Reference Library

I’ve collected a variety of books to help me in my quest to become a published author.

Here are just a few:

Research for Subject Matter
(in no particular order)

Crytpozoology A to Z
Loren Coleman & Jerome Clark

Strange Highways
Jerry D. Coleman

More Strange Highways
Jerry D. Coleman

The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures
John & Caitlin Matthews

Harper’s Encyclopedia of Mystical and Paranormal Experience
Rosemary Ellen Guiley

Auras and Chakras
Fiona Toy

Brain Power
Laureli Blyth

The Sword and the Mind
Translated, with an introduction and notes, by Hiroaki Sato

The Book of Five Rings
Miyamoto Musashi
(Now why do I keep seeing this in the business section?)

Mind Manipulation
Dr. Haha Lung and Christopher Prowant

Writing Techniques and others
(in no particular order)

The Writer’s Complete Fantasy Reference
intro by Terry Brooks

The Elements of Style, 4th Edition
William Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White

The Tough Guide to Fantasyland
Dianna Wynne Jones
(why not?)

Characters & Viewpoint
Orson Scott Card

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy
Orson Scott Card
(possibly my first book on the subject of writing)

2010 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market
Writer’s Digest Books
(and many other editions)

The Writer’s Brief Handbook, 5th Edition
Alfred Roas & Paul Eschholz
(since this one’s more about research papers and proper citation and the like, I haven’t made much use of it outside of the classroom setting, but it’s still part of my reference library)

The 3 A.M. Epiphany
Brian Kiteley

Writer’s Guide to Character Traits
Linda N. Edelstein, Ph.D.

What Would Your Character Do?
Eric Maisel, Ph.D. and Ann Maisel

Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul
Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Bud Gardner

On Writing
Stephen King

Legends of Literature
edited by Phillip Sexton

The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy volume 1: Alchemy with Words
The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy volume 2: The Magnum Opus
The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy volume 3: The Author’s Grimoire
The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction volume 1: First Contact

And that’s not even counting the ones I read just to read.

Related articles

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• A Holiday Reading List (forgingshadows.wordpress.com)