Spilling Ink: A Young Writer's Handbook
7/5/11 ** Great voice, great tips. Reading this book is like sitting around the kitchen table talking about writing with respected authors. You can dip into any section and get suggestions for various writing challenges - plot, making characters come alive, getting to know your characters, re-writing, etc. While targeted at child/youth writers, many adult writers may have 'aha moments' as they read.One note, the book focuses nearly entirely on fiction (narrative), so if your writing challenges revolve around expository texts, find some other help book.
I've purchased a copy to add to my collection of books on writing for my 4th grade students.