Find support from peers and recommended reads at the library.

A Creative Community

The library is full of writers, and not just the ones found on the bookshelves. Fairfax County has a thriving author community, including library groups in which writers come together to discuss their craft, share tips and provide support to one another. Chantilly Regional, Richard Byrd, Pohick Regional and Thomas Jefferson libraries’ regular group meetings are currently suspended due to the pandemic, but search “writer” in the library events calendar to find meeting times for the new virtual writers’ group.

Get Information and Inspiration

Of course, the library also has a plethora of books by published writers willing to provide advice to other creatives. If you’re not sure where to start, search “authorship” in the library catalog or give the following resources a try.

General Writers’ Guides

• Funny You Should Ask: Mostly Serious Answers to Mostly Serious Questions About the Book Publishing Industry (2020)
• Murder Your Darlings: and Other Gentle Writing Advice from Aristotle to Zinsser (2020)
• The Art of Voice (2020)
• You Talkin’ to Me?: Writing Great Dialogue (2020)
• Economical Writing: Thirty-Five Rules for Clear and Persuasive Prose (2019)
• Writing Fiction: a Guide to Narrative Craft (2019)
• Writers Practice: Building Confidence in Your Nonfiction Writing (2019)
• The Emotion Thesaurus: a Writer’s Guide to Character Expression (2019)
• Rut-busting Book for Authors (2019)

For Budding Graphic Novelists

• Flights of Fancy: Creative Inspiration from Ten Award-winning Authors and Illustrators (2019)
• Stan Lees Master Class: Lessons in Drawing, World Building, Storytelling, Manga, and Digital Comics… (2019)

Beyond Book on the Topic

• Great Courses (DVD): How to Write Best-selling Fiction (2019)
• Great Courses (CD and eAudiobook): Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction (2016)
• Great Courses (eAudiobook): Writing Creative Nonfiction (2016)
• Lynda.com for Libraries (online self-paced classes): 
  • Foundations of Fiction
  • Write a Bestselling Novel in 15 Steps
  • Conquering Writers Block o Editing Mastery
  • Ninja Writing 
  • Learning eBook Publishing 
  • Learning Screenwriting