I started writing when I was 30 years old. Same as Amy Tan. I told her that when I met her, and she was not impressed. Maybe because I was only 33 when I met her. She must have known I was just a wee baby writer then. I had yet to find the best books on the writing process. I was only a maybe a thousand hours into my practice. Or maybe I was just one more annoying wannabe in the presence of her mastery. Regardless, I’ve found my way. Amy Tan I’m now.
But, I have been at this game for 20 years now. I’ve logged my 10,000 hours. And then some. I know what I’m doing. Or do I? These are the best books on writing I turn to again and again. These books are my favorite for fiction, non-fiction, essay, and memoir writing.
They will make you a better writer, and a better person.
On Writing Well by William Zinsser is a classic book on the nuts and bolts of good writing. It’s also written well (go figure) so it’s entertaining. This book won’t necessarily help you craft a story, but what you learn inside will make every story better. If you intend to make a living as a freelance writer, to write web content, commercial copy, decent emails, or a non-fiction book on any topic, you need this book.
If you want to get in touch with your creative side, read Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. Read it again. Practice what Natalie preaches and you will become more present in your own life and more observant to the things going on around you, aka material. It’s abundant and ever-present. For anyone who’s ever wondered what to write, read this book. For anyone who’s ever questioned the call to the page, read this book. Your inner artist might not approve. Your inner writer definitely will.
Writing the Wave by Elizabeth Ayres is my #1, all-time favorite, go-to, must-have, could-not-imagine-my-writing-life-without creative resource. This book is filled with exercises to get you out of your head and get the stuff that’s simmering in your subconscious to come to the surface. If you’re stuck or you just want to play, this is the ideal resource. This book will challenge you to let go of what you think you’re writing, and surrender to the creative process.
I have a hypothesis: All writers long to write a great novel. Whether we are destined to do so remains undecided. But that does not stop us from dreaming. From stopping everything we’re doing every few years to plot this elusive novel. To forgo the laundry and the meal planning, the conference calls and Powerpoint presentations that desperately need our attention. Story Genius by Lisa Cron is the only resource for those times.
I’m did not include The Artist’s Way on this list but it was the book that introduced me to the writing life. It’s in that book that the author, Julia Cameron introduces the concept of morning pages. This is the practice of writing out three pages of thoughts longhand, every morning. I like Cameron’s The Right to Write for a dedicated writer’s perspective. This book also includes exercises for flexing those writing muscles. We who write know too well how quickly those muscles atrophy.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a Stephen King novel all the way through. I’m just not into it. But I soaked up every sentence of his memoir, On Writing. King provides practical advice, a peek into his process, and a narrative that lulls you into believing that while you may never be great, you can be a good writer. And good is all any of us can aspire to be. In this book King taught me there’s not a thing wrong with good. If you are called to write and you can progress from proficient to good, this is enough.
On Tuesday afternoons I used to sneak out of the CPA firm for a long lunch at Barnes & Noble. A group sept- and octogenarians, and me, gathered to write together from the same prompts and share our work. Our facilitator was inspired by Writing Alone and with Others by Pat Schneider and I’ve come to rely on many of its exercises in my work. If you want to write memoir, even the light and sassy kind, you’re going to need to dig deep. This book helps.
This is the kind of title that sucks you in. There’s a secret? You’re going to reveal it to me? Bring it on, sister. Spoiler: No secrets will be revealed. Except maybe the painful one we writers eventually accept, that once you’re bitten you cannot escape. Once you become obsessed with written expression you’re doomed. The True Secret of Writing by Natalie Goldberg might make your affliction a bit less painful. No guarantee.
I’m not sure if Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott will help you as much with your writing as with your life. And if you’ve decided your life must include writing, then this book will serve you well. This book introduced to me to Anne Lamott the philosopher as much as Anne Lamott the writer, and made me a fan for life. If you relate to Anne, you too will receive instructions for life nestled nicely among an exploration of the writer’s perpetual anxiety.
If you intend to write memoir, you’ve got to get comfortable with rearranging and retelling reality. Your Life as Story by Tristine Rainer is a great primer for that. Even if you’re only journaling and never seek to publish, this guide will help you see the narrative arc in the everyday. If you write for purely therapeutic reasons, Rainer provides a sound framework to “workout” your issues… I mean, your story, on the page.
Despite the fact that the misguided author almost completely ignores the female journey, this is the quintessential guide to the mythic structure that dominates your life. Whether you choose to believe so or not. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler provides a story framework based on the archetypal work of Carl Jung. This is the book that binds my writing life with my brand marketing and advertising life. No novelist should be without this book. And non-fiction writers would be wise to structure their work as an epic tale.
Writing from the Inside Out by Dennis Palumbo is just a lovely little bedside companion for those who might question their decision to scribble. In short and focused chapters, Palumbo, a licensed psychotherapist, shares stories from his own writing life and that of his clients to help us understand our barriers and insecurities. This book will get you back to the page, and provide some much needed empathy when you’re feeling like the world’s worst writer or the writing world’s biggest imposter.
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