and I am the very worst.

Anyway, we’ve had to longest, driest summer in ages. No measurable rain. At all. For something like 60 days. That…isn’t good. Everything is dead—my lawn is a lovely shade of yellow—and everything is on fire. Okay, maybe not everything, but a large swath of forest from Canada on down to California is burning like crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever had to use my inhaler so much during the summer when I haven’t been sick, and it rained ash for a couple of days. So yes, I’m excited about the rain. Also, I’m the kind of weirdo that likes rain. Rain equals cozy book time to me, and cozy book time is the BEST.

About a million years ago, I promised to start talking about helpful writing books. This, for me, means anything from actual books about the craft, to great resource books. So now that I’m done talking about the weather and the firey apocalypse, let’s get to it!

For this post, I’ve got three, or sort of four, I guess. First, the craft book/digital resource:

Wonderbook by Jeff Vandemeer

First, you should know that Wonderbook is weird. Or perhaps I should say atypical? I like weird, and that word has no negative connotations for me, but it might for you. Anyway, it’s not your typical jargon-filled craft book. It offers a lot of nuts and bolts solutions. It marries practical use with inspiring art. And you can use it as deeply or lightly as you want. I often skip around and read sections that are on specifically on the things that I want to teach and use that for inspiration for putting together my writing classes. It is chock full of advice on writing from a ton of different writers as well as a lot of actual graphic art. And most of the advice applies to whatever you’re working on, whether it’s “literary” fiction or more “commercial.” Wonderbook is a treat for the mind and the eye, and there’s an almost overwhelming amount of knowledge in it. Which is great. I like writing books that make me frequently tap out so I can think about the thing that I’ve just read. Lots of different perspective and approaches inside Wonderbook, and it’s one where I recommend a physical copy. I do a lot of flipping back and forth when I’m reading it, and also you’ll want to see all the art in full color. Where some writing books are a full, four-course meal, Wonderbook is a week long festival feast. So go to your local bookstore or library and check it out!

For a more digital approach to writing, I’d check out Chuck Wendig. He’s fairly mainstream now, but for a long time he was freelance and self-pubbed, and he has a lot of writing advice on his site. Because he’s dealt with that entire continuum of writing, he has some pretty varied advice and knowledge to share. He’s compiled his writing advice so you can download it to your laptop or eReader, and last I checked it wasn’t very expensive, and as far as I’m concerned it’s worth it. However, he still has a lot on his website, so you can read a few posts there to see if you like it first. Again, when I’m getting ready to teach a writing workshop, I hit Wonderbook, but I also see if Chuck has written anything on the subject. First, because I find his writing style to be very funny. He’s also quite crass, so if you have issues with that, then he might not be your bag. However, he also has a very no-nonsense approach to things, and I generally find myself nodding along to his advice. 

Resource Books:

Baby Name Wizard by Laura Wattenberg

So most of you, if you’ve been writing for a while, have at least one baby name book on hand. I have several, which I often have to explain to strangers. Naming a lot of characters can be a pain, so it’s nice to have resources on hand…especially those that don’t tempt you to get on the internet, because that might distract you for a good, long time. Like I said, I have a lot, some very specific, like a book of Irish names (left over from naming the Blackthorn Pack in Hold Me Closer, Necromancer.) and very general like the Baby Name Book. One of my favorite general ones is the Baby Name Wizard. (The also have a website, FYI.) What I like about the Baby Name Wizard, besides having the word “wizard” in the title, is how it breaks down the names in the book. With each name they give you “sibling” names, as well as how popular the name is, where it comes from, who else has it, and variants and nicknames. The sibling feature? Great. I use that a lot when naming, well, siblings. It’s one that I keep using, and you should check it out. Plus, it helps you, you know, name actual people if that’s your thing.

Half Human Half Animal : Tales of Werewolves and Related Creatures by Jamie Hall

For those that are writing fantasy or just love collections of mythology, this might be a book for you. It’s specifically about were-creatures, but it’s not just werewolves. If there is a myth about a person turning into an animal, or an animal turning into a person, it’s probably in this book. Snake people? Check. Enchanted dolphins? CHECK. Human hyenas? CHEEEECCCCCCKK. Also, a whole section about the often neglected area of were-herbivores. The resource guide in the back leads you to comics, fiction, movies, games, and TV shows about werecreatures along with a bibliography. 

Caveat--my copy is from 2003, and I don’t think there is a newer version. As such, who knows how many of those Internet resources still work. Also the art is…questionable at times. I’m fairly certain that the book is out of print, but you can easily find it online for pretty cheap.