Writing Reference: What's on your bookshelf?

[Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon)]

"Worlds of Wonder: a guide to writing science fiction and fantasy" by David Gerrold, who wrote the scripts for several classic Star Trek episodes, including "The Trouble with Tribbles". It's an awesome read, very conversational yet packed with know-how.

"On Writing" by Stephan King. Another very down-to-earth book with a lot of well-presented information on how to strengthen your technique.

Several thesauruses. I like how Roget's is set up into philosophical categories, but it makes searching a bit of a challenge. Webster's is nicely organized, but not as full of verbal food for thought as Roget's, so I try to use them in tandem.

Strunk and White's "Elements of Style". Full stop. Doesn't get much better for a lot of good tips on writing, in a compact volume.

[RangerSG]

"On Writing" by Stephan King. Another very down-to-earth book with a lot of well-presented information on how to strengthen your technique.

Yep, I have this one too. I forgot about it in my first list because I filed it under my "King" books and not my "writing" books on the shelves. Great book.

I also keep a translation page and a visual thesaurus up on my Google page, which is always up when I write. The visual thesaurus is a neat tool.

[MattScudder]

There was a link posted somewhere or other on here about a how to kinda thing, I think Reader's Digest, that JB mentioned during a Q&A or somethink, that I want to get.

Love to know what this one is if you ever find it.  Thanks!

[Starbeam]

Love to know what this one is if you ever find it.  Thanks!

It's the Writer's Digest Howdunit series.  I found three, I think, on amazon.  Poisons, Forensics, and I forget the other.  If you do a forum search for howdunit, it should bring up the post with a link to the Poisons one.

[MattScudder]

It's the Writer's Digest Howdunit series.  I found three, I think, on amazon.  Poisons, Forensics, and I forget the other.  If you do a forum search for howdunit, it should bring up the post with a link to the Poisons one.

Awesome!  Thanks.

[Flintlock]

i don't own many books. my sister has, however, turned the living room into a small library (her room is full) so i got books ranging pretty wide. coffee table books about Ireland, Nietzsche, lord of the rings, the Silmarillion, the hobbit harry potter, Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy, some stuff by Jane Austen, Frankenstein, Dracula, the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes (might be my favorite), she also has the Twilight series (she says she wanted to know what all the fuss is about. i got some stuff in there, Sin City, 300, Baltimore, Small Favor, Eragon, Eldest, Cookbooks (Indian, Italian, Home)

[cfos]

Reference Book: Strunk & White: Elements of Style

Reference movie: I love Stranger than Fiction.  I even like Will in the lead (no, this movie isn't a vehicle for him to take his clothes off  )  A very interesting plot that is hilarious.

[Yeratel]

I've got a pretty comprehensive reference library, from the basics like Elements of Style, and various unabridged dictionaries (including the O.E.D. 20vol. compact edition), thesauri, books of quotations, the Encyclopedia Brittanica, and various references on the craft of writing. Also lots of religious texts, including everything from the ancient near East and Asia to the Book of Mormon and Scientology, copies of the Bible in various translations and versions, including in the original Greek and the Latin Vulgate, and Spanish, and various Bible Commentaries and the 12 volume Interpreter's Bible. References on history and philosophy, including the complete multi-volume Story of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant. I've got references on metaphysics, magic, magick, mythology, Tarot, conjuring, and confidence games. And an extensive selection of books on history, military history, armaments, armor, firearms, and other weaponry from all time periods and locales. I also have some fiction, dictionaries, grammar and reference books in Latin, Greek, Spanish, French, Italian, and German.

[thausgt]

Aside from several reference books already mentioned, I've got a couple dozen GURPS books. They're a rich mine of ideas for pretty much everything you need: characters, plots, locations, and so on. They are also designed to be highly adaptable to any imaginable need. In addition, the sections on advice to the game master adapt very easily to writing suggestions. I'll personally recommend the "Mage" line from White Wolf (both Ascension and Awakening, though the latter is more refined than the former). The advice therein assumes a primary setting rather similar to the Dresdenverse (21st century America, supernatural exists but 'behind the scenes', etc.) but can be adapted with some effort.

I also have a couple of miscellaneous guidebooks, just in case. An older edition of the Boy Scout Handbook for characters lost in the woods, "The Action Hero's Handbook" for miscellaneous action sequences, etc.

You might also consider the "Crime Scene" series of d20 supplements from Greywood Publishing. Six different volumes on crime and the law and how they interact in entertainment. Bonus: one of the six specifically deals with investigating supernatural crimes from a law enforcement point of view.