The Complete Handbook Of Novel Writing

It's a comprehensive fiction-writing guide that tackles everything from crafting a story and using descriptive language to breaking through writer's block and getting an agent.

Meg Leder is an editor for Writer's Digest Books. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has written for Personal Journaling and Cincinnati Magazine. Jack Heffron is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based freelance writer and editor, and the author of The Writer's Idea Book.

On the Art: "Even beginners understand and accept the basic principles of interior setting--that a person who owns an ice bucket and silver cocktail shaker is different from someone who owns a claw-footed tub for bathing." (Richard Russo, from Chapter 16)

On the Process: "One of my theories about writing is that the process involves an ongoing interchange between Left Brain and Right Brain. The journal provides a testing ground where the two can engage." (Sue Grafton, from Chapter 19)

On the Genres: "Even the most ridiculous farce must resonate in some identifiable way with truths we have discovered about ourselves." (Terry Brooks, from Chapter 27)