Leslie D. Soule

For learning the conventions of writing Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, I would highly suggest the book How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card.
For getting through the actual drudgery that writing can sometimes be, I would also highly suggest getting The Writer’s Toolbox by Jamie Cat Callan, which contains writing games that really work to get you flowing with your writing and to overcome Writer’s Block.
For getting the mythic structure down, I would recommend The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler.

*Practical Advice for Aspiring Authors*

Get a web site, and get your domain name set up as soon as possible. Among the author forums I belong to, there has been talk of “squatters” – people who snatch up web sites with the names of authors and then turn around and try to sell them to the person for exorbitant amounts of money. If you can get your own domain name, do so, and as soon as possible.

An author web site is also a good thing to have. I got this one through Microsoft Office Small Business, originally. Then I switched it to this ExpressO site, hosted by Coffee Time Romance. It will cost a bit of money to have your site hosted, but it’s well worth it to have a site.

Blogging is great fun, and a good way to promote. Bravenet.com has free blogs, and you can also set up a free one at Blogger.com

For a mere $35, you can obtain a copyright on your written work. These can be obtained through the site copyright.gov – though inexpensive, they do take a while to get.
Even if a royalty statement shows no sales for you, it can still be a useful tool because it shows you where your ebooks are being sold at, and you can use this information to update your web site’s buy links.

Probably the best single piece of advice I can give to aspiring authors is this: keep your defenses up. Be sure you know what sort of dangers lurk out there. One way to strengthen your writer’s “defenses” is to keep tabs on the Preditors & Editors site (yes, I know “preditors” is a misspelling of “predators”).

And…if you feel like it’s a tough road, I would suggest NOT giving up!!!!

Best of luck to you all!!!

“Write –
because ideas are in your blood
and your page-children will never betray you.
Write because books are where humanity hides its collective heart,
because truths can be found in the words and the spaces between them,
because it’s better than simmering your blood in the world’s cruelty and injustices
or watching helplessly.
Write because it’s free and because there’s nothing and everything to it,
because a lost soul calls for others to join the misfit tribe
because words have power and magic
Write because you feel it in your veins like liquid fire,
because it’s better than silence and resignation,
Write, because you must.” ~Leslie D. Soule