I'll guess I'll toss in a few links.
The Writer's JourneyThis is Chris Vogler's memo/books. He took Campbell's "hero's journey" and broke it down into twelve steps. He also explained those steps in a way that's actually actionable for writers, and--in my opinion--that makes it superior to Campbell's book. The original Writer's Journey was a memo, but Vogler expanded on the concept, and now there are multiple editions out there.
Turkey City LexiconThis is the collected experience of the folks at the
Turkey City Writer's Workshop. If you click that Wikipedia link, you'll see a few of the famous names who have attended the workshop in the past. The Lexicon boils an awful lot of stuff down into just a few pages. Most of it is of the "what not to do" sort.
The Harmon CircleThis is Dan Harmon's story structure guide. Harmon is a television writer, but his guide works for literature, too. And he uses examples from popular movies, and I think that makes it easier for readers to take his points to heart.
Self-Editing for Fiction WritersBrowne and King's awesome book. A must-have for fiction writers just starting out. Anyone can write a first draft, but the revision cycles are what separate the wheat from the chaff. This book will help you be the wheat.
Finally, a word of encouragement to all new writers:
You can do it! Seriously. It will take practice, but it can be done. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Eventually, you'll reach a point where you won't have to think about good craft techniques anymore. They'll be habits, and your craft will be pretty good by default. Your first drafts will look more polished than most writers' finished products. But you have to put in the work to get to that point. There's no substitute for cranking out words.
And if you get discouraged, or stuck, or whatever, then start a thread on Writer Sanctum and tell us about it. We're here to help.
Otherwise, good luck!
