Books for National Novel Writing Month

By Coll Rowe | November 1 2024 | Creative Writing

For National Novel Writing Month in November, we have prepared a collection of books that will help students with their writing goals.

From Idea to Novel
9781984878335
As the author of twenty-four novels, Elizabeth George is one of the most successful--and prolific--novelists today. In Mastering the Process, George offers a master class in the art and science of crafting a novel. This is a subject she knows well, having taught creative writing both nationally and internationally for over thirty years."I have never before read a book about writing that is so thorough, thoughtful, and most of all, helpful." --Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author of The Island of Sea Women
$18.00 US
Apr 06, 2021
Paperback
336 Pages
Penguin Books

The Last Book On Novel Writing You'll Ever Need
9780399579745
The first novel-writing guide from the best-selling Save the Cat! story-structure series, which reveals the 15 essential plot points needed to make any novel a success.
$16.99 US
Oct 09, 2018
Paperback
320 Pages
Ten Speed Press

9781101974537
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • An insightful look into the mind of a master storyteller—and a unique look at the craft of writing from the beloved and best-selling author of 1Q84, Norwegian Wood, and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running."Murakami is like a magician who explains what he's doing as he performs the trick and still makes you believe he has supernatural powers" —New York Times Book Review
$17.00 US
Nov 07, 2023
Paperback
224 Pages
Vintage

Freeing the Writer Within
9781611803082
The all-time best-selling writer's handbook turns thirty.
$16.95 US
Feb 02, 2016
Paperback
224 Pages
Shambhala

A Concise, Practical Guide for Novelists and Short-Story Writers
9780399528583
The second book in the Writer's Compass series from professional writing instructor Elizabeth Lyon offers both aspiring and established authors the fundamentals of writing and selling a great novel or short story. In addition to the basics of characterization, plot, pacing, and theme, A Writer's Guide to Fiction also features a plan for revising fiction, a guide to marketing, samples of cover and query letters, and methods of honing the writing craft.
$24.00 US
Jun 01, 2004
Paperback
288 Pages
TarcherPerigee

The Ultimate Guide to Writing a YA Bestseller
9781984859235
An indispensable guide in the bestselling Save the Cat! story structure series that reveals the 15 essential plot points needed to make any young adult novel a success, from an accomplished novelist and the author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.
$16.99 US
Jul 18, 2023
Paperback
432 Pages
Ten Speed Press

Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping
9781948226806
This national bestseller is "a significant contribution to discussions of the art of fiction and a necessary challenge to received views about whose stories are told, how they are told and for whom they are intended" (Laila Lalami, The New York Times Book Review).
$16.95 US
Jan 19, 2021
Paperback
256 Pages
Catapult

Organize and Revise Any Manuscript with the Book Architecture Method
9780399162152
The first draft is the easy part… In Blueprint Your Bestseller, Stuart Horwitz offers a step-by-step process for revising your manuscript that has helped bestselling authors get from first draft to final draft. Whether you’re tinkering with your first one hundred pages or trying to wrestle a complete draft into shape, Horwitz helps you look at your writing with the fresh perspective you need to reach the finish line.Blueprint Your Bestseller introduces the Book Architecture Method, a tested sequence of steps for organizing and revising any manuscript. By breaking a manuscript into manageable scenes, you can determine what is going on in your writing at the structural level—and uncover the underlying flaws and strengths of your narrative.For more than a decade this proven approach to revision has helped authors of both fiction and nonfiction, as well as writers across all media from theater to film to TV.
$24.00 US
Jan 29, 2013
Paperback
256 Pages
TarcherPerigee

A Writer's Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book
9781948226400
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about publishing but were too afraid to ask is right here in this funny, candid guide written by an acclaimed author.There are countless books on the market about how to write better but very few books on how to break into the marketplace with your first book. Cutting through the noise (and very mixed advice) online, while both dispelling rumors and remaining positive, Courtney Maum's Before and After the Book Deal is a one–of–a–kind resource that can help you get your book published.Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer's Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book has over 150 contributors from all walks of the industry, including international bestselling authors Anthony Doerr, Roxane Gay, Garth Greenwell, Lisa Ko, R. O. Kwon, Rebecca Makkai, and Ottessa Moshfegh, alongside cult favorites Sarah Gerard, Melissa Febos, Mitchell S. Jackson, and Mira Jacob.Agents, film scouts, film producers, translators, disability and minority activists, and power agents and editors also weigh in, offering advice and sharing intimate anecdotes about even the most taboo topics in the industry. Their wisdom will help aspiring authors find a foothold in the publishing world and navigate the challenges of life before and after publication with sanity and grace.Are MFA programs worth the time and money? How do people actually sit down and finish a novel? Did you get a good advance? What do you do when you feel envious of other writers? And why the heck aren’t your friends saying anything about your book? Covering questions ranging from the logistical to the existential (and everything in between), Before and After the Book Deal is the definitive guide for anyone who has ever wanted to know what it’s really like to be an author.
$17.95 US
Jan 07, 2020
Paperback
384 Pages
Catapult

The Elements of Reading, Writing . . . and Life
9780143134343
An exploration of how the most ordinary words can be turned into verbal constellations of extraordinary grace through the art of building sentences
$17.00 US
Aug 13, 2019
Paperback
240 Pages
Penguin Books