Best Books on Writing Books (for beginners)
Congratulations, so you’ve started a writing practice! By now, you’re writing regularly every week. Maybe it’s 10 minutes, maybe it’s 30, maybe it’s an hour—whatever the length of time, you schedule it and show up consistently. Right?
If not, then you need to stop here and go back and read my article about how to start writing a book. Because believe it or not, reading about writing is not going to teach you to write. Writing is the only thing that teaches writing.
Once you have a writing practice established, then you can start building those writing skills by reading about writing.
So - what are the best books on writing? There are many, and depending on your chosen form — fiction, nonfiction, or poetry —the list will change slightly. But for a general audience, I’ve put together a list of what I consider the best books on writing. These are, in no particular order, the tried and true, universally great writing books that I use with all my clients, no matter what.
Top 10 Best Books on Writing
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King. This is a classic. King’s writing is approachable, practical, philosophical. It’s a great starter book. My favorite piece of advice, that I repeat a lot, is that being in the middle of writing a novel is a lot like being in the middle of the ocean. You can’t see land on either side, and all you can do is keep sailing and trusting you’re going to get to your destination eventually.
Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. I use her chapter “Shitty First Drafts” in my beginner’s masterclass. It’s a great reminder that the first thing you write is always going to be garbage. Just accept it. Allow it. And keep writing.
How to Write a Lot, by Paul J Silvia. This is a fun one because Paul Silvia is an academic, writing for other academics. I don’t agree with all of his advice, but chapter 2 is particularly helpful because he discusses the main excuses people come up with for not writing. It’s a great book to read a few times, whenever you’re stuck.
Zen in the Art of Writing, by Ray Bradbury. If you read nothing but the preface, you’re gonna be in good shape. Of course, the whole book is valuable, but the preface especially is the kind of mystical writerly advice we all need in order to stay motivated. I’ll get you started: “You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”
How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice and Skill, edited by Jericho Brown. Jericho Brown is one of the great writing minds of our time. This collection is geared toward BIPOC writers, but the lessons are beautiful and helpful even (maybe especially) if you do not identify with that group.
Rules of the Dance, by Mary Oliver. This is the most basic book I know of about poetic forms. Mary Oliver, the grandmama of poets, in her classic style, makes it at once brilliant and accessible. Even if poetry is not your jam, learning a little poetry is going to make you a better writer.
Refuse to be Done, by Matt Bell. This is THE book that helped me finish my novel. Fiction or nonfiction, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
The Triggering Town, by Richard Hugo. I am constantly losing and re-finding this book because I am constantly pulling it from my shelf, referencing it, and putting it back somewhere different. I’ve re-read it so many times, the pages are falling apart. This is the kind of writing book you want on your shelf. Hugo focuses on poetry, but again, it applies to all forms.
3am Epiphany, by Brian Kiteley. Looking for writing prompts? Hands down, this is the best book you will find for it.
Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert. Last on the list, but I’d suggest you read this one first. It’s about the writer’s life, what it takes to keep showing up, and is packed full of all-around inspiring and encouraging stories.
Extras:
Here are a few great articles on writing, especially for nonfiction writers:
https://lithub.com/against-catharsis-writing-is-not-therapy/
https://www.pw.org/content/the_heartwork_writing_about_trauma_as_a_subversive_act
Books on Writing That Can Miss Me
On Writing Well, by William Zinsser. You can take some basic instruction from this book, but overall beware of anything or anyone that tells you there is one “correct” way to write.
Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel, by Lisa Cron. This kind of outlining may work for you, and if it does, great. I will just say that I’ve found that for the vast majority of my clients, loosening their grip and resisting the desire to structure early on is much more efficient and results in better writing. Confession: I tried this book with an early draft of my novel and it led to one big mess. I’m still deleting documents.
The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron. I know, I know. How dare I put such a beloved book on the Miss Me list? Plus, Gilbert and Cameron worked together, so maybe I’m also a hypocrite. But before you get your pitchfork out, I just want to say in my defense that there’s nothing wrong with the book. I just don’t find it particularly useful to new writers. I’ve heard some people say they are doing the morning pages as their writing. But the morning pages are NOT the same as writing a book. The goal with the morning pages is to write, then put them away forever and not read them again. This is not writing towards a book; it’s writing for catharsis. Both are valid, but just understand the difference.
Final Thoughts
Once you read a few books on writing itself, the next best thing to do is to read authors that are similar to your writing style, or are using writing techniques you want to learn.
If you want some personalized recommendations of authors that are similar to your voice, you can book a week’s worth of coaching with me. I’ll review some of your writing and give you feedback, as well as some authors and books to read.
Most of my coaching is done via voice notes and text. You send me pages; I send you feedback. If you get stuck, I send you reading and inspiration. Easy. Fast. Reliable.
Reach out anytime if you have questions.
Happy writing!