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Recommended for Writers

Recommended Books and Software

Included here are books, software, and sites that I use and recommend. Take the advice as you please. I am an affiiliate with some of them and make a bit of money, but I offer them to you because I’ve found they work and are worthwhile. Some are free. Click the title to visit the site or buy link. All open in new windows so you won’t lose your place.

The Emotion Thesaurus

Emotion Thesaurus

Emotion Thesaurus

Compiled by  Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, this little gem belongs in every writer’s bag of tricks. Say you’re writing a bit where your character feels regret. How do you show it? If you have this book, you go to the page labeled regret and read physical signals displayed by someone experiencing it. There might be internal signals. Then there are mental responses, and cues of long-term repressed regret. This is just a tiny peek at the multitude of details provided by this book. Grab this one. It’s a keeper. There are other versions available too. Imagine how helpful it would be to have a Positive Trait Thesaurus or a Negative Trait Thesaurus.  They are available in Kindle or print. I have and use all three of them. Recommended if don’t want to write “he frowned” or “she tossed her head angrily” or “she stalked across the room” — there are better ways to express emotions.

Dramatica Pro Software
I use this to plot. You answer basic questions, and your answers help the software guide you toward a complete plot for your book. For example, does the protagonist see the result of the book as a good ending or a bad one? Does the outcome of the story result in the protagonist being changed, or does he/she remain steadfast? Each question can direct your story in a different direction. Worth every penny. If mine was lost and I had no hard copy, I’d go right out and buy another one without hesitation. You can also trial it free. In the free version, you can’t save any of your work, but you can copy/paste into another program. Give it a shot.

Getting the Words Right
Theodore Cheney wrote this book more than twenty years ago, but it remains a hallmark for writers today. One thing that stood out in my mind about this book was learning that words change the chemistry of the brain. White space (or on this site — black space) at the end of a paragraph has an effect as well. Where you place words in a sentence is as important as which words you choose to write. I’ve used the advice in this book for over ten years, and have won national awards, and garnered multiple four- and five-star reviews. This book is available in Kindle and print. I use this book, and it’s recommended by many editors. If you can only get one book on writing, make it Getting the Words Right.

Marketing for Romance Writers
I created this Yahoo group in 2006 for a group of twelve friends. We were all emailing questions and answers to each other about how to handle different marketing aspects for our books. I often found myself answering the same question from different people. Rather than rewrite the same answers, I created this group so we could all post a question and provide an answer.This was a way I could gain mentoring from peers I trusted, and provide the same. Today, there are thousands of members, plus a Facebook group, a volunteer staff who helps promote members on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and other sites. Promotional services are free for members of the Yahoo Group. There is no cost to join and no fees. The site is volunteer-driven. Read more by clicking the title.

 

May you write in great health and happiness. — Kayelle

Characters mentioned on this page might be found in multiple books in my story universe. Download a printable book list and check them off as you read.


~ Copyright ©2024 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!


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