Ten Must-Have Books On Writing

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!