5 Good books about genre writing, by actual authors

How to Write Action/Adventure Novels
by Michael Newton
Michael Newton is best known for his action writing in the Executioner series of books and his non-fiction writings about serial killers. With more than 200 titles to his name, he's an author you need to listen to when he offers advice. This particular book, How to Write Action/Adventure Novels, comes from the late 1980s, but most of it is still relevant today. Also, there's plenty of advice to be found here that is applicable to crime novels, thriller books and just about any genre of fiction which could include law enforcement, spies, military, etc.

On Writing Romance
by Leigh Michaels
Leigh Michaels is a romance author who has had published more than 80 books, so you might want to pay attention to her advice if you want to break into that market. And if you want to go beyond what this book has to offer, Michaels offers an online class where you can learn even more.

The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the Wild West: From 1840-1900
by Candy Moulton
Whether you're interested in writing strictly westerns, or you just want to write other types of tales featured during that time period, this is the book for you. Not only does Moulton cover the basics for gunfighters and outlaws and lawmen, but she goes far beyond these stereotypes of the Old West and gets into the daily lives of the people. What kind of buggies and wagons were available? What about clothes? Food? All this and more can be found in this guide.

Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life
by Terry Brooks
If you are interested in writing fantasy, you could do much worse than listening to Terry Brooks, who has been a published novelists in the field for more than 30 years. His biggest popularity has been in his series of Shannara novels and Landover novels. In this non-fiction book, Brooks writes about what has worked for himself over the years, and he talks some about the mindset of a writer. At least his mindset. And some of it will likely sound familiar. Especially the parts about your fictional characters sometimes seeming more real than the real people you meet every day.

On Writing
by Stephen King
Arguably the most successful novelist of all time, and definitely the most successful horror writer of all time, Stephen King is an author with tips for beginning writers that could seem to drip gold. Here King talks about what it takes to become a professional novelist, and he goes into quite a bit about his personal life, how it shaped him into the writer he is today. Fans or horror, writing and King himself shouldn't miss this book.