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The Dreaded Synopsis
Elizabeth Sinclair
Reviewed by Mary Gardner
Do you fear the Beast we call a Synopsis?
Are you struggling to create a synopsis to send off to an agent or editor? If so, THE DREADED SYNOPSIS: A Writing and Plotting Guide by Elizabeth Sinclair is for you! Elizabeth Sinclair has taken the dreaded beast and tamed it into an understandable process by providing us with a step-by-step guide that includes easy to use charts, examples and humor. THE DREADED SYNOPSIS takes you on a journey that begins with understanding the beast. During your journey you will feed the beast, romance the beast and watching him grow, and groom him, while learning how to weave the goals, motivation and conflicts that are important to your story into the synopsis.
I believe that THE DREADED SYNOPSIS is a must have guide for writers of all kinds of fiction. If your ultimate goal is to sell your story, you will find this book to be a very valuable resource.
To purchase THE DREADED SYNOPSIS: A Writing and Plotting Guide by Elizabeth Sinclair send $16.95 (free shipping and handling) to R. Smith Publishing, 285 Hildago Road, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Or see the Elizabeth Sinclair web site for an order form.
Goal, Motivation, and Conflict
Debra Dixon
ISBN 0-9654371-0-8
Reviewed by Mary GardnerHaving problems creating a character? Want to develop a solid plot? Want to sharpen your scenes? Have I got a book for you!
The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra Dixon is a comprehensive guide to creating a solid plot, sharpening scenes and developing well rounded characters. GMC provides the foundation for everything that happens in your story world. With a step-by-step guide, charts, and examples, GMC enables you to map out both the internal and external goals, motivation, and conflicts for all your characters and determine if your story idea will work.
This is a must have book for all writers, no matter what kind of fiction you are writing. I have learned more about developing plot and creating characters from this book than any other single resource I've found on the market. I do hope it will help you too.
To purchase GOAL, MOTIVATION, AND CONFLICT: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra Dixon contact Gryphon Books for Writers, P.O. Box 172342, Memphis, TN 38187-2342. Cost is $18.95 + $3.50 shipping in the US or $6.00 Canadian. Or place an order through the Gryphon Website by clicking the image above.
The Writer's Journey
Chris Vogler
2nd Edition - Mythic Structure for Writers
Review by Phoebe ImelOf all of my writing books, this is the one I would never be without. Vogler is truly a teacher at heart!
In The Writer's Journey, the author uses the myth and examples from films and fiction to give writers a complete understanding of Story Structure. With diagrams and a complete chapter by chapter analysis, Vogler dissects the three and four act structure and shows how versatile western story structure can be, applicable to Pulp Fiction, The Lion King, and Moby Dick?
His use of Jungian archetypes as masks that the characters can pick up and wear and even change during the course of the story revolutionized my understanding of character, and after reading his book I had a clear understanding of where my own plots succeeded and failed. I now call this one, 'My Writing Bible'. It's that good!
A Dictionary of English Surnames
The Standard Guide to English Surnames
P.H. Reaney & R.M. Wilson
Reviewed by Phoebe Imel
If you are writing Historical romance this book is a priceless resource!
A Dictionary of English Surnames should be on every Historical Romance Writer's bookshelf, and referred to often. In the introduction the authors explain the evolution of names in England and show how given names and place-names became surnames.
Then the dictionary part comes into play. Not only do the authors give variations on names -- 16,000 of them by the way, but point out the areas of England where the name originated and give dates when the name was recorded in English records. This is invaluable for writers who want to maintain accuracy within their time period.
As well as being a fabulous source for last names, this book also gives a good indication of the fashion of given names at the time.
Castles of Britain and Ireland
Plantagenet Sumerset Fry
ISBN: 0-7892-0278-6
Reviewed by Suzanne PaulMore than a gazetteer this book provides detailed information on the history, building and use of castles in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Well illustrated with maps, photos, and drawings of many castles, this book brings the work of medieval masons to life.
Chapters on ‘Attack and Defense' and ‘Gunpowder and Firearms' give perspective the rise and fall of the stone castle through the middle ages, much needed material for the medieval researcher.
The Writer's Digest
Character Naming Sourcebook
Sherrilyn Kenyon,
with Hal Blythe, and Charles Sweet.
Reviewed by Phoebe Imel
Contains over 20,000 first and last names.
A very good resource for anyone who gets stuck when naming their characters. The Sourcebook tips for naming characters in historical, fantasy, Science Fiction, and modern settings.
There are 36 name lists from ancient Persia, and China, to Celtic and Welsh and the lists are sometimes divided into subcategories. For example the 'Native American' list further breaks the names down into different tribes. It also contains variations, and the meanings of names as well.
But even though this is a good resource for first names, do not depend on it for surnames. There are only a few listed at the beginning of each section, so further investigation for those will be needed. Also, a writer of historical fiction may want to investigate to be certain that the name they choose for their character was actually in use in their respective era. But as a primary source for given names, it does a good job.
The Knight in History
Frances Gies
ISBN: 0060914130
Reviewed by Suzanne PaulFinally, a glimpse of the men beneath the armor. This detailed look at the individual man scrubs away the cliché and shows the knight in a refreshing light. From crusades and troubadours to the twilight of chivalry, Gies thorough scholarship and engaging narrative strip away myth and legend to reveal what lay behind a medieval institution that still grips the imagination.
Life in a Medieval Castle
Frances and Joseph Gies
ISBN: 006090674X
Reviewed by Suzanne PaulThe authors offer a book that sets the record straight about castle life and keeps the romance. If you've ever wondered if castles were drafty, how the latrines worked or what happened on a tournament day this is the reference you want.
Life in a Medieval City
Frances and Joseph Gies
ISBN: 0060908807
Reviewed by Suzanne PaulDepicts what is was like to live a prosperous city in Northwest Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries. Fairs, trade, weddings and funerals come to life in this vibrant narrative.
Life in a Medieval Village
Frances and Joseph Gies
ISBN: 0060920467
Reviewed by Suzanne PaulFocusing on the archaeological evidence of the village of Elton, the authors construct a convincing portrait of the lives of rural English people 700 ago.
Marriage and Family in the Middle Ages
Frances and Joseph Gies
ISBN: 0060914688
Reviewed by Suzanne PaulProvides an insightful look at the complicated tangle of dowry, bride-price, counter-dowry, consanguinity rules and the family unit in its religious, social, judicial and educational roles.
Medieval Wordbook
Madeline Pelner Cosman
ISBN: 0816030219
Reviewed by Suzanne PaulIncludes expressions drawn from art and architecture, sex and science, costume and cookery, literature and magic, liturgy and astrology, warfare and ceremony, this fully cross-referenced volume is a celebration of the vocabulary of medieval period.
If you are striving for accuracy in the period, this book does not give the specific date that these terms were first used, but it makes a very good reference when combined with other historical reference tools.
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