The Writer’s Dozen: Thirteen Essential Books for Writers
By Sarah Penner | February 1, 2022 |
Many writers, myself included, keep an eclectic assortment of books on their desks at any given time: a novel or two, a book of poetry or short stories, perhaps a few research books for the WIP. And as might be expected, many of our desks also have a stack of dog-eared books about writing.
I love when people ask for recommendations about books on the topic of writing. There exists such a variety of them: instructional, informational, inspirational. No matter the direction a particular writing resource takes, I always find gold nuggets of wisdom to incorporate into current projects.
In the spirit of a baker’s dozen, below I’ve listed thirteen of my favorite books about writing.
1. LETTERS TO A YOUNG POET by Rainer Maria Rilke (Inspirational)
“…admit to yourself whether you would die if it should be denied you to write,” Rilke writes in the early pages of this classic. The book is a compilation of letters from mentor (Rilke) to mentee (young officer Franz Xaver Cappus). Interspersed throughout the letters are countless bits of wisdom about life, writing, suffering, art.
2. BEFORE AND AFTER THE BOOK DEAL by Courtney Maum (Informational – Business)
This guide to finishing, publishing, promoting, and surviving your first book asks all the hard questions we’re too scared to say aloud: Do I need an MFA? What if I don’t like the offer I get on my book? What happens if I don’t like my agent? What if I die before my book comes out? Maum liaised with countless industry professionals while writing this book; the advice is second-to-none.
3. WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL by Donald Maass (Instructional – Craft)
Touting one of our own here, but this book is too good to not include in this list. I skim this book before starting any new project. It includes invaluable advice on story premise; stakes; plot approaches; and theme, all of which evolve with each new project. “Every protagonist needs a torturous need, a consuming fear, an aching regret…” Maass writes. This book is a must-have on your reference shelf.
4. BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert (Inspirational)
This inspirational guide on the balance of fear and creativity is the reason I’m a writer. I was lucky enough to attend one of Gilbert’s talks when she was on tour for this book years ago, and she asked the audience to think about how we’d feel if we didn’t pursue our dreams. Suffice it to say: the next week, I began penning my first novel.
5. SAVE THE CAT WRITES A NOVEL by Jessica Brody (Instructional – Craft)
For the structure-lovers among us, this book breaks down the three-act story structure in a way that prompts interesting questions to consider in our projects. An excellent resource when outlining a project, particularly if you feel your plot is lacking in tension or pace. Don’t get lost in the formulaic nature of some of the chapters: like any writing resource, the information in this book exists to guide you, not constrain you.
6. THE WAR OF ART by Steven Pressfield (Inspirational)
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve pulled this book from my shelf and turned to a random page for a bit of motivation. Short, bite-sized passages explore the ideas of resistance, procrastination, and self-doubt. “What does Resistance feel like?” Pressfield asks. “First, unhappiness. We feel like hell. A low-grade misery pervades everything.” If you’ve ever had similar thoughts while staring at your cursor, this book is for you.
7. THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White (Instructional – Craft)
An absolute classic, although one does not simply “read” this book. I worked my way through it over several months, reading a lesson or two over the lunch hour. The book is technical in nature: avoid the use of qualifiers; the number of the subject determines the number of the verb; and so on.
8. CONSIDER THIS by Chuck Palahniuk (Inspirational)
A great pick if you’re into humorous writing advice (or tattoos). Palahniuk is the author of Fight Club, and his writing advice is no-BS and easy to understand. He often says, “If I were your teacher, I would tell you to…” This approach makes for a unique reading experience, as I simply can’t help but imagine myself in his classroom.
9. THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER by Jane Friedman (Informational – Business)
Friedman has made quite the name for herself, and for good reason: she has more than twenty years of experience in the publishing industry. This resource condenses some of her most valuable advice on making a living as a writer, including “tangential” income streams, e.g., advertising and freelance editing.
10. ON WRITING by Stephen King (Inspirational)
I’d be remiss to not include this book in a list of essential reading for writers. Half-memoir and half-instructional, this book captures the best of what King has to offer: the rags-to-riches truth about family, writing, suffering, and discipline. It’s full of poignant, tear-jerking anecdotes. Given the macabre stories King tends to write, this is an utterly different view of the author we all admire.
11. HOWDUNIT: A MASTERCLASS IN CRIME WRITING edited by Martin Edwards (Instructional – Craft)
Let me be clear: this book is not only for crime and mystery writers. I’ve found it so useful that I’ve bought it for several other general fiction writers. It’s an anthology, compiling the useful writing advice of ninety members of the famed Detection Club, established in 1930 (Agatha Christie was a member!) Topics range from Research to Suspense to Endings, and everything in between.
12. MANUSCRIPT MAKEOVER by Elizabeth Lyon (Instructional – Craft)
As we all know, writing is rewriting, so it feels appropriate to include a resource on revision in this roundup. My favorite thing about Lyon’s comprehensive guide on self-revision is the fact that each chapter has a long (and I do mean long) checklist of thought-provoking manuscript tasks. For example: Avoid implausible coincidence. Foreshadow the improbable to make it believable. Or, Consider creating a final, post-climax, brief scene where your protagonist is tested for a character change. Reveal what the character has learned and resolved. Reveal the theme. Great food for thought as you’re working through revision passes.
13. BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott (Inspirational)
A long-standing bestseller, and for good reason. Lamott’s inspirational guide explores the myriad of emotions we feel when we sit down to the page, whether as a writer or a reader: Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul. When writers make us shake our heads with the exactness of their prose and their truths, and even make us laugh about ourselves or life, our buoyancy is restored. We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life…
There you have it, a writer’s dozen. What essential guides about writing would you add to this list?
Sarah Penner is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary (Park Row Books/HarperCollins) which will be translated into more than thirty languages worldwide. A graduate of the University of Kansas, Sarah spent thirteen years in corporate finance and now writes full-time. She and her husband live in St. Petersburg, Florida with their miniature dachshund, Zoe. To learn more, visit SarahPenner.com.
Alongside The War of Art, I would add The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Both have offered me (and countless others) great help in kicking Resistance to the curb and believing that there’s a point in going on with this difficult and beautiful path.
I also love Elizabeth George’s craft book, Write Away. Every writer has her own process and it was joyful for me to discover hers, because it matches my own inclinations. Another couple of inspirational favorites: Steering the Craft, by Ursula K. LeGuin, and Writing Down The Bones, by Natalie Goldberg.
A recent and very thought-provoking read has been Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses. This might become a new must-read for aspiring writers, alongside the ones listed above. And yes, you already mentioned one book by Donald Maass, but what about The Emotional Craft of Fiction? Let’s not leave out any of his gold.
I could go on with other favorites, but I’ll leave room for others now!
The Artist’s Way has been on my list forever – maybe this is the year!
Julia’s doing an update this year — wait for that edition!
Fantastic – thank you for the head’s up!
There are some gems in that list but I would include 2 by Sol Stein: Stein on Writing and Growing the Novel
Back to one of our own again. I consult Donald Maass’s The Emotional Craft of Fiction whenever I start a new project and again in revision. And often in-between.
Ada suggested this too – it’s also on my shelf!
I have seven out of thirteen, which isn’t bad. There are so many worthy ones. I also recommend Lisa Cron’s Wired for Story.
7 of 13 – great! I’ll check out Cron’s book – thanks for the suggestion.
Your Book Starts Here by Mary Carroll Moore is a wise, clear, comprehensive and well organized guide for both fiction, memoir and non-fiction. Mary also has a good blog where you can get a taste of her style.
I recommend all of Donald Maass’s books, but The Emotional Craft of Fiction – How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface, is a must have. In the end, storytelling is all about creating an emotional response in the reader. Don, like always, dug deep to research books that do that best, defined the techniques used by the best, and then breaks the techniques down into steps that any writer can take. To me, the book is like a magic key. There are countless books on plotting creation, but this is the only book I know of that helps map the emotional journey of the reader.
Great suggestion, Ada – everything Don writes is gold!
Great list!
Glad you found it helpful!
Great List. Thank you, Sarah. I love tha e additions in the comments as well, and would add Steven Pressfield’s Turning Pro.
Excellent suggestion – adding now to my TBR!
Great list, Sarah. Let me mention a couple more that are lesser known but just as wonderful companions.
Process: the writing lives of great authors by Sarah Stodola is just so comforting and inspiring.
Word Work: surviving and thriving as a writer by Bruce Holland Rogers is like being with a good writing friend.
Daemon Voices: on stories and storytelling by Philip Pullman is a collection of essays by one of the best storytellers and teachers. I’ve not finished it yet but I know I’ll return to it again, as I do to Don Maass, Julia Cameron, Jim Bell and Natalie Goldberg.
What a fantastic roundup, Vijaya, thank you!
Great list! For inspirational writing books, I’ll add Dani Shapiro’s Still Writing and Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life.
Both are excellent! Thanks, Dana.
What an honor to have one of mine included on this list of books on writing that I deeply admire. Thank you!
You have quite the fan club!
I see four books on your list that I haven’t read yet. I’m adding those to my virtual to-read pile.
And I’ll add my vote for Donald Maass’ excellent EMOTIONAL CRAFT OF FICTION. (WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL also has a workbook, by the way, with helpful advice and exercises.)
Two other writing books that I love to recommend are Walter Mosley’s ELEMENTS OF FICTION and EATS SHOOT & LEAVES by Lynne Truss.
Thanks for the column, Sarah!
You bet! Sounds like we’re all adding to our TBRs today!
Great list, thanks! I’m a big believer in “Writing Fiction—A Guide to Narrative Craft” by Janet Burroway, Elizabeth Stuckey-French, and Ned Stuckey-French.
I’ve not heard of this one – I’ll check it out, thank you!
Oh, wait. I have to add two more:
– SCENE & STRUCTURE by Jack M. Bickham
– DESCRIPTION & SETTING by Ron Rozelle
Wonderful. Thanks, Marcie!
The most dog-eared craft book on my shelf is Noah Lukeman’s A Dash of Style. Who knew I loved punctuation so much?
Also must shout out for Dave King’s Self-Editing for Fiction Novels (a classic!) and WU’s own Author in Progress.
I’m intrigued by A Dash of Style – I’ll check it out. Thanks, Therese!
Adding Lisa Cron’s Wired For Story and Tiffany Yates Martin Intuitive Editing. But my go-to is Don’s The Emotional Craft of Fiction. Great post!! Own and reread many of these books.
This is heady company to be in, Elizabeth–thanks!
Excellent, Elizabeth! Thank you – Tiffany’s insight is spectacular!
Sarah – you’re a writer after my own heart. I’m a huge lover of books about writing, and you named some of my favorites, while introducing me to a good number of new-to-me titles.
Thank you – and now it’s time to go book-shopping!
Great minds think alike, Keith!
You summed this up perfectly Keith. I can’t wait to get my hands on a few of these. Thank you for sharing your wisdom Sarah!
Courtney Maum’s “Before and After the Book Deal” is the most real-world how-to I’ve ever encountered for detailing the entire process of book creation. If you ever get a chance to hear her in person (or via Zoom), GO! She’s a wise gem.
Isn’t her info just gold? Indispensable resources for writers, no matter where they’re at in their writing careers.
Maass’ The Fire in Fiction is indispensable for HOW to do microtension – with examples. The one I reach for first. And his chapters in it on structure (turning points in a scene) and making the impossible believable – priceless.
Microtension – love it! I’ll have to check this out. We’re all big fans of Maass, it seems!
I have 3 on this list and Lisa Cron’s and Don’s as well. I would add “The Emotion Thesaurus” and “Emotional Wound Thesaurus” by Ackerman and Puglisi. Excellent guides in character development and discussion of show v tell.
Excellent suggestions – thank you!
Great List, Sarah. Thank you. For any teachers out there who want a great book for beginning creative writers, I highly recommend What’s Your Story by Marion Dane Bauer. Don’t let the young person format dissuade you, it works for all ages and beaks down the elements of craft into easy to manage pieces. An inspirational book I love is Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland Very affirming.
What about “The Compass of Character” by David Corbett? I found it very helpful, especially the exercises at the end of each chapter. It really makes you sit down and think deeply about your character.
I’m here at my desk mumbling, “Yes, yes, yes! Great advice!” And I’ll add, particularly for those of us aiming at younger audiences, “The Magic Words” by Cheryl B. Klein.
I’ll be saving this one in my “How to Write Good” folder, for future shopping.
Two more suggestions for those of a certain bent (and age): Along with Strunk and White, I strongly suggest “The Random House Handbook,” by Frederick Crews. Professor Crews was once a teacher of “Freshman English” at UC Berkeley, and his thorough book is designed to entertain and gently enlighten people who suffer the mechanics of English rather than enjoying the exploration of their own language. If you can find a first or second edition, you will be spared the later tacking on of a huge section on the writing of essays.
Another book for lowbrows such as (ahem) me is “Telling Lies for Fun and Profit,” by Lawrence Block–he of the “Burglar” books and Matthew Scudder crime novels. Time has rendered some details of publishing and technology obsolete, but Block’s approach to storytelling is evergreen.
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser
Writing Alone and with Others by Pat Schneider
Thank you for creating and sharing this list! Another to consider is “Dreyer’s English – An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style” by Benjamin Dreyer.
Good list! These are old school, but I love them both. Writing the Australian Crawl by William Stafford – he’s a poet. It doesn’t matter. And If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland. This one is a rare gem. So rare its out of print, but apparently available for $.60 on Amazon (which is a crime, but yes, that’s cents). They’re not about marketing or selling or even character arc. They’re about something bigger and deeper and more essential. Anyway. Also interested in the many suggestions above :-)