There are lot of books out there purporting to tell the would-be writer how it's done. Some of them are excellent, others are merely so-so. Of course there are plenty of different ways to approach the task of writing fiction, and not all methods will suit all writers. Also, the fantasy genre is poorly served by many teachers of writing; it has its own conventions which do not always fit the current ideas about literature. Still, I am often asked to recommend some titles, so here are my favourites.

N.B. I've removed the links to Amazon, as I'm boycotting them over their attempts to get bigger discounts from publishers. Sorry for any inconvenience, but it's in the interest of all us authors!

General books about writing:

• "Solutions for Writers" and "Solutions for Novelists", by Sol Stein [originally published in the US under the titles "On Writing" and "How to Grow a Novel"].
  These are an excellent general introduction to the techniques of writing fiction and non-fiction, wittily written and trading on Stein's decades of experience as a writer and editor.
• "Writing the Breakout Novel", by Donald Maass
  A book for both beginners looking to get off to a good start and professionals whose writing needs a boost. Note that this is not a book about how to write a bestseller - instead it describes techniques to stretch your creativity and make your book stand out from the crowd.
• "Rewriting: A Creative Approach to Writing Fiction", by David Michael Kaplan
  This is my must-read book - more than just line-by-line editing, it looks at every aspect of working on your novel, from the first draft onwards. If you're stuck polishing your first few chapters (or pages) and never finish a piece - buy this book now!
• "Plot and Structure", by James Scott Bell
  What I like best about this book is that it recognises that there is no 'one size fits all' plotting method that will work for all writers. Instead the author presents a range of different strategies for you to try.
• "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers", by Rennie Browne and Dave King
  Another useful book that helps you to look at your beloved manuscript from the editor's point-of-view. Great for the revision stage, with helpful checklists at the end of each chapter.
• "Word Painting", by Barbara McClanahan
  I used to find writing description a real chore, and did very little during the early drafts. Now I appreciate how it helps to build character and atmosphere, it doesn't feel so much like a chore any more!
• "Character and Viewpoint", by Orson Scott Card
  A very thorough grounding on one aspect of writing that can really trip inexperienced authors up. His explanation of the different degrees of third-person point of view are particularly instructive (and with diagrams too!)

Books on fantasy and science fiction:

• "How to Write Fantasy and Science Fiction", by Orson Scott Card
  A must-read - Card skips the basics of writing and gets straight down to the issues that face writers of speculative fiction: world-building, story construction and so on.
• "A Tough Guide to Fantasyland", by Diana Wynne Jones
  This isn't an actual how-to book, but it should be required reading for every fantasy author. Whether you're trying to avoid the clichés, or need a quick way to assemble a cast of characters for that bestselling epic fantasy series :) this is the book for you!