Ten Must-Have Books On Writing

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On Writing

It seems like every day someone recommends a new book on the craft of writing to me. If I tried to read them all, I'd never have the time to sit down and write! So I'm here to share with you my list of the books on writing that I love. My copies are well worn and highlighted, and I turn to them when I need a little inspiration and motivation. I hope you enjoy them too!

My Top Ten Books on Writing

The books I've highlighted and dog-eared the most over the years...

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
On Writing by Stephen King
Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True by Elizabeth Berg
No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty
Will Write For Food by Dianne Jacob
How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
Snoopy's Guide to the Writing Life by Barnaby Conrad and Monte Schulz
Poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge
Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin

What makes it worth reading?

Ask any group of writers if they think that writing can be taught, and the answers will be as diverse as the genres they contribute to. Some, like Poemcrazy, are all about free association of words while others, like Steering the Craft have more formal lessons and cover topics like POV and tense beautifully.

For me, what defines a book on writing as one of the best is it's ability to inspire me. When the deadly "Writer's Block" sets in, I can browse through one of these favorites and find something new to think about. I love books on writing that include exercises or questions to provoke creativity!

With most of these books, I would suggest picking up a simple spiral notebook to record the activities and exercises.

Honorable mentions go to "On Writing Well" by William K. Zinsser and "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. I'd suggest that everyone who wants to improve as a writer get copies of these, along with a good dictionary. While my favorite books on writing tend to be more content and inspiration driven, there is definitely a need for good style references!

My Top Five, Straight from Amazon!

Missing one of these? Why not get it now!

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within (Shambhala Pocket Classics)

by: Natalie Goldberg

I pick up this book more than any other in my collection. Whenever I am stumbled for ideas or motivation, I flip throught he highlighted and dog-eared pages until something strikes me. Goldberg never fails to get me writing again!

Amazon Price: (as of 11/11/2009)

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

by: Anne Lamott

My favorite part of this book is the subtitle. It's amazing how every piece of advice given on writing really can be applied to life. Lamott writes from her heart, and connects with the reader beautifully!

Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 11/11/2009)

On Writing

by: Stephen King

I know many writers who feel a little snobbish towards people like Stephen King. I think it comes mainly from jealosy! The book is split in two-- half is autobiography, and half is lessons for writers. For me, anecdotes and that personal touch are what make books on writing worth picking up. King does that masterfully!

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 11/11/2009)

Escaping Into the Open: The Art of Writing True

by: Elizabeth Berg

One review said it best describing this book as "chatty". Berg's comfortable writing style isn't pretentious and doesn't talk down to the reader. This includes many pages of writing exercises (and several recipes that look delicious)!

Amazon Price: $8.64 (as of 11/11/2009)

No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days

by: Chris Baty

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo? The challenge of that competition is to write a 50,000 word (or more) novel in 30 days. In this book, the founder recounts some of the best strategies to try this crazy experiement on your own, or in November with the rest of us!

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/11/2009)

This one, or that one?

If you could only keep one of these two books, which would it be?

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And the rest!

Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Restaurant Reviews, Articles, Memoir, Fiction and More

by: Dianne Jacob

This book covers many of the basics of food writing, from writing clear recipes to researching to working with editors. A must have for writers who have a passion for all things edible!

Amazon Price: $12.44 (as of 11/11/2009)

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy

by: Orson Scott Card

I love books by people who have proved that they know what they are doing. Who better to explain science fiction than Orson Scott Card? The book is light on fantasy information, but well worth it to either type of writer!

Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 11/11/2009)

Snoopy's Guide to the Writing Life

How many times have we seen Snoopy sitting on top of his dog house, pounding away on a typewriter? This book collects articles from 30 authors in response to some of the best that Snoopy has to offer!

Amazon Price: (as of 11/11/2009)

Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words

by: Susan G. Wooldridge

Wooldridge has an amazing take on words. One of the things I love best about this book is the excercises and assignments that force you to look at language differently.

Amazon Price: $9.86 (as of 11/11/2009)

Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew

by: Ursula K. Le Guin

This is another book where the author's credentials prompted me to pick it up off the shelves. Le Guin did not disappoint me! With her wit and wonderful examples from other talented authors, she shares her opinions on a variety of concerns.

Amazon Price: $10.52 (as of 11/11/2009)

Have a recommendation I mised?

Is there a book on writing you think people should read? Leave it here and let me know!

Lensmaster

scribe77 wrote...

Great lens!

"How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them--A Misstep-by-Misstep Guide" is a good book, especially for beginners.

I posted it on my lens, How to Write a Fantasy Novel.

Posted June 20, 2008

Lensmaster

Monteath wrote...

Nice lens! Kudos for including Stephen King--when I went to grad school there was a general snobbiness about anything King, but some friends and I agreed his was the best overall book about writing by far, and it showed because we kept getting published the most, too :) Thanks for stopping by my lens earlier, and keep up the good work!

Posted February 08, 2008

Lensmaster

k8company wrote...

I wrote some pretty good poetry (better than greeting card verse anyway) in some classes about 10 years ago and then stopped, probably because I needed the discipline of a class. But I'm still drawn to writers, poetry, things about writing and poetry. Your lens drew me in.

Posted January 30, 2008

Lensmaster

Christopher_Scott wrote...

Great lens. I also love to read and write. I love Squidoo too!

Posted January 30, 2008

Lensmaster

AnAuthor wrote...

The Writers Chapbook: A comedndium of fact, opinon, wit and advice fromt the twentieth century's preeminet writers
Paris Review.

Indispensible!

Posted January 09, 2008

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The Author's Home Pages

Here are the links to author websites for everyone who I have mentioned.

Natalie Goldberg: The Official Web Site of Natalie Goldberg. Contains a complete listing of Books, Tapes, Workshops and Announcements of her future releases and events.
Anne Lamott: Anne Lamott - Steven Barclay Agency represents some of our culture's most important and thought-provoking voices. For lectures, readings, workshops, and conferences.
Stephen King: The official website for Stephen King, including past and future works, a FAQ, message boards, and more.
Elizabeth Berg: Elizabeth Berg is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including Open House, which was an Oprah's Book Club selection in 2000.
Chris Baty: Website for the NaNoWriMo founder
Dianne Jacob: Jacob provides not only information about herself, but helpful articles and information for food writers.
Orson Scott Card: Hatrack River - The Official Web Site of Orson Scott Card - Get writing and publishing tips - Read articles, reviews, essays, short stories, and do research on Orson Scott Card
Susan G. Wooldridge: Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge's official website, which includes information on her books as well as her workshops
Ursula K. Le Guin: The official web site of author Ursula K. Le Guin.

Find a new word!

If you're looking at books on writing, you might just love new words as much as I do!

forfend: Dictionary.com Word of the Day

Blog on Books!

For more information, check out my blog "Writer's Blocks" where I will be posting more detailed reviews of each of my favorites listed here, plus many more.

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