The Plot Thickens

Despite the clever title, this book isn't solely about plot, because everything in fiction is related. Plot, or story, derives from characterization, so the book spends three chapters on character alone. A lot of genre writers would do well to study those chapters to find more depth for their characters. The rest of the book describes tips for building suspense, understanding conflict (without which plots are weak tea), etc. It's a pretty good summary of how to “bring fiction to life.”