Writing Books

I read other books. I'm currently learning Arabic and doing a course on advanced nursing and I still find time to read fiction and write what I laughingly call stories.

I do like a good book on writing though. You will remember my recent obsession with plotting. I am reading Writing the Breakout Novel: Winning Advice from a Top Agent and His Best-selling Client

and also Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print

I found these from Plot and Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot that Grips Readers from Start to Finish (Write Great Fiction)

I like the self editing book. But it's focused on 'wordsmithery' not plotting. Is this a bad thing? No. Good.

I always liked the wordsmithery aspect of writing, having read too many literary novels that went on about nothing much but were written like a dream. I was an aspiring poet once, let's not forget. But, when I check which books are outselling mine on Amazon, in the same categories (yes there are some), I find that within the first paragraph they have committed cardinal sins against wordsmithery - beginning with three paragraphs of narrative exposition for example. And they still outsell! The reason they outsell, IMHO, is that they are good stories. They may be poorly edited and have a multitude of other failings, but if they have a good story, people can't put them down.

That don't mean I'm going to give up trying to write nice tho.