Back in the pre-Internet days, if you wanted to land an agent and a book deal you had two choices: spend a million dollars on postage cold-querying agents, or get an MFA. These days, all you need is a great pitch and a Twitter account.

And—oh, right—a book.

Instead of spending a bunch of money and two years of your life learning to write like Raymond Carver (because, honestly, that’s 90% of what an MFA program will teach you), get all the craft lessons you need—and then some—from these nuts-and-bolts guides.

Take Off Your Pants Any author worth her salt will tell you that character drives plot…but how, exactly? Ignore this book’s silly title (and the goofy drawings of underpants on the cover) and let Libby Harker school you on why a strong character arc is the single most important thing your novel needs—and how to create one that works. Buy on Amazon $ 9

Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science Did you know our brains are chemically hardwired to get swept up in a great story? In this fascinating mash-up of brain science and craft tips, Lisa Cron will teach you how to turn the barest hint of an idea into a story that makes our lizard-mind crave more. Buy on Amazon $ 12 Free Shipping

Writing Deep Scenes Ready to stop outlining and start writing? This overview of scene types (and the crucial elements that make a scene tick) will keep you cruising through the chapters. Buy on Amazon $ 10

Save the Cat:The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need “What?” you may be saying. “I want to write a novel, not a screenplay. This is hogwash. I’m getting an MFA.” Hush now. Blake Snyder’s seminal screenwriting guide is useful for writers of any fiction, be it page or screen. Buy it. Read it. Breathe it. Buy on Amazon $ 13

Cathedral Having learned the basics of plotting, character arc, and scene structure, you can now turn your attention to writing like Raymond Carver. This book should help. Buy on Amazon $ 12

Scouted is here to share practical, entertaining, and sometimes unexpected ideas for products that you might like. ICYMI, here are a few things we recently surfaced for you: board games, fitness products, and projectors. Please note that if you buy something featured in one of our posts, The Daily Beast may collect a share of sales.