Book ReviewsSix working novelists on characterization, paired with a practical questionnaire for the deep interrogation that produces fuller, more convincing people. A solid mix of inspiration and method, held back because a questionnaire informs but does not guarantee a living character,…
Book ReviewsCraft instruction paired with a former agent's insider view of how publishing actually acquires and sells debut novels, which is the real draw. The craft ages reasonably; the business advice is significantly dated by the digital and self-publishing shift, so…
Book ReviewsA guide to the front end of writing that goes past idea generation to the harder, more distinctive task: developing an idea into something with direction and purpose. It targets the real bottleneck, growing ideas into finished work instead of…
Book ReviewsNaming characters is a small craft, and this treats it seriously: a deep, searchable range of names spanning cultures, origins, and eras, every one carrying its meaning. The catch is how much of that the free online name resources now…
Book ReviewsA compact, accessible guide to clear writing, distilling structure, style, and grammar into a brief, well-organized handbook that makes good writing feel learnable. A practical tool that respects your time, limited by its introductory scope, general-rather-than-fiction focus, and overlap with…
Book ReviewsThe most usable plotting system I hand a stuck writer: fifteen structural beats and ten story genres, adapted from screenwriting and brisk where most craft books are vague. Best used as a diagnostic to find what a draft is missing.…
Book ReviewsA broad anthology gathering many accomplished authors across the whole of novel-writing and publishing. A useful survey valued for its range and professional perspectives, held back by the anthology's breadth-over-depth, uneven quality across contributors, and business material that dates.
Book ReviewsThe title sounds like writing-industry hype, but under it is a sound method: a structured day-by-day program that imposes a schedule on the unstructured work of writing a novel, with craft folded in exactly when each skill is needed. Strong…
Book ReviewsSuspense is not a genre but a tool nearly every story needs, and Cleland engineers it through structure instead of cheap thrills, with concrete tools and strong work on foreshadowing and pace. The structure-and-plot half overlaps stronger specialists; the suspense…
Book ReviewsOne of the early how-to-write-and-sell SF guides, and a dual-natured book. As current advice it is heavily dated, its business chapters describing a vanished publishing world; as a historical document, the craft wisdom of a golden-age legend, it has real…
Book ReviewsA science-for-writers reference on spaceflight, grounding SF in real physics and, most usefully, helping a writer know which rules to honor and which to break on purpose. The 1990s sense of the frontier is dated even as the foundational physics…
Book ReviewsCraft instruction from a Hugo-winning author and editor, distinguished by an editor's-eye view of what actually sells. The 1994 market guidance is dated by a transformed publishing world, but the craft fundamentals and the write-to-be-read principle still hold.
Professional ghostwriting for executives, founders, coaches, and authors who want to get the book done right. 113+ books authored. 54+ ghostwritten for clients.
Ready to discuss your book?
BOOK YOUR PRIVATE CONSULTATIONNo pitch. No pressure.
© 2026 Richard Lowe. The Writing King. All rights reserved.
