Books for writers

   To add to our small collection of posts aimed at anyone who writes, I thought a few books for writers might be worth a look. I haven't read (or even got) any of these, so I can't speak from experience, but having seen them warmly recommended in various trustworthy quarters, I thought I'd mention them and ask you to suggest any others you know to be good.

The Five-minute Writer: Exercise and Inspiration in Creative Writing in Five Minutes a Day by Margret Geraghty aims to tone and train the creative muscles in short, sharp bursts.

The 3 A.M. Epiphany: Uncommon Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction by Brian Kiteley offers "unusual" exercises to help make creative breakthroughs.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, part writing autobiography, part "tough love lessons for aspiring novelists"!

The Weekend Novelist: A Dynamic 52-week Programme to Help You Produce a Finished Novel ...One Weekend at a Time by Robert J. Ray and Bret Norris provides an action plan to take you through a complete first draft.

A Novel in a Year: A Novelist's Guide to Being a Novelist by Louise Doughty is the collection of her weekly columns which appeared in The Daily Telegraph a few years ago, and which took those who followed the exercises from initial ideas to body of raw material. Coincidentally, the latest addition to my TBR pile is The Coward's Tale by Vanessa Gebbie, an extract of which won the Telegraph's 'Novel in a Year' competition - the proof of the pudding?

Finally, if you fancy trying your hand at writing crime fiction, this picture might amuse you!