As a new writer, I have realised that I need to read more.  Books, reading and writing all tie together.  How do you fit writing and reading around family life? The answer, with difficulty.   I am currently writing a time travel novel and need to read more time travel books.  A walk to the library is in my near future. I started a crime novel back in 2018, but for now, that is saved in the cloud.  One day I  intend to go back to it and finish it.  As a writer, you often hear the phrase, “Show don’t tell”.  What does this really mean? Does it mean long drawn out descriptions or just a sentence, like,   ‘she pulled her hood and coat around her’ rather than ‘she thought it was cold’?

While writing I have now been thinking more about my character descriptions and trying to draw the reader into my book.  It was my birthday on Tuesday so handy Amazon vouchers have now been invested in my desire to write my book.  So here are some recommendations for helpful books for writers.

Please note, this post does contain affiliate links, so anything purchased through it will at no extra cost to you earn me some commission which will help to pay for my blog.

1. Understanding show don’t tell and really getting it – Janice Hardy
2. The Elements of Style – William Shrunk Jr and EB White
3. On writing, a memoir of the craft – Stephen King
4. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression
5. The Emotional wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychololgical Trauma
6. The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writers Guide to Character Attributes
7. The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Flaws
8. The Rural Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Personal and Natural Places
9. The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces
10. Emotion Amplifiers – Ebook

I then bought myself a new notebook and some pens.  Hoping to spark my creativity and writing. So far I have written out my timeline in pink and green.  My aim for this weekend is to write it out again on a long roll of wallpaper. I’m trying to work between the time of the dinosaurs until the year 5000 at present.  It is becoming confusing.

There is a huge selection of notebooks and pens at Amazon.  So these are just some, but pretty pens and a pretty notebook are always helpful for writers.

A pretty notebook – Amazon.com link

Pretty notebook with a pocket – Amazon.co.uk

Papermate ink joy ball point pens – Amazon.com

Papermate Ink Joy ball point pens – Amazon.co.uk

I am learning that writing a book is much more work than I originally thought.  However, I am learning along the way and it is a good experience despite all the work.

Here is a helpful post from Lorna at Gin and Lemonade, which also includes an offer on Coffee – 12 Awesome gifts for writers 

I am now going to reboil the kettle for more tea, then have another look at time travel and my novel.

Are there any books that you would recommend? Writing is a long road but once my first draft is written I’m sure I will feel rewarded.  Tea and chocolate are helping me along the way at present.

For more see, Twelve ideas for mum to help relieve stress