Sheila Athens, on Writing

Favorite Books on Writing

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
(great for artists of any ilk)

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Goal, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon*

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass*

Story by Robert McKee*

On Writing by Stephen King (good even for those who don’t read his fiction)

Prescription for Plotting by Carolyn Greene

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Browne and Dave King

How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James N. Frey

*I’ve also attended seminars by these wonderful teachers of the craft and highly recommend them to other writers.

Special Thanks

Though writing is a solitary venture, no author travels this path alone. Special thanks to the following people who have helped me along the way:

Writer Steve Berry, who generously shares his writing story and who led me to Frank Green; www.steveberry.org
Frank Green, whose writing workshop, The Bard Society, has produced more than 45 published novels; thanks also to the various writers who populate Frank’s living room every Wednesday night and have helped me learn the craft
Romance Writers of America, recognized as the best writing organization, even by those from other genres; www.rwanational.org
All the wonderful writers who have provided support, encouragement and information along the way. Writers like Lena Diaz (www.lenadiaz), Mary Buckham (www.marybuckham.com), Renee Ryan (www.reneeryan.com), Alyssa Day (www.alyssaday.com) and others have been a tremendous resource. Thanks also to so many women, like retired USAF Colonel Merline Lovelace, who epitomize to the world the kind of strong women who make up the romance genre (www.merlinelovelace.com).