,TC If your family was lucky enough to receive a computer this holiday season, maybe you've already sampled some of the newest creative writing software. Inventing a story, illustrating it and printing it out has never been easier.
But they still haven't invented a microprocessor chip to help with the toughest part of writing -- getting started. Inspiration comes from the head and the heart, and here are a few books that might provide a spark.
* "Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought)" by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt Brace, $18.95, 96 pages, ages 9 and up) is a fine sequel to their "Lives of the Musicians."
Using the same format and conversational style, Ms. Krull profiles 20 writers (Charlotte and Emily Bronte share a chapter). Each is accompanied by a pleasant caricature in watercolor and colored pencil, and they are presented in chronological order, starting with Murasaki Shikibu, the Japanese woman famous for writing what is considered the world's first novel, "The Tale of Genji," in the 10th or 11th century.
We find out about different writers' personal lives -- Miguel De Cervantes had two children with women other than his wife; Jack London liked to eat raw meat and drink heavily; Zora Neale Hurston was working as a maid when one of her stories appeared in the Saturday Evening Post; Charles Dickens spent much of his time primping in front of mirrors.
Several, such as William Shakespeare and Mark Twain, were famous in their lifetimes. But Jane Austen was so discreet about her writing, her family didn't know she had written six novels until she died. And even though Isaac Bashevis Singer was well-known in his later years, he lived simply. He was eating in a neighborhood drugstore when he learned he had won the Nobel Prize.
Such details help make huge talents such as Langston Hughes and Emily Dickinson more human, and the behind-the-scenes glimpses pique the curiosity of nosy readers. Luckily, the bibliography lists biographies of each of the writers, for further reading.
* E. B. White, one of the writers profiled by Ms. Krull, usually approached his work with dread. While reading "E. B. White: Some Writer!" by Beverly Gherman (Beech Tree paperback, $4.95, 136 pages, ages 10 and up), would-be writers can take solace in the fact that writing is hard even for the gifted people who make it look easy.
Ms. Gherman's well-researched biography tells of Mr. White's shyness, his hatred of deadlines and his hypochondria. It also captures his love of his saltwater farm in Maine, where he wrote "Charlotte's Web," "Stuart Little" and "The Trumpet of the Swan."
Mr. White, who died in 1985, probably would appreciate the way Ms. Gherman never talks down to her readers. "Children are game for anything," she quotes him as saying. "I throw them hard words and they backhand them over the net. They love words that give them a hard time," as long as they are interested in the story. Chances are, they'll be interested in this one.
* For parents and teachers who want to help children unlock the stories that are inside them, an excellent how-to guide is "The Magic Pencil: Teaching Children Creative Writing," by Eve Shelnutt, illustrations by Paulette L. Lambert (Peachtree paperback, $8.95, 128 pages, all ages).
There are exercises to motivate reluctant writers and help them build skills. Throughout, Ms. Shelnutt stays focused on the idea that children who think of writing as a pleasurable experience will learn to write more easily than those who think of writing as a chore.
She begins with a list of 25 ways to help preschoolers get revved up about writing long before they can print the alphabet: read to them, take them to story hours at the library, have them dictate letters to friends or imaginary playmates and let them make grocery lists.
The rest of the book is packed with exercises for first through ninth grades. It's easy for parents who have no experience in creative writing to follow -- and even join in. A student in middle school or high school can use it as a do-it-yourself guide. Plus, there's a recommended reading list for different grade levels, and the literature Ms. Shelnutt chooses is superb.
* Another good resource is "The Young Author's Do-It-Yourself Book" by Donna Guthrie, Nancy Bentley and Katy Keck Arnsteen, illustrated by Katy Keck Arnsteen (Millbrook Press, $7.95, 64 pages, ages 7-10).
It offers ideas to get you started on a story, characters and settings you might use and how to conduct an interview for a non-fiction piece. Then there are chapters on editing, illustrating, binding and promoting your book -- instructions that will be outdated if your family has a new computer system.