Carolyn suggested I read a book called "How to Write Killer Fiction." Have you read it? If so, do you recommend?
My position on most "How to" books is that they make the author money and probably contain a few good points about craft. A classic in the area is
Characters Make Your Story. I've read it a couple times.
Proposal: you buy the one Carolyn recommends, read it, then we'll swap and compare.