As you are working towards getting your story idea fleshed out, you will want to get your heroine ready for some Brazen action. Here is a quick checklist for creating the Brazen heroine. Sit down with a notebook or your character sheet and consider the following:

1) Write down your definition of Brazen

2) Look for examples from real life or history

• Determine society’s boundaries
• Research how other women broke those rules

3) Create your Heroine by giving her:

• An insurmountable goal or roadblocks
• Compelling motivation
• Skills and/or help
• Experience to help her deal with the world she’s about to

If you are like me, you are always seeking out the books and teachers who inspire and motivate writers and non-writers alike.

To that end, I polled a bunch of friends, tweeps, and writers from all over and asked them: What writing books do you love? What has done the most for your creativity and career?

What I was looking for were books to fuel a year of creative growth, gaining and honing my skills and perhaps learning a few new tricks. Who doesn’t like new tricks?

So I present this recommended list of writing books. I have read some, … Read more »