Not very many people know this, but I have actually written an unpublished novel and got it submitted to a publisher. The problem wasn’t literary but audience. I was writing a hardboiled detective story of sorts for the CBA. I crossed too many lines.
Speaking of hardboiled detective stories, probably my favorite book on writing is Writing the Novel from Plot to Print by Lawrence Block, the author of the Matt Scudder stories. (Warning: quite amoral detective who sort of gets new age. My favorites are Eight Million Ways to Die, When the Sacred Ginmill Closes, and Ticket to the Boneyard, though this last is almost more horror than mystery.) He writes well and from a lot of experience. And he includes lots of places where he tells you that you’re eventually going to have to write that book.
Another book I really like is Gene Wolfe’s Castle of Days. It is both short stories and essays about the writing craft. Wolfe is a great writer and it takes everything in my not to heap superlatives on his work until I convince even those of you who love him that he can’t really be that good. So I will hold back, though perhaps a big book review entry would be appropriate some time.
Finally, I just ordered a book from a fiction author I have never read! Actually, the truth is worse. I’ve read his blog. That’s how I found out it was available. So I’ll let you know how it goes.
Here it is:
Hey, if you like mystery, check out Lindsey Davis, author of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries. The series starts with The Silver Pigs.
http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Pigs-Marcus-Didius-Mystery/dp/031235777X/
By far the most entertaining mystery series I have read.
Mark, you really ought to read Stephen King’s On Writing. It’s really quite good.
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Stephen-King/dp/0743455967
I listened to this as an unabridged audio book read by King himself. I’d highly recommend it.
Scalzi’s fiction is awesome. You should definitely read his stuff.
There is also Annie Dillard’s ‘The Writing Life,’ which is entirely impractical and a delight to read.
Have you ever visited J.A. Konrath’s blog? His fiction (which I have not read) combines the mystery/thriller genre with humor. His blog, A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing, has lots of interesting stories and tips about writing and especially marketing your work. It’s worth checking out:
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
I tried to like the Annie Dillard book, but didn’t. Guess I prefer practical when it comes to books on writing. Speaking of which…I’d recommend “Writing Tools” by Roy Peter Clark, VP of the Poynter Institute School of Journalism:
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Tools-Essential-Strategies-Writer/dp/0316014982
Mark
You have no idea how this struck me. Just think, if you had hit the jack-pot with your novel, you would be so busy writing sequels ,and possibly a screen-play or two, you wouldn’t have time to stir things up on the theological front. Dang! Give it another shot!
Gary, in response to that comment I’m going to leave it up for everyone to read.
I imagine that even as a novelist, Mark would find the time to “stir things up,” as you say. With a successful CBA novel, that would simply give him a higher platform and a broader audience. Hey, go for it!