The Writer’s Handbook

If you could give a beginning writer only one book, this might be the one to pick. The first part of the book is written by well-known authors. The chapters offer practical advice on topics as varied as writer’s block, dialog, genre writing, book contracts, and even how to kill off characters. Then, an interview section features interviews with authors such as Wally Lamb, Sue Miller, and Doris Lessing. The second half of the book lists markets for all kinds of writing–articles, fiction, drama, and books–along with helpful information about literary prizes, writer’s colonies, writer’s conferences, and literary agents.