Writing Tip Wednesday Helpful Books for Planning, Drafting, and Revising

My first Writing Tip Wednesday post. Comment below if there is something you'd like me to address in a future post.
This is a list of books I use all the damn time, the ones I keep in reach while planning, drafting, and revising.
 
Planning:
I keep my planning brief. I get bored if I plan too much, but my brain needs some basics to work with.

Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Broday
This is the quintessential three-act structure book. You can use it to come up with a basic tentpole beat sheet (main plot points) or detailed outline. You can use it before you write, while drafting, or in the revising process. 
 
Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes
Save the Cat is good for pretty much anything except Romance. It's not *bad* for romance, but it lumps it in with things that are decidedly not Romance. This short book helps. I use Save the Cat for the plot arcs and Romancing the Beat for the emotional arcs.
 
The Emotional Wound Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
What's your character's trauma? What are some behaviors the reader can expect to see from someone with that trauma? What are some of their fears and what might help them get over it? This is a great reference to help you build relatable characters that resonate with readers. 
 
Drafting:
I use mainly online resources during my drafting process to keep in a flow state as much as possible, but there is one book I'll refer to occasionally. I'll cover online resources in a future post. 
 
The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
What does it feel like, both mentally and physically, to experience anger? Sadness? What might it look like to an outside observer? What if you suppress it? What if it's too much? If I need to know a complex emotional reaction in order to complete the scene, chapter, or story, I refer to this during drafting. 
 
Revision:
 
Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates Martin. A master class in revising and editing in one book. Seriously, it took me years and many, many workshops and seminars to hone my process into something very similar to what Martin does in this one book. Get it, read it, implement the suggestions. Best $20 you'll spend.
 
Understanding Show Don't Tell by Janice Hardy
We hear it all the time, but what the hell does it mean? This is a short book with lots of great examples. And yes, you need both, the trick is to decide when to use each for best effect. 
 
The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction by Amy J Schneider
As a writer, you can probably skip Part 1 unless you're desperately curious about an editor's workflow or if you're a completionist. But Parts 2 & 3 address common style, grammar, and formatting matters in fiction. Everything from how to format dialogue, language bloopers (such as mixed metaphors), and how to handle "naughty" words. I use this on one of my later passes, but it's helpful to understand what is considered standard and where you have room to add in your own style.
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