For Writers

Ready to write a great horse story of your own? Read Great Books for Horse Lovers' tips for writers from today's authors and equestrian writing prompts, and let these resources lend a helping hoof:

Fundamentals of Writing

The Elements of Style by William Strunk and EB White: This book outlines the basic rules of writing with clarity, brevity, and wit. No author should be without it. You can pick up your copy at any bookstore or library or read it for free on Bartleby.

Getting the Words Right: 39 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Theodore A. Rees Cheney: From moving (and removing!) chapters to picking proper punctuation, Rees Cheney's techniques can help you fix, finesse, and finalize even the most desperate draft.

Shorter Oxford English Dictionary: This two-volume "condensed" version of the 20-volume OED will pump up your writing and your biceps, too. You'll be hurling words like harbinger and quixotic - and 50-pound bags of oats and grain - with ease in no time!

Roget's International Thesaurus: When is a horse not a horse? When it's a charger eager for knightly battle, a palfrey trimmed in silver bells, or a pony slipping under the fence you so carefully crafted. Roget's will often help you find the perfect word for your scene.

From the Horse's Mouth: The Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms: Was that horse race a walk in the park or did your characters win ugly? This dictionary will keep you on track with your use of idioms.

Plotting Your Course: Story Structure, Elements & Process

Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You by Ray Bradbury: One of the true master storytellers of our age, Ray Bradbury invites writers into his creative universe and gives advice for how to unlock and explore your own.

Writing Begins with the Breath: Embodying Your Authentic Voice by Laraine Herring: Writing never begins on a flat, blank page; it begins in a curled-up place, a cuddled or crumpled place, a full and overflowing place deep within. With body-friendly breathing and yoga exercises and guided writing prompts, Herring helps writers tap into the flow of their senses, their memories, and their authentic voice.

Novelist's Boot Camp: 101 Ways to Take Your Book from Boring to Bestseller by Todd Stone: AttenTION! Former assistant professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and mystery author Todd Stone provides a foolproof step-by-step process (complete with literary push-ups! ;) ) for taking your novel from a flabby, couch-potato concept to a crisp-creased, spit-shined, and quick-marching final draft.

Finding an Agent and Getting Published

Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz: Read this book before you reach out to an agent or editor! Katz shows you how to create a platform: how to find your niche, use print, live, and online tools to identify and expand your audience, and knock the horseshoes off of even your "dream" contacts.

The Shortest Distance Between You and a Published Book by Susan Page: Follow the twenty friendly, easy-to-follow steps in this book to turn a good idea into a great - and saleable! - book proposal.

How to Write Attention Grabbing Query and Cover Letters by John Wood: The title says it all. Writer's Digest editor John Wood shares the top-ten must-do's and never-do's for query letters and provides examples and anecdotes of writers' failures and successes.

Query Shark: Once your fiction query letter is ready to send, take a deep breath and submit it to the Query Shark blog! The Shark - literary agent Janet Reid - posts and critiques selected query letters. Not quite ready to take the plunge? Read the blog anyway; the criticism and insights Reid provides will help you dramatically improve your queries.

Guide to Literary Agents: This book, website, and blog by Chuck Sambuchino will help you find the right agent for your work, send him or her an irresistible book package, and navigate the world of agents and publishing with confidence and ease.

Writers Market: This book and website contain accurate, searchable listings of publishers of all genres of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

Poets and Writers: This website offers thought-provoking and skill-sharpening articles and interviews, several updated, searchable databases for magazines, small presses, and writing contests, and current classifieds and calls for entry.