Writer's Library

I haven't seriously collected any writing reference books since I was in the Honors Writing Program at USM, and even then, some of the books were basically essential non-surprises, like Strunk and White's Elements of Style. However, I recently started building my writing reference library with various books about genre conventions and dialogue - even character creation. Books like these are awesome to have because I can use them whenever I like and gain an understanding of a genre I'm unfamiliar with, and also get new ideas. There are many things that a mystery novel can do that a paranormal romance cannot, and vice versa. At the same time, I can combine elements from these two genres and create a more diverse story. If you're interested in broadening your scope when it comes to genre writing, I highly suggest checking a used book store for some of these reference books. For a few dollars you can gain a ton of wisdom. Now back to learning about mysteries!