Resources
Books About Writing
This list is far from comprehensive. There are many books out there for writers, and what proves inspiring for one may not be so for another. These are simply books that I have in my library and have found useful in one way or another.
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If You Want to Write, by Brenda Ueland. Perhaps the preeminent book in the inspirational category, If You Want to Write has chapter titles like "Everybody is Talented, Original and has Something Important to Say," "The Imagination Works Slowly and Quietly," and "Be Careless, Be Reckless! Be a Lion, Be a Pirate when You Write." Ueland lived 93 rich years, and her exuberant voice is evident in every page of this book, which was originally published in 1938 and reissued in 1987, two years after her death. If you like this book, you may also be interested in Strength to your Sword Arm, a collection of Ueland's essays. -
The Courage to Write, by Ralph Keyes. Subtitled "How Writers Transcend Fear," Keyes' work is a natural for anyone who finds that coming up with the right words isn't the only difficult thing about writing. He writes about the fear of not being good enough, the fear of hurting the people we write about, the fear of the total nakedness and vulnerability exposed in good writing. Reading this book is an affirmation that we're not alone in our fears and that we can write in spite of them. -
One Continuous Mistake: Four Noble Truths for Writers, by Gail Sher. If this sounds slightly Buddhist, that's because it is. Sher is a Zen Buddhist and a psychotherapist, so her book is permeated by the idea that writing is not all about the product, but about the process. She begins with a takeoff on the Buddha's Four Noble Truths. For writers, those truths become: Writers write; writing is a process; you don't know what your writing will be until the end of the process; and if writing is your practice, the only way to fail is not to write. The rest is equally affirming of the value of the writing itself, regardless of whether it is published. -
A Writer's Time, by Kenneth Atchity. This is the book for people who claim they "don't have time" to write. Atchity offers a no-nonsense way of breaking down the tasks involved in producing a book and getting them done in whatever time you have available. His format is probably a little optimistic, but motivating nonetheless. Some solid advice from a former university professor and more recently a producer of films for video, television and theater. -
Writing for Story, by Jon Franklin. This is the book of books for writers of narrative non-fiction. Franklin shows how to use the techniques of fiction to tell true stories. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for newspaper writing, he deconstructs two of his most famous stories and shows how they fit into a complication-resolution format that is very satisfying for a reader. An excellent how-to for writers interested in this genre. -
On Writing Well, by William Zinsser. This is a more general book for writers of nonfiction, a classic that has been selling steadily and well since its original release in 1976. Zinsser talks about writing and rewriting, about the necessity of writing regularly, whether one is inspired or not, about tailoring one's work for an audience. He also has specialty chapters on topics such as the interview, the travel article and the memoir. Dry as all this may sound, in Zinsser's hands it makes for entertaining reading. Zinsser has written numerous other books, and has edited a whole series about writing particular kinds of books. I won't list them all here, but I invite you to check them out. -
Writing Down the Bones and Wild Mind, by Natalie Goldberg. It's hard to describe these two books, which both consist of essays and exercises. Goldberg, like Sher, is a Zen Buddhist who considers her writing a practice, and what she's teaching here is not so much about writing as it is about creativity — about finding and writing from one's own creative depths. The essays are enlightening and inspiring, and the exercises useful. If you'd like to know more about Goldberg herself, try her autobiography, The Long Quiet Highway. -
Your Life as Story, by Tristine Rainer. This is a great book for people who would like to write a memoir rather than a straight autobiography. Rainer encourages her readers to look at their lives and see the threads that run through them. Then she demonstrates how to use those threads to create a structure for the memoir — to take the raw material of a life and give it a shape that makes it a story. -
Making a Literary Life, by Carolyn See. This book is a favorite of mine. In it, See envisions a writer choosing to become part of the literary community and behaving as a community member. Thus, when one enjoys a book, one writes to the author to convey appreciation. And when one receives a rejection from an editor, one writes to thank the editor for his or her consideration. Succeeding as a writer, See believes, is as much about this interaction as it is about setting words down. Not that she neglects that. She suggests that the writer set a goal of writing 1,000 words a day, five days a week for the rest of his or her life. -
The Writer's Journey, by Christopher Vogler. Back in the 1980s, a series of TV interviews between Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell called The Power of Myth launched new interest in myths as models for stories, filled with heroes/heroines setting off on quests and facing obstacles. Vogler's book tells how writers can use mythic structure to tell a story. Although he is involved in evaluating screenplays, the structure can be used for novels as well. The book is quite detailed and provides a good outline for writers to follow. -
The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron. This is another book that set off a craze. Cameron is not talking here just about writing, but about any creative endeavor. Her point is that most people censor themselves, feeling that they don't have permission to be an artist, or they aren't good enough, or don't have anything to say. She offers a series of exercises, running over a span of 12 weeks, to help people get over these blocks and on to full expression. -
Bird by Bird, by Anne LaMott. A very popular book that's hard to describe. Perhaps the subtitle — Some Instructions on Writing and Life — makes the subject clearer. Lamott tells about how she became a writer and how she overcame some of the classic pitfalls of the writing life. Along the way she is very funny, which makes the book entertaining as well as informative. -
Writing from the Inside Out, by Dennis Palumbo. Dennis Palumbo is a writer who became a therapist who works with writers. Thus, he's a guy who understands what writers go through and is able to support them in moving forward. Subtitled "Transforming your Psychological Blocks to Release the Writer Within," this book is really a series of essays on such subjects as inspiration, faith and doubt and deadline dread, using case studies from his practice to bolster his points. It's a book you can pick up and put down — no need to read continuously. -
Write Away, by Elizabeth George. George, whose well known mystery novels I adore, is particularly left-brained in her approach. Thus, if you're looking for a book that is heavy on the how-to, this is a good one to pick. She has chapters on character, setting, plot, etc., with specific advice on each one. She has a chapter including several types of writing outlines. She even has a quick and easy guide to the book and her process at the end.