Books on Writing
The Company They Keep: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien as Writers in Community
by Diana Pavlac Gyler
“The writing life can be an emotional roller coaster ride . . . For writers in particular one of the most valuable resources in the midst of all these challengers is the presence of resonators.”
Bird by Bird
by Anne Lamott
“Being a writer guarantees that you will spend too much time alone—and that as a result, your mind will begin to warp . . .Theoretically I could do it alone, but it sure makes it easier to have people helping.”
How I Write
by Janet Evanovich
“1st, we are not quitters. 2nd, and? This happens to me everyday (wanting to give up). Concentrate. Have patience. Make it work. And move on!”
On Writing
by Stephen King
“Writing fiction, especially a long work of fiction, can be a difficult lonely job; it’s like crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a bathtub. There’s plenty of opportunity for self-doubt . . . Let your hope of success (and fear of failure) carry you on, difficult as that may be.”
Creative Writing: For People Who Can’t Not Write
Kathryn Lindskoog
“Creative writing is much like gardening. It takes hard work, but hard work alone can never produce the flowers and fruit. There is a mysterious kind of germination that takes place. A writer named G.C. Lichtenberg summed it up this way in 1799. ‘There is something in our minds like sunshine and the weather, which is not under our control. When I write, the best things come to me from I know not where.’ All we have to do is prepare, cooperate, and then enjoy the fruits and lowers when they come.”
Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories
by C.S. Lewis
“On stories,” “On three Ways of Writing for Children,” “Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What’s To Be Said,” “Criticism,” and more
A Novel Idea: Best Advice on Writing Inspirational Fiction
by Angela Hunt, Jerry B. Jenkins, Randy Alcorn, Francine Rivers, Terri Blackstock, Karen Kingsbury, Robin Jones Gunn . . . and more
The Career Novelist: A Literary Agent Offers Strategies for Success
by Donald Maass
Writing the Breakout Novel: Insider Advice for Taking Your Fiction to the Next Level
by Donald Maass
The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose, & Techniques To Make Your Novel Great
by Donald Maass
The Heart of a Ready Scribe: 52 Reflections For Writers
by Melanie Stiles
The Synonym Finder
by J.I. Rodale
So exceeds an online thesaurus and is an excellent way to find out how to spell a word if you’re a poor speller like me and can’t find it any other way
I’ll Bring the Chocolate: Satisfying a Woman’s Craving for Friendship and Faith
Getting Prepared to Teach, Speak, and Write: Practical Ideas to Prepare You for Ministry
by Karen Porter
Other Books
The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears
Soul Print
In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day
by Mark Batterson
Book of Dreams
by Davis Bunn
A novel about prayer.
Blue Hole Back Home
A novel with some of the best examples of writing description.
Publications
The Writer
Advice and inspiration for today’s writer
Writer’s Digest
Lots of contests and conferences
Christian Communicator
A Publication of Christian Writers’ Institute
Advanced Christian Writer
A Publication of Christian Writers’ Institute
Poets & Writers
Literary
Creative Nonfiction
True Stories Well Told
Additional Resources
Beth Moore’s study Living Beyond Yourself
“There is life after rejection. Rejection colors everything we see. No way to live today. Take off the dark tent of rejection . . . How would you know the value of precious if you hadn’t been rejected.”
On the Web
Shaw Guides
Christian Manuscript Submissions
Nan’s Favorite Authors & Their Books
BOOKS by C.S. LEWIS
- The Chronicles of Narnia
- The Great Divorce
- The Screwtape Letters
- Space Trilogy
Books On LEWIS
The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy: The Lion, the Witch, and the Worldview
Edited by Gregory Bassham and Jerry L.Walls
Not A Tame Lion: The Spiritual Legacy of C.S. Lewis
by Terry W. Glaspey
Not a Tame Lion
by Bruce L. Edwards
Unveil Narnia through the eyes of Lucy, Peter, and other characters created by C.S. Lewis
The Most Reluctant Convert: C.S. Lewis’s Journey to Faith
by David D. Downing
Into the Region of Awe: Mysticism in C.S. Lewis
by David D. Downing
BOOKS by J.R.R. TOLKIEN
- Lord of the Rings
- The Hobbit
- The Silmarillion
BOOKS On TOLKIEN
The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy: One Book to Rule Them All
Edited by Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson
Tolkien A Celebration: Collected Writings on a Literary Legacy
Edited by Joseph Pearce
The History of the Lord of the Rings
by Christopher Tolkien
The Road to Middle Earth: How J.R.R. Tolkien Created a New Mythology
by Tom Shippey
BOOKS by RANDY ALCORN
- Safely Home
- Heaven
- Deadline
- Dominion
- Deception
BOOKS by ANGELA HUNT
- Uncharted
- The Note
- The Canopy
- Many others
Other Authors
Madeleine L’Engle
A Wrinkle in Time & other novels in The Time Quintet
Ted Dekker
Black, Red, & White
Janet Evanovich
The Stephanie Plum Novels
Jasper Fforde
The Thursday Next Series & others