{"id":3266,"date":"2011-08-13T03:00:18","date_gmt":"2011-08-13T09:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=3266"},"modified":"2011-08-12T14:01:04","modified_gmt":"2011-08-12T20:01:04","slug":"a-book-every-self-respecting-writer-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2011\/08\/13\/a-book-every-self-respecting-writer-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"A Book Every Self-Respecting Writer Needs"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"<\/a>Welcome to guest blogger,\u00a0Marik Berghs, an accomplished writer and designer, writing about a new addition to her reference library.<\/p>\n

^*^<\/p>\n

Everyone has their guilty secrets. For me, few things are more enjoyable than lying in bed with a new book.<\/p>\n

First I should reveal my ironclad rule: Only Fiction After Five. Sadly, that rule is the result of years of self-discipline required by self-employment.<\/p>\n

Now, give me any free time and I will gladly languish with the contents of a new book of fiction: unmarred cover, preferably paperback (easier to handle when lying down) pristine 45 degree corners, crisp, clean pages and unbroken spine.<\/p>\n

We all need to escape into the rapture of unexplored, unfettered, mind clearing, spirit-lifting fiction. Some times require escape more than others.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean I don\u2019t love mining for used books, too.<\/p>\n

Especially at the El Cerrito City Recycling Center. They have a corner they reserve for a free book exchange. You never know what you\u2019ll find, just put it out to the universe and hang on to your book bag. It\u2019s like a gently-used, one owner book comes with an endorsement, ready for adoption\u2014and it\u2019s free.<\/p>\n

So how come most of my extensive library is non-fiction. Shocks me every time I look around my office\u2014but there you have it\u2014eight tall bookcases, crammed and sagging with non-fiction reference books, minus two shelves of fiction and another two shelves of children\u2019s picture books. There are another four floor to ceiling bookcases in the living room mostly filled with fiction but the ratio of non-fiction to fiction amazes me.<\/p>\n

The reason for this is I\u2019m a reader who loves to read but I\u2019m also a writer who wants to write the kinds of books I love to read. This means lots and lots of research, esoteric research.<\/p>\n

Even though I increasingly use the web I can\u2019t always find the precise information I need.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s How Fiction Works<\/em> by James Wood or Characters and Viewpoints<\/em> by Orson Scott Card, I need to cruise the shelves.<\/p>\n

A new addition to my reference library is Writing Romance: The Ultimate Guide on Craft, Creation and Industry Connections<\/a> <\/em>by the San Francisco Area\/ Romance Writers of Americ<\/a>a.<\/p>\n

This little book could replace several of my reference books. The essays are bite sized morsels of inspiration, information and strategy that can be consumed while waiting in the Doctor\u2019s office, on the BART, or in line at the grocery store. Slips in your bag, weighs almost nothing but is crammed with good stuff!<\/p>\n

As I am finishing the polishing stage of my first manuscript (eye roll from anyone who knows me) after ten years of mostly dedicated labor, the essay by Lisa Hughey<\/a> \u201cPerseverance\u201d soothes my battered ego.<\/p>\n

Kate Moore\u2019s<\/a> \u201cSeven Tips For Sizzling Scenes\u201d provides a quick checklist as I go over my chapters.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to use Beth Barany\u2019s<\/a> the \u201cWriter\u2019s GMC Worksheet: Know What You Want\u201d with a group of writing friends to encourage us to keep our lifestyles on track through personal or professional disasters\u2014or the vicissitudes of fickle fate.<\/p>\n

Some articles resonate more than others but like the El Cerrito Book Exchange, it depends on what I\u2019m asking the universe to provide, the article I flipped past yesterday becomes just the thing I need today.<\/p>\n

This is the beauty of this compilation it has something for every level of experience. And experience is a continuum depending on what day it is and your needs. I recommend it. I will use it and maybe even read it after five!<\/p>\n

^*^<\/p>\n

Marik Berghs is a writer and illustrator living in the Bay Area of San Francisco. She has won awards for scripts, short stories, advertising copy and website design. She is finishing her first YA novel.<\/p>\n

^*^<\/p>\n

Other authors blogging about Writing Romance<\/a><\/em> this week:<\/p>\n