Here is a list of my top nine must read books that every new – or
established – writer should read ASAP. I have added a little book
description after each title to help you make up your mind and decide
which ones speak to you.
1 On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all
time, this is the top of my list. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid
memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his
struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in
1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred
his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing
will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and
anyone who loves a great story well told.
2 Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time,
was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months
to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in
Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by
binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the
hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his
arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just
take it bird by bird.’”
3 Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg
Natalie she brings together Zen meditation and writing in a new way.
Writing practice, as she calls it, is no different from other forms of
Zen practice —”it is backed by two thousand years of studying the mind.”
4 The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
Bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield identifies the enemy that every
one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal
foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success. The War of
Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the
obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the
highest level of creative discipline.
5 Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
“Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a land mine. The land mine
is me. After the explosion, I spend the rest of the day putting the
pieces back together. Now, it’s your turn. Jump!” Zest. Gusto.
Curiosity. These are the qualities every writer must have, as well as a
spirit of adventure. In this exuberant book, the incomparable Ray
Bradbury shares the wisdom, experience, and excitement of a lifetime of
writing.
6 The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julia Cameron
What if everything we have been taught about learning to write was
wrong? Julia asserts that conventional writing wisdom would have you
believe in a false doctrine that stifles creativity. With the techniques
and anecdotes, readers learn to make writing a natural, intensely
personal part of life.
7 Page after page by Heather Sellers
You Are a Writer—Believe It! False starts. Self-doubt. Mind games. They
end the moment you pick up this book. With an inspiring mix of humor,
wisdom, and creativity, Page After Page shows you how to find the
courage and commitment to start writing and keep writing.
8 Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life by Natalie Goldberg
Natalie teaches a method of writing that can take you beyond craft to
the true source of creative power: The mind that is”raw, full of energy,
alive and hungry.” Here is compassionate, practical, and often humorous
advice about how to find time to write, how to discover your personal
style, how to make sentences come alive, and how to overcome
procrastination and writer’s block — including more than thirty
provocative “Try this” exercises to get your pen moving.
9 Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brand
A reissue of a classic work originally published in 1934 on writing and
the creative process, Becoming a Writer recaptures the excitement of
Dorothea Brande’s creative-writing classroom of the 1920s. Decades
before brain research “discovered” the particular roles of the right and
left sides of the brain in human endeavor, Brande was teaching students
how to see again, how…moreDecades before brain research “discovered”
the particular roles of the right and left sides of the brain in human
endeavour, Brande was teaching students how to see again, how to hold
their minds still, how to call forth the inner writer. She had novice
writers note the effects of everything in their environment on their
writing. She showed them how to harness the unconscious, how to fall
into “artistic coma,” then how to re-emerge and be their own critics.
So there it is. This is my ultimate collection to inspire any writer.
It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner, needing courage to lift the
pen, you will find lots of practical advice and inspiration to keep you
going.