Apologies @EdFromNY . I just wanted to say it in case it hadn't been said. It's a passion of mine, getting people to THINK for themselves instead of just LISTENING to what others say
I found that the how to books (ones i deem to be good, can't say for everyone) can help. Sometimes they can act as a confidence builder and a kind of comfort blanket. Have writers block...read a little and hopefully that will help you get back to the keyboard. Also sometimes they can point out things to look for, ie plot set out etc. (using the fine art analogy) To look at fine art and try to understand is one thing, but having a guide next to you helping you to understand WHY the brush strokes work and WHY the colour choice invokes feeling is quite another. Same with writing, why does the plot work, why is there chemistry between the characters. I found the books help guide you, explaining what you need to write, helping to understand complex ideas like the monomyth. But only as a guide, i never read the books looking for the answer or to be given a plot. Joking aside, most help i find is from this forum as I can ask questions and get answers and see people are asking teh same questions as me.
