Best book on the craft of fiction writing.?

Question

I've purchased many books on the craft of fiction writing. Most of them repeat themselves; say the same things in a different context. What would you guys consider the "best" book on ficition writing? Also, what's the difference between 'noir' and 'pulp' fiction? Thanx much!

Answer 1

"Best"?

There are probably tens of thousands.
The one that got me on the right track when I was just starting is "How to write a damn good novel" by James Frey.
It's a nuts-and-bolts approach to the process of starting and finishing a novel---exactly what I needed at that time.

There are many books like this, that cover a lot of aspects of writing. There are also lots of books that focus on specific aspects, like the howdoneit series mentioned by loryintoo.
I have some of those, but each is written by a different author, so they are not all equal in quality (my humble opinion).
One book that helped be a lot is the 'Creative Writer's Style Guide', which is a good reference for punctuation and grammar. It is specifically for fiction writers. A lot of people recommend 'elements of style' but I find that one a bit old-fashioned for today's fiction, and more suitable for journalists.

I hope this helps.
Best wishes,
James

P.S. oh....almost forgot to mention.....I've come across many books that are just general, vague discussions about the craft, as well as 'inspirational' pieces that feature tons of quotes from famous writers and anecdotes about their lives.
I find this sort of book to be totally useless.

Answer 2

The best book I've ever read on learning to write is "Characters & Viewpoint" by Orson Scott Card. It's a wonderful read.

This book is part of the "Fiction Writing Series" from Writers Digest Books. I highly recommend all the books in that series and take a good hard look at the genre writing books (depending on what you are writing) and the Howdunit Series. It can be tricky wounding a hero so it is serious, but won't kill him. I found that in "Wounds and Injuries."