best books on writing and creativity

The 20+ Best Books on Creative Writing

If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I write a book?”, “How do I write a short story?”, or “How do I write a poem?” you’re not alone. I’m halfway done my MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts , and I ask myself these questions a lot, too, though I’m noticing that by now I feel more comfortable with the answers that fit my personal craft. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a Master’s of Fine Arts in Writing candidate, or even a college graduate, in order to soak up the great Wisdom of Words, as I like to call it. Another word for it is craft . That’s because there are so many great books out there on writing craft. In this post, I’ll guide you through 20+ of the most essential books on creative writing. These essential books for writers will teach you what you need to know to write riveting stories and emotionally resonant books—and to sell them.

I just also want to put in a quick plug for my post with the word count of 175 favorite novels . This resource is helpful for any writer.

Now, with that done… Let’s get to it!

What Made the List of Essential Books for Writers—and What Didn’t

So what made the list? And what didn’t?

Unique to this list, these are all books that I have personally used in my journey as a creative and commercial writer.

That journey started when I was 15 and extended through majoring in English and Creative Writing as an undergrad at UPenn through becoming a freelance writer in 2014, starting this book blog, pursuing my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts , and publishing some fiction and nonfiction books myself . My point here is not to boast, just to explain that these books have all helped me better understand and apply the craft, discipline, and business of writing over the course of more than half my life as I’ve walked the path to become a full-time writer. Your mileage my vary , but each of these books have contributed to my growth as a writer in some way. I’m not endorsing books I’ve never read or reviewed. This list comes from my heart (and pen!).

Most of these books are geared towards fiction writers, not poetry or nonfiction writers

It’s true that I’m only one human and can only write so much in one post. Originally, I wanted this list to be more than 25 books on writing. Yes, 25 books! But it’s just not possible to manage that in a single post. What I’ll do is publish a follow-up article with even more books for writers. Stay tuned!

The most commonly recommended books on writing are left out.

Why? Because they’re everywhere! I’m aiming for under-the-radar books on writing, ones that aren’t highlighted often enough. You’ll notice that many of these books are self-published because I wanted to give voice to indie authors.

But I did want to include a brief write-up of these books… and, well, you’ve probably heard of them, but here are 7 of the most recommended books on writing:

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – With her guided practice on how to rejuvenate your art over the course of 16 weeks, Cameron has fashioned an enduring classic about living and breathing your craft (for artists as well as writers). This book is perhaps best known for popularizing the morning pages method.

The Art of Fiction by John Gardner – If you want to better understand how fiction works, John Gardner will be your guide in this timeless book.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott – A beloved writing book on process, craft, and overcoming stumbling blocks (both existential and material).

On Writing by Stephen King – A must-read hybrid memoir-craft book on the writer mythos and reality for every writer.

Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose – A core writing book that teaches you how to read with a writer’s eye and unlock the ability to recognize and analyze craft for yourself.

Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin – Many writers consider this to be their bible on craft and storytelling.

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg – A favorite of many writers, this book takes an almost spiritual approach to the art, craft, and experience of writing.

I’m aiming for under-the-radar books on writing on my list.

These books are all in print.

Over the years, I’ve picked up several awesome books on creative writing from used bookstores. Oh, how I wish I could recommend these! But many of them are out of print. The books on this list are all available new either as eBooks, hardcovers, or paperbacks. I guess this is the right time for my Affiliate Link disclaimer:

This article contains affiliate links, which means I might get a small portion of your purchase. For more on my affiliate link policy, check out my official Affiliate Link Disclaimer .

You’ll notice a lot of the books focus on the business of writing.

Too often, money is a subject that writers won’t talk about. I want to be upfront about the business of writing and making a living as a writer (or not ) with these books. It’s my goal to get every writer, even poets!, to look at writing not just from a craft perspective, but from a commercial POV, too.

And now on to the books!

Part i: the best books on writing craft, the anatomy of story by john truby.

For you if: You want to develop an instinctive skill at understanding the contours of storytelling .

All I want to do as a writer, my MO, is tell good stories well. It took me so long to understand that what really matters to me is good storytelling. That’s it—that’s the essence of what we do as writers… tell good stories well. And in The Anatomy of Story , legendary screenwriting teacher John Truby takes you through story theory. This book is packed with movie references to illustrate the core beat points in story, and many of these example films are actually literary adaptations, making this a crossover craft book for fiction writers and screenwriters alike.

How to read it: Purchase The Anatomy of Story on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

The art of memoir by mary karr.

For you if: You’re writing a memoir book or personal essays .

Nobody is a better person to teach memoir writing than Mary Karr, whose memoirs The Liar’s Club and Lit are considered classics of the genre. In The Art of Memoir , Karr delivers a master class on memoir writing, adapted from her experience as a writer and a professor in Syracuse’s prestigious MFA program. What I love about this book as an aspiring memoirist is Karr’s approach, which blends practical, actionable advice with more bigger-picture concepts on things like truth vs. fact in memoir storytelling. Like I said in the intro to this list, I didn’t include many nonfiction and poetry books on this list, but I knew I had to make an exception for The Art of Memoir .

How to read it: Purchase The Art of Memoir on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

The emotional craft of fiction by donald maass.

For you if: Plot isn’t your problem, it’s character .

From literary agent Donald Maass, The Emotional Craft of Fiction gives you the skill set you need to master emotionally engaging fiction. Maass’s technique is to show you how readers get pulled into the most resonant, engaging, and unforgettable stories: by going through an emotional journey nimbly crafted by the author. The Emotional Craft of Fiction is a must-have work of craft to balance more plot-driven craft books.

How to read it: Purchase the The Emotional Craft of Fiction on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

How to Write Using the Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson

For you if: You need a quick-and-dirty plotting technique that’s easy to memorize .

I first heard of the “Snowflake Method” in the National Novel Writing Month forums (which, by the way, are excellent places for finding writing craft worksheets, book recommendations, and online resources). In How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method , the Snowflake Method is introduced by its creator. This quick yet thorough plotting and outlining structure is humble and easy to master. If you don’t have time to read a bunch of books on outlining and the hundreds of pages that would require, check out How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method for a quick, 235-page read.

How to read it: Purchase How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Meander, spiral, explode: design and pattern in narrative by jane alison.

For you if: You want to do a deep dive understanding of the core theory of story, a.k.a. narrative.

A most unconventional writing craft book, Meander, Spiral, Explode offers a theory of narrative (story) as recognizable patterns. According to author Jane Alison, there are three main narrative narratives in writing: meandering, spiraling, and exploding. This cerebral book (chock full of examples!) is equal parts seminar on literary theory as it is craft, and it will make you see and understand storytelling better than maybe any book on this list.

How to read it: Purchase Meander, Spiral, Explode on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

The modern library writer’s workshop by stephen koch.

For you if: You’re wondering what it means to be the writer you want to become .

This is one of the earliest creative writing books I ever bought and it remains among the best I’ve read. Why? Reading The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop echoes the kind of mind-body-spirit approach you need to take to writing. The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop doesn’t teach you the nuts and bolts of writing as much as it teaches you how to envision the machine. Koch zooms out to big picture stuff as much as zeroes in on the little details. This is an outstanding book about getting into the mindset of being a writer, not just in a commercial sense, but as your passion and identity. It’s as close as you’ll get to the feel of an MFA in Fiction education.

How to read it: Purchase The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Romancing the beat by gwen hayes.

For you if: You write or edit the romance genre and want a trusted plotting strategy to craft the perfect love story .

If you’re writing romance, you have to get Gwen Hayes’s Romancing the Beat . This book breaks down the plot points or “beats” you want to hit when you’re crafting your romance novel. When I worked as a romance novel outliner (yes, a real job), our team used Romancing the Beat as its bible; every outline was structured around Hayes’s formula. For romance writers (like myself) I cannot endorse it any higher.

How to read it: Purchase Romancing the Beat on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Save the cat writes a novel by jessica brody.

For you if: You have big ideas for a plot but need to work on the smaller moments that propel stories .

Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel adapts Blake Snyder’s bestselling screenwriting book Save the Cat! into story craft for writing novels. Brody reworks the Save the Cat! methodology in actionable, point-by-point stages of story that are each explained with countless relevant examples. If you want to focus your efforts on plot, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is an excellent place to go to start learning the ins and outs of what makes a good story.

How to read it: Purchase Save the Cat! Writes a Novel on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Story genius by lisa cron.

For you if: You’re a pantser and are terrified at outlining yet also realize you might have a “plot problem .”

More than any other book, Lisa Cron’s Story Genius will get you where you need to go for writing amazing stories. Story Genius helps you look at plotting differently, starting from a point of characterization in which our protagonists have a clearly defined need and misbelief that play off each other and move the story forward from an emotional interior and action exterior standpoint. For many of my fellow MFA students—and myself— Story Genius is the missing link book for marrying plot and character so you innately understand the contours of good story.

How to read it: Purchase Story Genius on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Wonderbook: the illustrated guide to creating imaginative fiction by jeff vandermeer.

For you if: You’re writing in a speculative fiction genre—like science fiction, fantasy, or horror—or are trying to better understand those genres.

Jeff VanderMeer’s Wonderbook is a dazzling gem of a book and a can’t-miss-it writing book for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror writers. This book will teach you all the skills you need to craft speculative fiction, like world-building, with micro-lessons and close-reads of excellent works in these genres. Wonderbook is also one to linger over, with lavish illustrations and every inch and corner crammed with craft talk for writing imaginative fiction (sometimes called speculative fiction). And who better to guide you through this than Jeff VanderMeer, author of the popular Southern Reach Trilogy, which kicks off with Annihilation , which was adapted into a feature film.

How to read it: Purchase Wonderbook on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Writing picture books by ann whitford paul.

For you if: You’re looking to write picture books and/or understand how they work .

This book is the only one you need to learn how to write and sell picture books. As an MFA student studying children’s literature, I’ve consulted with this book several times as I’ve dipped my toes into writing picture books, a form I considered scary and intimidating until reading this book. Writing Picture Books should be on the shelf of any writer of children’s literature. a.k.a. “kid lit.”

How to read it: Purchase Writing Picture Books on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Writing with emotion, conflict, and tension by cheryl st. john.

For you if: You need to work on the conflict, tension, and suspense that keep readers turning pages and your story going forward .

Mmm, conflict. As I said earlier, it’s the element of fiction writing that makes a story interesting and a key aspect of characterization that is underrated. In Writing with Emotion, Tension, and Conflict , bestselling romance author Cheryl St. John offers a masterclass on the delicate dance between incorporating conflict, the emotions it inspires in characters, and the tension that results from those two factors.

How to read it: Purchase Writing with Emotion, Tension, and Conflict on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Part ii: the best books on the productivity, mfas, and the business of writing, 2k to 10k: writing faster, writing better, and writing more of what you love by rachel aaron.

For you if: You struggle to find the time to write and always seem to be a chapter or two behind schedule .

If you’re struggling to find time of your own to write with competing obligations (family, work, whatever) making that hard, you need Rachel Aaron’s 2k to 10k . This book will get you in shape to go from writing just a few words an hour to, eventually, 10,000 words a day. Yes, you read that right. 10,000 words a day. At that rate, you can complete so many more projects and publish more. Writers simply cannot afford to waste time if they want to keep up the kind of production that leads to perpetual publication. Trust me, Aaron’s method works. It has for me. I’m on my way to 10k in the future, currently at like 4 or 5k a day for me at the moment.

How to read it: Purchase 2k to 10k on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

The 3 a.m. epiphany by brian kitele.

For you if: You’re going through writer’s block, have been away from writing for a while, or just want to loosen up and try something new .

Every writer must own an an exercise or prompt book. Why? Because regularly practicing your writing by going outside your current works-in-progress (or writer’s block) will free you up, help you plant the seeds for new ideas, and defrost your creative blocks. And the best book writing exercise book I know is The 3 A.M. Epiphany by Brian Kiteley, an MFA professor who uses prompts like these with his grad students. You’ll find that this book (and its sequel, The 4 A.M. Breakthrough ) go beyond cutesy exercises and forces you to push outside your comfort zone and learn something from the writing you find there.

How to read it: Purchase The 3 A.M. Epiphany on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

The 4-hour workweek by timothy ferriss.

For you if: You think being a writer means you have to be poor .

The 4-Hour Workweek changed my life. Although not strictly about writing in the traditional sense, The 4-Hour Workweek does an excellent job teaching you about how passive income can offer you freedom. I first heard about The 4-Hour Workweek when I was getting into tarot in 2013. On Biddy Tarot , founder Brigit (author of some of the best books on tarot ) related how she read this book, learned how to create passive income, and quit her corporate job to read tarot full time. As a person with a total and permanent disability, this spoke to me because it offered a way out of the 9-to-5 “active” income that I thought was the only way. I picked up Ferriss’s book and learned that there’s more than one option, and that passive income is a viable way for me to make money even when I’m too sick to work. I saw this come true last year when I was in the hospital. When I got out, I checked my stats and learned I’d made money off my blog and books even while I was hospitalized and couldn’t do any “active” work. I almost cried.; I’ve been working on my passive income game since 2013, and I saw a return on that time investment when I needed it most.

That’s why I’m recommending The 4-Hour Workweek to writers. So much of our trade is producing passive income products. Yes, your books are products! And for many writers, this means rewiring your brain to stop looking at writing strictly as an art that will leave you impoverished for life and start approaching writing as a business that can earn you a real living through passive income. No book will help you break out of that mindset better than The 4-Hour Workweek and its actionable steps, proven method, and numerous examples of people who have followed the strategy and are living the lifestyle they’ve always dreamed of but never thought was possible.

How to read it: Purchase The 4-Hour Workweek on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book by Courtney Maum

For you if: You’re serious about making a living as a writer and publishing with a Big 5 or major indie publisher .

Courtney Maum’s Before and After the Book Deal addresses exactly what its title suggests: what happens after you sell your first book. This book is for ambitious writers intent on submission who know they want to write and want to avoid common pitfalls while negotiating terms and life after your debut. As many published authors would tell you, the debut is one thing, but following that book up with a sustainable, successful career is another trick entirely. Fortunately, we have Maum’s book, packed with to-the-moment details and advice.

How to read it: Purchase Before and After the Book Deal on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Diy mfa: write with focus, read with purpose, build your community by gabriela pereira.

For you if: You’re stressed out wondering if you really need an MFA .

The MFA is under this header “business of writing” because it is absolutely an economic choice you make. And, look, I’m biased. I’m getting an MFA. But back when I was grappling with whether or not it was worth it—the debt, the time, the stress—I consulted with DIY MFA , an exceptional guide to learning how to enrich your writing craft, career, and community outside the structures of an MFA program. I’ve also more than once visited the companion site, DIYMFA.com , to find a kind of never-ending rabbit hole of new and timeless content on the writing life. On DIYMFA.com and in the corresponding book, you’ll find a lively hub for author interviews, writing craft shop talk, reading lists, and business of writing articles.

How to read it: Purchase DIY MFA on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Mfa vs. nyc by chad harbach.

For you if: You’re wondering how far an MFA really gets you—and you’re ready to learn the realities of the publishing world .

About a thousand years ago (well, in 2007), I spent the fall of my sophomore year of college as a “Fiction Submissions and Advertising Intern” for the literary magazine n+1 , which was co-founded by Chad Harbach, who you might know from his buzzy novel, The Art of Fielding . In MFA vs NYC , Harbach offers his perspective as both an MFA graduate and someone deeply enmeshed in the New York City publishing industry. This thought-provoking look at these two arenas that launch writers will pull the wool up from your eyes about how publishing really works . It’s not just Harbach’s voice you get in here, though. The book, slim but mighty, includes perspectives from the likes of George Saunders and David Foster Wallace in the MFA camp and Emily Gould and Keith Gessen speaking to NYC’s writing culture.

How to read it: Purchase MFA vs. NYC on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Scratch: writers, money, and the art of making a living – edited by manjula martin.

For you if: a) You’re worried about how to balance writing with making a living; b) You’re not worried about how to balance writing with making a living .

Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living is alternately one of the most underrated and essential books on writing out there. This collection of personal essays and interviews all revolve around the taboo theme of how writers make their living, and it’s not always—indeed, rarely—through writing alone. Some of the many contributing authors include Cheryl Strayed ( Wild ), Alexander Chee ( How to Write an Autobiographical Novel ), Jennifer Weiner ( Mrs. Everything ), Austin Kleon ( Steal Like an Artist ), and many others. Recently a young woman asked me for career advice on being a professional freelance writer, and I made sure to recommend Scratch as an eye-opening and candid read that is both motivating and candid.

How to read it: Purchase Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Write to market: deliver a book that sells by chris fox.

For you if: You don’t know why your books aren’t selling—and you want to start turning a profit by getting a real publishing strategy

So you don’t have to be an indie author to internalize the invaluable wisdom you’ll find here in Write to Market . I first heard about Write to Market when I first joined the 20Booksto50K writing group on Facebook , a massive, supportive, motivating community of mostly indie authors. Everyone kept talking about Write to Market . I read the book in a day and found the way I looked at publishing change. Essentially, what Chris Fox does in Write to Market is help you learn to identify what are viable publishing niches. Following his method, I’ve since published several successful and #1 bestselling books in the quotations genre on Amazon . Without Fox’s book, I’m not sure I would have gotten there on my own.

How to read it: Purchase Write to Market on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

And that’s a wrap what are some of your favorite writing books, share this:, you might be interested in.

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Sarah S. Davis is the founder of Broke by Books, a blog about her journey as a schizoaffective disorder bipolar type writer and reader. Sarah's writing about books has appeared on Book Riot, Electric Literature, Kirkus Reviews, BookRags, PsychCentral, and more. She has a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Library and Information Science from Clarion University, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

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Last updated on May 31, 2022

The 40 Best Books About Writing: A Reading List for Authors

For this post, we’ve scoured the web (so you don’t have to) and asked our community of writers for recommendations on some indispensable books about writing. We've filled this list with dozens of amazing titles, all of which are great — but this list might seem intimidating. So for starters, here are our top 10 books about writing:

• On Writing by Stephen King
• The Kick-Ass Writer by Chuck Wendig
• Dreyer’s Englis h by Benjamin Dreyer
• The Elements of Style by Strunk, White, and Kalman
• The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne
• A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
• Mouth Full of Blood by Toni Morrison
• How to Market a Book by Ricardo Fayet
• On Writing Well by William Zinsser

But if you're ready to get into the weeds, here are 40 of our favorite writing books.

Books about becoming a writer

1. on writing by stephen king.

Perhaps the most-cited book on this list, On Writing is part-memoir, part-masterclass from one of America’s leading authors. Come for the vivid accounts of his childhood and youth — including his extended "lost weekend" spent on alcohol and drugs in the 1980s. Stay for the actionable advice on how to use your emotions and experiences to kickstart your writing, hone your skills, and become an author. Among the many craft-based tips are King’s expert takes on plot, story, character, and more.

From the book: “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” 

2. The Kick-Ass Writer by Chuck Wendig

If you haven’t checked out Wendig’s personal blog, head over there now and bookmark it. Unfiltered, profane, and almost always right, Wendig’s become a leading voice among online writing communities in the past few years. In The Kick-Ass Writer , he offers over 1,000 pearls of wisdom for authors, ranging from express writing tips to guidance on getting published. Written to be read in short bursts, we’re sure he’d agree that this is the perfect bathroom book for writers.

From the book: “I have been writing professionally for a lucky-despite-the-number 13 years. Not once — seriously, not once ever — has anyone ever asked me where I got my writing degree… Nobody gives two ferrets fornicating in a filth-caked gym sock whether or not you have a degree… The only thing that matters is, Can you write well? ” 

3. Find Your Voice by Angie Thomas

Taking advice from famous authors is not about imitation, but about finding your own voice . Take it from someone who knows: Thomas is the New York Times #1 Bestselling author of The Hate U Give , On the Come Up , and Concrete Rose . While she’s found her calling in YA literature , she has plenty of insight into finding your own voice in your genre of choice. Written in the form of a guided journal, this volume comes with step-by-step instructions, writing prompts, and exercises especially aimed at helping younger creatives develop the strength and skills to realize their vision.

From the book: “Write fearlessly. Write what is true and real to you.” 

4. The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner

Since its publication in 2000, The Forest for the Trees has remained an essential resource for authors at various stages in their careers. As an editor, Lerner gives advice not only on producing quality content, but also on how to build your career as an author and develop a winning routine — like how writers can be more productive in their creative process, how to get published , and how to publish well . 

From the book: “The world doesn't fully make sense until the writer has secured his version of it on the page. And the act of writing is strangely more lifelike than life.”

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5. How to Write Like Tolstoy by Richard Cohen

From the book: “Great writers can be inhibiting, and maybe after one has read a Scott Fitzgerald or Henry James one can’t escape imitat­ing them; but more often such writers are inspiring.”

6. Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith

Smith is well-known for her fiction, but she is also a prolific essay writer. In Feel Free , she has gathered several essays on recent cultural and political developments and combined them with experiences from her own life and career. In “The I Who Is Not Me”, she explores how her own lived experience comes into play in her fiction writing, and how she manages to extrapolate that to comment on contemporary social contexts, discussing race, class, and ethnicity.

From the book: “Writing exists (for me) at the intersection of three precarious, uncertain elements: language, the world, the self. The first is never wholly mine; the second I can only ever know in a partial sense; the third is a malleable and improvised response to the previous two.”

Books about language and style 

7. dreyer’s english by benjamin dreyer.

A staple book about writing well, Dreyer’s English serves as a one-stop guide to proper English, based on the knowledge that Dreyer — a senior copy editor at Random House — has accumulated throughout his career. From punctuation to tricky homophones, passive voice, and commas, the goal of these tools should be to facilitate effective communication of ideas and thoughts. Dreyer delivers this and then some, but not without its due dosage of humor and informative examples. 

From the book: “A good sentence, I find myself saying frequently, is one that the reader can follow from beginning to end, no matter how long it is, without having to double back in confusion because the writer misused or omitted a key piece of punctuation, chose a vague or misleading pronoun, or in some other way engaged in inadvertent misdirection.”

8. The Elements of Style (Illustrated) by William Strunk, Jr., E. B. White, and Maira Kalman

A perfect resource for visual learners, this illustrated edition of The Elements of Style has taken the classic style manual to a new, more accessible level but kept its main tenet intact: make every word tell. The written content by Strunk and White has long been referred to as an outline of the basic principles of style. Maira Kalman’s illustrations elevate the experience and make it a feast for both the mind and the eye. 

From the book: “A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.”

9. Sin and Syntax by Constance Hale

If you’re looking to bring a bit of spunk into your writing, copy editor Constance Hale may hold the key . Whether you’re writing a work-related email or the next rap anthem, she has one goal: to make creative communication available to everyone by dispelling old writing myths and making every word count. Peppered with writing prompts and challenges, this book will have you itching to put pen to paper.

From the book: “Verbose is not a synonym for literary.”

10. The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker

Combining entertainment with intellectual pursuit, Pinker, a cognitive scientist and dictionary consultant, explores and rethinks language usage in the 21st century . With illustrative examples of both great and not-so-great linguistic constructions, Pinker breaks down the art of writing and gives a gentle but firm nudge in the right direction, towards coherent yet stylish prose. This is not a polemic on the decay of the English language, nor a recitation of pet peeves, but a thoughtful, challenging, and practical take on the science of communication. 

From the book: “Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing—and why should we care?”

11. Eats, Shoots, & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss

From the book: “A panda walks into a cafe. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air. "Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife annual and tosses it over his shoulder. "I'm a panda," he says, at the door. "Look it up." The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation. Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.”

Books about story structure

12. save the cat by blake snyder.

Best known as a screenwriting manual, Save the Cat! is just as often named by authors as one of their most influential books about writing. The title comes from the tried-and-true trope of the protagonist doing something heroic in the first act (such as saving a cat) in order to win over the audience. Yes, it might sound trite to some — but others swear by its bulletproof beat sheet. More recently, there has been Save the Cat! Writes a Novel , which tailors its principles specifically to the literary crowd. (For a concise breakdown of the beat sheet, check this post out!)

From the book: “Because liking the person we go on a journey with is the single most important element in drawing us into the story.” 

13. The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne

Shawn Coyne is a veteran editor with over 25 years of publishing experience, and he knows exactly what works and what doesn’t in a story — indeed, he’s pretty much got it down to a science. The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know outlines Coyne’s original “Story Grid” evaluation technique, which both writers and editors can use to appraise, revise, and ultimately improve their writing (in order to get it ready for publication). Coyne and his friend Tim Grahl also co-host the acclaimed Story Grid podcast , another great resource for aspiring writers.

From the book: “The Story Grid is a tool with many applications. It pinpoints problems but does not emotionally abuse the writer… it is a tool to re-envision and resuscitate a seemingly irredeemable pile of paper stuck in an attack drawer, and it can inspire an original creation.”

14. Story Structure Architect by Victoria Schmidt

For those who find the idea of improvising utterly terrifying and prefer the security of structures, this book breaks down just about every kind of story structure you’ve ever heard of. Victoria Schmidt offers no less than fifty-five different creative paths for your story to follow — some of which are more unconventional, or outright outlandish than others. The level of detail here is pretty staggering: Schmidt goes into the various conflicts, subplots, and resolutions these different story structures entail — with plenty of concrete examples! Suffice to say that no matter what kind of story you’re writing, you’ll find a blueprint for it in Story Structure Architect .

From the book: “When you grow up in a Westernized culture, the traditional plot structure becomes so embedded in your subconscious that you may have to work hard to create a plot structure that deviates from it… Understand this and keep your mind open when reading [this book]. Just because a piece doesn’t conform to the model you are used to, does not make it bad or wrong.”

15. The Writer's Journey  by Christopher Vogler

Moving on, we hone in on the mythic structure. Vogler’s book, originally published in 1992, is now a modern classic of writing advice; though intended as a screenwriting textbook, its contents apply to any story of mythic proportions. In The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers , Vogler takes a page (literally) from Joseph Campbell’s Hero of a Thousand Faces to ruminate upon the most essential narrative structures and character archetypes of the writing craft. So if you’re thinking of drawing up an epic fantasy series full of those tropes we all know and love, this guide should be right up your alley.

From the book: “The Hero’s Journey is not an invention, but an observation. It is a recognition of a beautiful design… It’s difficult to avoid the sensation that the Hero’s Journey exists somewhere, somehow, as an external reality, a Platonic ideal form, a divine model. From this model, infinite and highly varied copies can be produced, each resonating with the essential spirit of the form.”

16. Story Genius by Lisa Cron

From the book: “We don't turn to story to escape reality. We turn to story to navigate reality.”

17. A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

More than just a New York Times bestseller and the winner of the Booker Prize, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain is a distillation of the MFA class on Russian short stories that Saunders has been teaching. Breaking down narrative functions and why we become immersed in a story, this is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand and nurture our continued need for fiction.

From the book: “We’re going to enter seven fastidiously constructed scale models of the world, made for a specific purpose that our time maybe doesn’t fully endorse but that these writers accepted implicitly as the aim of art—namely, to ask the big questions, questions like, How are we supposed to be living down here? What were we put here to accomplish? What should we value? What is truth, anyway, and how might we recognize it?”

Books about overcoming obstacles as a writer

18. bird by bird by anne lamott .

Like Stephen King’s book about writing craft, this work from acclaimed novelist and nonfiction writer Anne Lamott also fuses elements of a memoir with invaluable advice on the writer’s journey. Particularly known for popularizing the concept of “shitty first drafts”, Bird by Bird was recently recommended by editor Jennifer Hartmann in her Reedsy Live webinar for its outlook take on book writing. She said, “This book does exactly what it says it will do: it teaches you to become a better writer. [Lamott] is funny and witty and very knowledgeable.”

From the book: “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft.”

19. Take Off Your Pants by Libbie Hawker 

From the book: “When it comes to the eternal quandary of pantsing or plotting, you can keep a foot in each camp. But if your goals will require you to write with speed and confidence, an effective outline will be your best friend.”

20. Writing into the Dark by Dean Wesley Smith 

And for those who eschew structure altogether, we’ll now refer you to this title from profile science fiction author Dean Wesley Smith . Having authored a number of official Star Trek novels, he definitely knows what he’s talking about when he encourages writers to go boldly into the unknown with an approach to writing books that doesn’t necessarily involve an elaborate plan. It might not be your action plan, but it can be a fresh perspective to get out of the occasional writer’s block .

From the book: “Imagine if every novel you picked up had a detailed outline of the entire plot… Would you read the novel after reading the outline? Chances are, no. What would be the point? You already know the journey the writer is going to take you on. So, as a writer, why do an outline and then have to spend all that time creating a book you already know?”

21. No Plot, No Problem by Chris Baty

If you’re procrastinating to the point where you haven’t even started your novel yet, NaNo founder Chris Baty is your guy! No Plot, No Problem is a “low-stress, high-velocity” guide to writing a novel in just 30 days (yup, it’s great prep for the NaNoWriMo challenge ). You’ll get tons of tips on how to survive this rigorous process, from taking advantage of your initial momentum to persisting through moments of doubt . Whether you’re participating in everyone’s favorite November write-a-thon or you just want to bang out a novel that’s been in your head forever, Baty will help you cross that elusive finish line.

From the book: “A rough draft is best written in the steam-cooker of an already busy life. If you have a million things to do, adding item number 1,000,001 is not such a big deal.”

22. The 90-Day Novel by Alan Watt

And for those who think 30 days is a bit too steam cooker-esque, there’s always Alan Watt’s more laid-back option. In The 90-Day Novel , Watt provides a unique three-part process to assist you with your writing. The first part provides assistance in developing your story’s premise, the second part helps you work through obstacles to execute it, and the third part is full of writing exercises to unlock the “primal forces” of your story — aka the energy that will invigorate your work and incite readers to devour it like popcorn at the movies.

From the book: “Why we write is as important as what we write. Grammar, punctuation, and syntax are fairly irrelevant in the first draft. Get the story down… fast. Get out of your head, so you can surprise yourself on the page.”

23. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

If you feel like you’re constantly in the trenches of your “inner creative battle,” The War of Art is the book for you. Pressfield emphasizes the importance of breaking down creative barriers — what he calls “Resistance” — in order to defeat your demons (i.e. procrastination, self-doubt, etc.) and fulfill your potential. Though some of his opinions are no doubt controversial (he makes repeated claims that almost anything can be procrastination, including going to the doctor), this book is the perfect remedy for prevaricating writers who need a little bit of tough love.

From the book: “Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.”

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Books about writing as a lifestyle and career

24. steal like an artist by austin kleon.

As Kleon notes in the first section of Steal Like an Artist , this title obviously doesn’t refer to plagiarism. Rather, it acknowledges that art cannot be created in a vacuum, and encourages writers (and all other artists) to be open and receptive to all sources of inspiration. By “stealing like an artist,” writers can construct stories that already have a baseline of familiarity for readers, but with new twists that keep them fresh and exciting .

From the book: “If we’re free from the burden of trying to be completely original, we can stop trying to make something out of nothing, and we can embrace influence instead of running away from it.”

25. Mouth Full of Blood by Toni Morrison

From the book: “A writer's life and work are not a gift to mankind; they are its necessity.”

26. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

No matter what stage you’re at in your writing career, Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones will help you write more skillfully and creatively. With suggestions, encouragement, and valuable advice on the many aspects of the writing craft, Goldberg doesn’t shy away from making the crucial connection between writing and adding value to your life. Covering a range of topics including taking notes of your initial thoughts, listening, overcoming doubt, choosing where to write, and the selection of your verbs, this guide has plenty to say about the minute details of writing, but excels at exploring the author life.

From the book: “Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open.”

27. Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

What does it take to become a great author? According to the beloved writer Ray Bradbury , it takes zest, gusto, curiosity, as well as a spirit of adventure. Sharing his wisdom and experiences as one of the most prolific writers in America, Bradbury gives plenty of practical tips and tricks on how to develop ideas, find your voice, and create your own style in this thoughtful volume. In addition to that, this is also an insight into the life and mind of this prolific writer, and a celebration of the act of writing. 

From the book: “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!”

28. The Kite and the String by Alice Mattison

One of the most common dilemmas an author faces is the struggle between spontaneity and control. Literary endeavors need those unexpected light-bulb moments, but a book will never be finished if you rely solely on inspiration. In The Kite and the String , Mattison has heard your cry for help and developed a guide for balancing these elements throughout the different stages of writing a novel or a memoir. Sure, there may be language and grammar rules that govern the way you write, but letting a bit of playfulness breathe life into your writing will see it take off to a whole new level. On the other hand, your writing routine, solitude, audience, and goal-setting will act as the strings that keep you from floating too far away. 

From the book: "Don’t make yourself miserable wishing for a kind of success that you wouldn’t enjoy if you had it."

29. How to Become a Successful Indie Author by Craig Martelle

This one’s for all the indie authors out there! Even if you’ve already self-published a book , you can still learn a lot from this guide by Craig Martelle , who has dozens of indie books — “over two and a half million words,” as he puts it — under his belt. With patience and expertise, Martelle walks you through everything you need to know: from developing your premise to perfecting your writing routine, to finally getting your work to the top of the Amazon charts.

From the book: “No matter where you are on your author journey, there’s always a new level you can reach. Roll up your sleeves, because it’s time to get to work.”

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30. How to Market a Book by Ricardo Fayet 

From the book: “Here’s the thing: authors don’t find readers; readers find books . [...] Marketing is not about selling your book to readers. It’s about getting readers to find it.”

31. Everybody Writes by Ann Handley

The full title of Handley’s all-inclusive book on writing is actually Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content — which should tell you something about its broad appeal. Not only does Handley have some great ideas on how to plan and produce a great story, but she also provides tips on general content writing, which comes in handy when it’s time to build your author platform or a mailing list to promote your book. As such, Everybody Writes is nothing like your other books on novel writing — it’ll make you see writing in a whole new light.

From the book: “In our world, many hold a notion that the ability to write, or write well, is a gift bestowed on a chosen few. That leaves us thinking there are two kinds of people: the writing haves — and the hapless, for whom writing well is a hopeless struggle, like trying to carve marble with a butter knife. But I don’t believe that, and neither should you.” 

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Books on writing poetry 

32. madness, rack, and honey by mary ruefle.

With a long history of crafting and lecturing about poetry, Ruefle invites the reader of Madness, Rack, and Honey to immerse themselves into its beauty and magic. In a powerful combination of lectures and musings, she expertly explores the mind and craft of writers while excavating the magical potential of poetry. Often a struggle between giving and taking, poetry is, according to Ruefle, a unique art form that reveals the innermost workings of the human heart.

From the book: “In one sense, reading is a great waste of time. In another sense, it is a great extension of time, a way for one person to live a thousand and one lives in a single lifespan, to watch the great impersonal universe at work again and again”

33. Threads by Sandeep Parmar, Nisha Ramayya, and Bhanu Kapil

If you’re looking for something that explores the philosophical aspects of writing, Threads asks big questions about writing and the position of the writer in an industry that has largely excluded marginalized voices. Where does the writer exist in relation to its text and, particularly in the case of poetry, who is the “I”? Examining the common white, British, male lens, this collection of short essays will make it hard for you not to critically consider your own perceptions and how they affect your writing process.

From the book: “It is impossible to consider the lyric without fully interrogating its inherent promise of universality, its coded whiteness.”

34. The Hatred of Poetry by Ben Lerner

Despite its eye-catching title, this short essay is actually a defense of poetry . Lerner begins with his own hatred of the art form, and then moves on to explore this love-hate dichotomy that actually doesn’t seem to be contradictory. Rather, such a multitude of emotions might be one of the reasons that writers and readers alike turn to it. With its ability to evoke feelings and responses through word-play and meter, poetry has often been misconceived as inaccessible and elitist; this is a call to change that perception. 

From the book: “All I ask the haters — and I, too, am one — is that they strive to perfect their contempt, even consider bringing it to bear on poems, where it will be deepened, not dispelled, and where, by creating a place for possibility and present absences (like unheard melodies), it might come to resemble love.”

35. Poemcrazy by Susan G. Wooldridge

If you’ve ever felt that the mysterious workings of poetry are out of your reach and expressly not for you, Wooldridge is here to tell you that anyone who wants to can write poetry . An experienced workshop leader, she will help you find your inner voice and to express it through the written word. Giving you advice on how to think, use your senses, and practice your writing, Wooldrige will have you putting down rhyme schemes before you know it. 

From the book: “Writing a poem is a form of listening, helping me discover what's wrong or frightening in my world as well as what delights me.”

36. Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison

From the book: “Don't be afraid to write crap — it makes the best fertilizer. The more of it you write, the better your chances are of growing something wonderful.”

Books about writing nonfiction

37. on writing well by william zinsser.

Going strong with its 30th-anniversary edition, On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction is an evergreen resource for nonfiction writers which breaks down the fundamental principles of written communication. As a bonus, the insights and guidelines in this book can certainly be applied to most forms of writing, from interviewing to camp-fire storytelling. Beyond giving tips on how to stay consistent in your writing and voice, how to edit, and how to avoid common pitfalls, Zinsser can also help you grow as a professional writer, strengthening your career and taking steps in a new direction. 

From the book: “Don’t try to visualize the great mass audience. There is no such audience—every reader is a different person.”

38. Essays by Lydia Davis

Ironically enough, this rather lengthy book is a celebration of brevity. As one of the leading American voices in flash-fiction and short-form writing, Davis traces her literary roots and inspirations in essays on everything, ranging from the mastodonic work of Proust to minimalism. In both her translations and her own writing, she celebrates experimental writing that stretches the boundaries of language. Playing with the contrast between what is said and what is not, this collection of essays is another tool to the writing shed to help you feel and use the power of every word you write.

From the book: “Free yourself of your device, for at least certain hours of the day — or at the very least one hour. Learn to be alone, all alone, without people, and without a device that is turned on. Learn to experience the purity of that kind of concentration. Develop focus, learn to focus intently on one thing, uninterrupted, for a long time.”

39. Essayism by Brian Dillon

In this volume, Dillon explores the often overlooked genre of essay writing and its place in literature’s past, present, and future. He argues that essays are an “experiment in attention” but also highlights how and why certain essays have directly impacted the development of the cultural and political landscape, from the end of the Middle Ages until the present day. At its heart, despite its many forms, subject areas, and purposes, essayism has its root in self-exploration. Dip in and out of Dillon’s short texts to find inspiration for your own nonfiction writing.

From the book: “What exactly do I mean, even, by 'style'? Perhaps it is nothing but an urge, an aspiration, a clumsy access of admiration, a crush.”

40. Naked, Drunk, and Writing by Adair Lara

From the book: “Write it down. Whatever it is, write it down. Chip it into marble. Type it into Microsoft Word. Spell it out in seaweeds on the shore. We are each of us an endangered species, delicate as unicorns.”

With a few of these books in your arsenal, you’ll be penning perfect plots in no time! And if you’re interested in learning more about the editing process, check these books on editing out as well!

ZUrlocker says:

11/03/2019 – 19:46

I'm familiar with several of these books. But for new authors, I urge you caution. It is very tempting to read so many books about writing that you never get around to writing. (I did this successfully for many years!) So I will suggest paring it down to just two books: Stephen King on Writing and Blake Snyder Save the Cat. Snyder's book is mostly about screenwriting, so you could also consider Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. Best of luck!

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Creative Writing Books: A Curated 2024 Updated List

If you’re a writer looking to sharpen your skills, you’ll want to check out these 20 best books about creative writing. Whether you’re a seasoned novelist or just starting out, these books on creative writing offer valuable insights, exercises, and inspiration to help you unleash your creativity and improve your writing craft. From classic guides to contemporary must-reads, this list has something for every aspiring writer. Let’s dive into the world of creative writing books and discover the essential tools for honing your literary talent.

• 1 20 Best Books About Creative Writing
• 2 On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
• 3 Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
• 4 The Elements of Style
• 5 Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
• 6 The Writing Life
• 7 Zen in the Art of Writing
• 8 The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
• 9 Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
• 10 The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
• 11 The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life
• 12 The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life
• 13 The Writing Book: A Workbook for Fiction Writers
• 14 The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers
• 15 The Writing Life: Writers on How They Think and Work
• 16 The Creative Writer’s Survival Guide: Advice from an Unrepentant Novelist
• 17 The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing
• 18 The Art of X-Ray Reading: How the Secrets of 25 Great Works of Literature Will Improve Your Writing
• 19 Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story
• 20 Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting
• 21 The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles
• 22 Conclusion

20 Best Books About Creative Writing

See Best Deals

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

By stephen king.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is a captivating book about the art of storytelling and the life of a prolific writer, Stephen King . In this compelling memoir, King shares his personal journey as a writer, from his early struggles to his eventual success. The book provides invaluable insights into the creative process, offering practical advice on honing one’s craft and developing a unique voice. King’s honest and straightforward narrative style makes this book about creative writing both informative and entertaining. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or a fan of King’s work, this creative writing book is a must-read for anyone interested in the art and craft of storytelling.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

By anne lamott.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott is a beloved book on creative writing that offers practical advice and humorous insights for aspiring writers. Lamott shares her personal experiences and wisdom on the creative process, tackling self-doubt, and finding inspiration. The book about creative writing encourages writers to embrace their imperfections and to approach their work with patience and perseverance. With its warm and candid tone, this creative writing book is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to navigate the challenges of the writing life while honing their craft. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, Bird by Bird provides a wealth of encouragement and guidance for the creative journey.

The Elements of Style

By william strunk jr. and e.b. white.

The Elements of Style, written by William Strunk Jr. and later revised and expanded by E.B. White, is a classic book on creative writing. This timeless guidebook is essential for anyone looking to improve their writing skills. It covers everything from grammar and punctuation to style and composition, providing clear and practical advice for crafting clear and impactful prose. The book about creative writing is concise and easy to follow, making it a valuable resource for writers of all levels. Whether you’re a student, professional writer, or just someone who wants to communicate more effectively, The Elements of Style is an indispensable tool for honing your craft and mastering the art of storytelling.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

By elizabeth gilbert.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert is a captivating book about creative writing. Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love, explores the mysterious and inspiring world of creativity in this book. She shares her wisdom and insights on how to live a creative life without succumbing to fear. With a blend of personal anecdotes, practical advice, and profound observations, Gilbert encourages readers to embrace their curiosity, let go of perfectionism, and pursue their creative passions wholeheartedly. Whether you’re a writer, artist, or simply someone who craves a more fulfilling and imaginative life, this creative writing book offers a fresh perspective on the creative process and the courage required to bring your ideas to life. Big Magic is a must-read for anyone seeking inspiration and guidance on their creative journey.

The Writing Life

By annie dillard.

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard is a captivating book on creative writing that takes readers on a journey into the world of writing. Dillard offers a unique perspective on the challenges and rewards of the writing life, drawing from her own experiences as a renowned author. Through beautiful prose and insightful observations, she explores the craft of writing, the solitary nature of the creative process, and the relentless pursuit of perfection. This book about creative writing is filled with wisdom and inspiration, making it a must-read for aspiring writers and anyone interested in the art of storytelling. Dillard’s eloquent reflections will resonate with anyone who has ever grappled with the complexities of the writing life, making it an essential addition to any writer’s library.

Zen in the Art of Writing

By ray bradbury.

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury is a timeless classic that delves into the essence of the creative process. This book about creative writing is a collection of essays that offer insights, encouragement, and practical advice for aspiring writers. Bradbury’s passion for storytelling and his unique approach to the craft of writing are evident in every page, making it a must-read for anyone interested in honing their craft. Through his vivid prose and heartfelt anecdotes, he inspires readers to embrace their creativity and pursue their writing dreams with zeal. Zen in the Art of Writing is a captivating and enlightening guide that celebrates the joy and magic of the written word, making it an essential addition to any writer’s bookshelf.

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

By julia cameron.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is a transformative book on creative writing that guides readers on a spiritual journey to unlock their creativity. Cameron presents a 12-week program designed to help individuals overcome creative blocks, self-doubt, and fear, and tap into their innate creativity. Through a series of exercises and reflections, readers learn to cultivate a sense of curiosity, playfulness, and self-expression to unleash their creative potential. With its practical techniques and insightful wisdom, this book about creative writing has been a go-to resource for artists, writers, and anyone seeking to live a more creative and fulfilling life. The Artist’s Way is a must-read for anyone looking to reignite their passion for creative expression and reconnect with their artistic side.

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

By natalie goldberg.

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg is a beloved book on creative writing that has inspired countless writers to tap into their creativity and find their authentic voice. In this classic book about creative writing, Goldberg shares her wisdom and experience as a writer and writing teacher, offering practical advice and insightful exercises to help writers overcome self-doubt and unleash their creativity. Through her candid and engaging writing style, she encourages readers to embrace the practice of writing as a way of life, emphasizing the importance of discipline, observation, and fearlessness. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, this creative writing book is a valuable resource for anyone looking to deepen their connection to the written word and cultivate a more meaningful and fulfilling writing practice.

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

By steven pressfield.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is a powerful and inspiring book about the challenges and obstacles that creative individuals face in their pursuit of artistic expression. Pressfield delves into the concept of ‘resistance’ – the internal force that prevents us from reaching our true creative potential. Through a series of insightful essays, he provides valuable advice on how to overcome this resistance and break through the barriers that hinder our creativity. This book is a must-read for anyone struggling with their creative endeavors, as it offers practical strategies and encouragement to help readers win their inner creative battles. Whether you’re a writer, artist, musician, or any other type of creative professional, The War of Art is an essential resource for understanding and conquering the obstacles that stand in the way of your artistic fulfillment.

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

By twyla tharp.

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp is a must-read for anyone looking to enhance their artistic practice. This insightful book on creative writing delves into the habits and routines that can cultivate creativity for a lifetime. Twyla Tharp, a renowned choreographer, shares her personal experiences and provides practical advice on how to harness creativity through discipline and dedication. She emphasizes the importance of establishing a daily routine and developing rituals to spark inspiration. Tharp’s unique perspective and engaging writing style make this a valuable resource for both aspiring and experienced creators. Whether you’re a writer, artist, or musician, this book about creative writing will inspire you to tap into your creative potential and establish a sustainable creative practice.

Recommended for you:

The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life

The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julia Cameron is a compelling and inspiring book about creative writing. Cameron, known for her bestseller The Artist’s Way, encourages readers to embrace their natural creativity and overcome the fear of writing. She provides practical exercises and insights to help aspiring writers unlock their potential and find their unique voice. The book explores the joy of creative writing and the importance of self-expression, offering guidance on how to cultivate a regular writing practice and overcome common obstacles. With warmth and wisdom, Cameron invites readers to explore the power of writing and discover the transformative impact it can have on their lives. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, The Right to Write is a valuable resource for anyone looking to unleash their creativity and embrace the writing life.

The Writing Book: A Workbook for Fiction Writers

By kate grenville.

The Writing Book: A Workbook for Fiction Writers by Kate Grenville is a comprehensive guide for aspiring writers looking to enhance their storytelling skills. This book on creative writing offers practical exercises and insightful advice to help writers develop their craft and create compelling works of fiction. Grenville’s approach is both informative and engaging, providing valuable techniques for character development, plot structure, and narrative voice. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned writer, this book about creative writing is a valuable resource for honing your skills and unleashing your creativity. With its practical exercises and expert guidance, The Writing Book is a must-have for anyone looking to elevate their storytelling abilities and produce captivating fiction.

The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers

By john gardner.

The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by John Gardner is a classic book on creative writing that provides insightful guidance for aspiring writers. Gardner, a renowned novelist and writing instructor, delves into the essential elements of storytelling, such as character development, plot structure, and narrative craft. Through clear and practical advice, he offers valuable tips for honing one’s writing skills and creating compelling fiction. This book about creative writing is a treasure trove of wisdom for writers of all levels, as Gardner’s engaging prose and thoughtful analysis illuminate the art of storytelling. Whether you’re a novice writer seeking guidance or a seasoned wordsmith looking to refine your craft, The Art of Fiction is an indispensable resource for anyone passionate about the creative writing process.

The Writing Life: Writers on How They Think and Work

By marie arana.

The Writing Life: Writers on How They Think and Work by Marie Arana is a captivating book about creative writing that offers a rare glimpse into the minds of some of the world’s most renowned authors. Through a series of intimate interviews, Arana explores the writing process and the various techniques and rituals that different writers employ to bring their stories to life. The book delves into the creative process and provides valuable insights and inspiration for aspiring writers. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in the writing craft and the inner workings of the literary mind. The Writing Life is a treasure trove of wisdom and advice from some of the literary world’s most esteemed figures, making it an essential addition to any creative writing book collection.

The Creative Writer’s Survival Guide: Advice from an Unrepentant Novelist

By john mcnally.

The Creative Writer’s Survival Guide: Advice from an Unrepentant Novelist by John McNally is a treasure trove for aspiring writers. This book on creative writing is filled with valuable tips and insights on the craft of storytelling, character development, and navigating the publishing industry. McNally, an accomplished novelist, shares his wisdom with wit and candor, making this a must-read for anyone serious about honing their writing skills. Whether you’re struggling with writer’s block or seeking guidance on the business side of publishing, this book about creative writing has got you covered. McNally’s unapologetic approach to the art of writing is both refreshing and inspiring, making this creative writing book a valuable resource for writers at any stage of their journey.

The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing

By alice laplante.

The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing by Alice LaPlante is a comprehensive and insightful book on the craft of storytelling. LaPlante offers practical advice and exercises for writers of all levels, covering the essential elements of fiction, such as character development, plot structure, and dialogue. What sets this book about creative writing apart is its emphasis on the psychology of storytelling, delving into the motivations and intentions behind a writer’s creative choices. LaPlante’s engaging and accessible style makes this creative writing book a valuable resource for aspiring writers looking to hone their skills and deepen their understanding of the storytelling process. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer, The Making of a Story provides the tools and inspiration needed to embark on a literary journey.

The Art of X-Ray Reading: How the Secrets of 25 Great Works of Literature Will Improve Your Writing

By roy peter clark.

The Art of X-Ray Reading by Roy Peter Clark is a captivating book on creative writing that offers a unique approach to dissecting and understanding literature. Through the analysis of 25 classic works of literature, Clark reveals the hidden techniques and secrets that great writers use to captivate their readers. By delving into the subtext, structure, and language of these works, he provides valuable insights and practical tips that can help writers improve their own craft. This creative writing book is not just about creative writing; it’s about learning to read like a writer, to see beyond the surface and uncover the deeper layers of meaning and technique. Whether you’re an aspiring writer looking to enhance your skills or a literature enthusiast eager to gain a deeper appreciation for the art of storytelling, The Art of X-Ray Reading is a must-read.

Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story

By ursula k. le guin.

Steering the Craft is a renowned book on creative writing written by the legendary Ursula K. Le Guin . This comprehensive and engaging book about creative writing provides valuable insights and techniques for navigating the complexities of storytelling. Le Guin’s expertise and passion for the craft shine through as she delves into the essential elements of writing, such as voice, style, and point of view. Through thought-provoking exercises and illuminating examples, she guides writers on a transformative journey through the sea of story, empowering them to hone their skills and craft compelling narratives. Whether you’re a novice writer or a seasoned wordsmith, this creative writing book is an indispensable resource that will inspire and elevate your storytelling prowess.

Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting

By robert mckee.

Robert McKee’s “Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting” is a renowned book on creative writing that delves into the art of crafting compelling narratives. McKee provides a comprehensive overview of the principles of storytelling, exploring the essential elements of substance, structure, and style. With a focus on screenwriting, the book offers valuable insights into character development, plot construction, and dialogue, making it an indispensable resource for writers looking to enhance their storytelling skills. McKee’s engaging writing style and in-depth analysis of successful storytelling make this book about creative writing a must-read for aspiring writers and seasoned authors alike. Whether you’re a screenwriter, novelist, or simply passionate about the craft of storytelling, “Story” is a creative writing book that will inspire and inform your writing journey.

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is a powerful and inspiring book on creative writing that delves into the internal battles faced by every artist. Pressfield identifies the enemy as Resistance, which manifests as self-doubt, procrastination, and fear of failure. He presents practical strategies to overcome Resistance and unleash one’s creative potential. The book offers a no-nonsense approach to tackling the obstacles that stand in the way of artistic expression, making it a must-read for anyone struggling with their creative endeavors. With its profound insights and motivational tone, this book about creative writing is a valuable resource for writers, artists, and anyone seeking to break through their inner creative battles and fulfill their creative potential.

In conclusion, the world of Creative Writing is vast and diverse, and there are countless books about creative writing that can inspire and guide both aspiring and seasoned writers. Whether you’re looking for practical advice, creative prompts, or insight into the writing process, the 20 books listed in this article are excellent resources to add to your reading list. From classic texts to contemporary guides, there’s something for every writer to explore and learn from. Happy reading and happy writing!

Which Creative Writing book is best?

The best book on Creative Writing can vary with personal preference, but three widely recommended titles are:

• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King ,
• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott ,
• The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White .

Each offers valuable insights and could be a great starting point.

What are the best books to learn about Creative Writing?

For those looking to learn about Creative Writing, there is a wealth of literature that can provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Some of the most highly recommended books include:

• The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White ,
• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert ,
• The Writing Life by Annie Dillard ,
• Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury ,
• The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron ,
• Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg ,
• The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield ,
• The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp

These books offer a range of perspectives on Creative Writing, covering various aspects and approaches to the subject.

What are the best books on Creative Writing?

The best books on Creative Writing include:

• The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julia Cameron ,
• The Writing Book: A Workbook for Fiction Writers by Kate Grenville ,
• Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury .

Each offers unique insights into the subject. While these books on the topic of Creative Writing are highly regarded, it’s important to note that any list of ‘best’ books is subjective and reflects a range of opinions.

What are the best Creative Writing books of all time?

Choosing the best Creative Writing books of all time can vary depending on who you ask, but seven titles that are often celebrated include

• The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp ,
• and The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julia Cameron .

Each of these books has made a significant impact in the field of Creative Writing and continues to be influential today.

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You’ve got style: Brilliant books on creative writing

From Italo Calvino to Dorothea Brande, Emma Cummins reflects on the books that inspire her as a writer

“There’s nothing mysterious about your prose style,” says the author Kevin Barry, “it’s a direct projection of your personality”. Many writers – myself included – find this out the hard way. Good writing is true and authentic, it reflects who you are.

For a long time, I subconsciously tried to be someone else on the page. I anglicised my Northern Irish accent; I feigned a kind of seriousness, perhaps in the hope I’d be taken seriously. But the more I attended writing workshops and read books on the craft, the more I realised my work paled beside my personality.

I am a friendly Northern Irish woman. I do a good line in anxiety but I’m not overly serious. I’m passionate about art and books. I’m not shy with strangers. Why, then, was I shy about expressing myself in my writing? There’s no easy answer to this question but I find it interesting to think about. For Guardian Masterclasses’s online summer writers’ retreat , I’ll be sharing my thoughts on style and encouraging other writers to embrace their individuality.

This blog post brings together some brilliant books on creative writing , including The Agony and the Ego , a 1993 anthology edited by Clare Boylan. In her introduction, Boylan makes an interesting observation about writing fiction. “Writing is a paradox because all of it comes out of ourselves. There is nowhere else for it to come from. Yet when the characters of a novel have been established the fiction writer’s task is to remove himself and his influence, and let the characters get on with their lives.”

At the online retreat , I’ll invite writers to think about the fruitful tension between expressing their personality in their work and being true to their characters. There are many other tutors taking part in the retreat, which runs from Monday 25 July over the course of three weeks.

From Ross Raisin to Huma Qureshi, acclaimed authors will help you fine-tune your craft and encourage you to dedicate time to writing. By the end of the three weeks, perhaps you’ll be a bit closer to what the great John McGahern described as “that clear mirror that is called style – the reflection of personality in language”.

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

If you’re looking for motivation to write, this zesty book by Ray Bradbury is the perfect prescription.

In the opening essay, The Joy of Writing , the acclaimed author of Fahrenheit 451 urges us to write with zest and gusto. “If you are writing without zest, without gusto, without love, without fun, you are only half a writer. It means you are so busy keeping one eye on the commercial market, or one ear peeled for the avant-garde coterie, that you are not being yourself. You don’t even know yourself. For the first thing a writer should be is – excited.”

When I first read Zen in the Art of Writing , I felt energised to write. With essays ranging from How to Keep and Feed a Muse to Drunk, And in Charge of a Bicycle , Bradbury’s unforgettable book is a gift to anyone who loves writing. Actually, scratch that: Zen in the Art of Writing is for anyone who loves life.

Six Memos for the Next Millennium by Italo Calvino

Due to be delivered as lectures at Harvard, Italo Calvino’s delightful “memos” on writing were left unfinished at the time of his death.

The drafts explore the concepts of Lightness, Quickness, Multiplicity, Exactitude and Visibility (Constancy was to be the sixth), with Calvino beginning work on them in 1984.

In each of his lectures, Calvino recommends to the next millennium a particular value, quality or peculiarity of literature that is close to his heart. “From my youth on, my personal motto has been the old Latin tag, Festina lente , hurry slowly,” writes Calvino in his second essay, Quickness . “Just as for the poet writing verse, so it is for the prose writer: success consists in felicity of verbal expression, which every so often may result from a quick flash of inspiration but as a rule involves a patient search for the mot juste , for the sentence in which every word is unalterable”.

Calvino believes that writing prose shouldn’t be any different to writing poetry. In both cases, he argues, it’s about looking for “the unique expression”, one that is “concise, concentrated, and memorable” – three words that encapsulate the tone of this wonderful book.

The Agony and the Ego edited by Clare Boylan

In this illuminating anthology of essays, some of the finest writers of all time – from John McGahern to Hilary Mantel – reflect on the process of creating fiction.

According to editor Clare Boylan , Mantel’s reassuring essay Growing a Tale “argues that ideas coaxed rather than bullied will grow naturally into a novel”. I loved Mantel’s essay when I first read it as part of Ross Raisin’s six-week creative writing programme . “If you make your characters properly they will simply do what is within them,” writes Mantel, “they’ll act out the nature you have given them, and there – you’ll find – you have your plot.”

Now out of print, The Agony and the Ego is worth tracking down secondhand or in a library. In addition to insightful essays by John Banville, Rose Tremain and Nadine Gordimer, it features a short selection of interviews from the series Writers at Work, which Boylan wrote for the Guardian.

Many of these essays highlight “the mystery” of writing, and perhaps this is why I return to The Agony and the Ego . This warm-hearted book encourages writers to grow naturally into themselves.

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande

Mantel’s rules for writers include this recommendation: “Read Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande. Then do what it says, including the tasks you think are impossible.”

Full of practical advice for time-poor writers, Brande’s book was first published in 1934 and remains a go-to classic. Schedule time to write each day, suggests Brande. “It need not be a very long time; fifteen minutes will do nicely”.

I enjoyed Brande’s simple but powerful advice to take a rough draft of a story “out for a walk” and think about it. After the walk, you’re invited to go to a dim room and lie down. “Quiet your mind,” says Brande. Lie there, not quite asleep, not quite awake.” After a while, she says, you’ll feel “a definite impulse to rise, a kind of surge of energy. Obey it at once … Get up and go to your paper or typewriter, and begin to write. The state you are in at that moment is the state an artist works in.”

On Editing by Helen Corner-Bryant and Kathryn Price

Writing is re-writing. Learning how to self-edit your work is perhaps the most vital skill any writer can learn and this book, by editors Helen Corner-Bryant and Kathryn Price, is something of a godsend.

One of the chapters in On Editing demystifies ‘show don’t tell’, a phrase “often misunderstood” by new writers. “At its simplest, the aim of showing is to bring the reader as close as possible to the action,” write the authors. “By feeling your writing intensely yourself you’ll transmit that emotion to the reader … and when you can make the reader feel, you’ve got them in the palm of your hand”.

Other useful chapters cover structure, description, pacing and much more. The book also includes advice on submitting your novel – from writing synopses to pitching to agents – making it an indispensable guide for writers who take their work seriously.

Writing a Novel by Richard Skinner

“When we talk about a writer’s style, what we are really talking about is their ‘voice’,” writes Richard Skinner in Writing a Novel . “As a tutor, I can do nothing about the tone of your voice as you speak, but what I can engage with is what you say, i.e. your ‘story’”.

Skinner’s book is a thought-provoking and practical guide to the craft of writing. Divided into bite-sized sections – from point of view to story and plot – it encourages writers to bring their whole selves to the page. As Skinner writes in a piece for the Observer , “Writing is about claiming ownership of yourself in order to become the person you know you can be”.

Throughout Writing a Novel , there are thoughtfully selected quotes from authors, such as Gertrude Stein’s, “Sentences are factual, but paragraphs are emotional”. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed going back to this generous, kind-spirited book. It feels fresh each time – and will no doubt inspire many writers to follow their passion.

Being a Writer by Travis Elborough and Helen Gordon

I treated myself to this beautiful gift book when I was low on confidence as a writer.

Lockdown had taken away my beloved book events and writing workshops, and while I attended many online, I was Zoom fatigued and starved of new experiences. That awful winter lockdown had been announced and I was living alone. Being a Writer was brilliant company then, and continues to be a source of insight and wisdom on the art of writing.

From Alice Munro to Gabriel García Márquez, the book features quotations and essays from some of the world’s greatest authors. Márquez reveals how the opening line of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis inspired him to start writing short stories. Australian author Tim Winton says writing a book is a bit like surfing, “Most of the time you’re waiting.”

Being a Writer is a lovely anthology to dip in and out of, to savour in small bursts. This comforting book reminds us that each writer’s approach is unique. Trust in the process that works for you. Read widely, and write what makes you feel most alive. In the words of Anaïs Nin, “We write to taste life twice”.

Save up to 13% on a specially curated selection of creative writing books at the Guardian Bookshop.

Find out more about Guardian Masterclasses’s summer writer’s retreat and enrol now.

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Best Books on Creative Writing

Written by Eira Edwards

21 january 2024, creative writing.

This post may include affiliate links. That means we may earn a commission if you buy through recommended links. See our full disclaimer policy . 

Whether you’re an experienced writer or a beginner, there’s always something new to discover about creativity and storytelling. That’s where books on creative writing come in.

Reading books about creative writing is a great way to broaden your knowledge and get insights into both the technical and philosophical sides of story. Plus, they can motivate, inspire and ignite your imagination. 

Here, I’ve curated a list of the best creative writing books that are sure to take your craft to the next level. Covering a diverse range of approaches, from practical guidelines to personal anecdotes from revered authors, these literary gems are clear creativity winners. Let’s dive in!

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

By stephen king.

Blending autobiography and writing guide, this book delves into King’s writing journey, revealing his challenges, inspirations and techniques. From focusing on the importance of reading to the art of crafting compelling narratives, ‘On Writing’ is a must-read for both King fans and writers looking to improve their craft.

By Elizabeth Gilbert

This delightful book is filled with heartfelt anecdotes and personal insights. Gilbert unpacks the concept of creativity throughout, outlining the attitudes, approaches and habits we need to live our most creative lives. The book presents a concept that I still think about regularly: ideas are living entities and choose you to write them.

zen in the art of Writing

By ray bradbury.

If you’re an aspiring writer, you’d have heard about the legendary author, Ray Bradbury. Did you know he was a student of Zen? Bradbury found inspiration in Zen philosophy and often incorporated it into his writing, like being present and trusting your intuition. This book is not just about writing, it’s also about unleashing your creativity and imagination

Into The Woods

By john yorke.

Yorke explores the creative brilliance behind our favourite fairy tales and how the storytelling structure of these timeless tales can be applied to modern-day writing. The book is a treasure trove of creative insights and an essential read for writers, covering archetypes, character arcs, setting and plot twists.

By Jeff VanderMeer

This remarkable book is overflowing with creativity and will have you bursting with inspiration in no time. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a beginner in the world of writing, this guide will take you on an artistic journey filled with colourful graphics, practical advice and imaginative storytelling.

The Artist's Way

By julia cameron.

Looking to unleash your creative potential? Or have you been stuck in a creative rut, unable to come up with new ideas? If so, you might want to pick up this iconic book. It’s helped artists tap into their inner creativity and find their unique voice, featuring exercises to overcome creative blocks and morning pages to clear your mind.

Writing Down the Bones

By natalie goldberg.

This book teaches you how to unleash your creativity and let your words flow onto paper, as well as how to overcome writer’s block, find your voice and hone your skills. It will inspire you to cultivate a lifelong habit of writing and let you discover your unique voice. 

Bird by Bird

By anne lamott.

This is an excellent resource for any writer looking to enhance their creativity. Lamott encourages writers to focus on writing the first draft and not worry about perfection, take time to observe and embrace one’s unique voice. Ultimately, the book helps you discover the joys of creativity and improve your craft.

The Art of Fiction

By john gardner.

In The Art of Fiction, Gardner has so much to offer writers, from his creative writing exercises to his advice on character development, authenticity and narration. Gardner encourages you to take risks and explore the many ways that imagination can influence storytelling.

Steering the Craft

By ursula k. le guin.

Discover how to improve your writing skills by learning from the masterful techniques of one of the greatest science fiction writers, Ursula K. Le Guin. Focusing on structure, language and dialogue, Le Guin offers practical exercises and advice to help writers of all levels achieve their goals.

The Emotion Thesaurus

By becca puglisi and angela ackerman.

Want something to spark your creativity and accurately portray your characters’ emotions ? Good news, there’s a tool that can help: The Emotion Thesaurus. This book provides writers with a comprehensive guide of emotions, body language and sensory cues to help master the art of emotion and bring your characters to life.

Characters and Viewpoint

By orson scott car.

Orson Scott Card, renowned sci-fi and fantasy writer, approaches characters and viewpoints in an interesting way. Rather than building his characters from scratch, Card takes existing archetypes and gives them a unique twist to make them memorable. There’s lots to learn from Orson Scott Card’s creativity. Why not apply it to your own writing?

The Writer's Journey

By christopher vogler.

This book offers a comprehensive guide for writers looking to tap into their creativity and create stories that are both engaging and impactful. One of Vogler’s central ideas is how every story is essentially a hero’s journey, and he outlines the fundamental elements of a successful narrative. It’s an ideal book for anyone who wants to create a compelling story (that would be all of us, right?).

The Anatomy of Story

By john truby.

This book has helped many writers understand the architecture of a great story. From creating multi-dimensional characters to developing a plot, Truby helps you to enhance your creativity and write better stories.

Story Genius

By lisa cron.

This book is perfect for writers looking to unlock their creative potential and approach writing in a whole new way. Cron’s approach to writing centres around the idea that our brains are wired for storytelling. So if you’re a writer struggling to put pen to paper, give Story Genius a read and see how it can transform your approach to writing.

Written By Eira Edwards

Eira is a writer and editor from the South of England with over five years of experience as a Content Manager, helping clients perfect their copy.

She has a degree in English Literature and Language, which she loves putting to work by working closely with fiction authors.

When she’s not working on manuscripts, you can find her in the woods with her partner and dog, or curling up with a good book.

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Language » Writing Books

The best books on creative writing, recommended by sophie king.

The author and creative writing teacher tells us where to go for tips on finding your voice, grabbing the reader's attention and getting published

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande

The Maeve Binchy Writers' Club by Maeve Binchy

Wannabe a Writer? by Jane Wenham-Jones

How to Write for Children by Louise Jordan

Rewriting by David Micheal Kaplan

1 Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande

2 the maeve binchy writers' club by maeve binchy, 3 wannabe a writer by jane wenham-jones, 4 how to write for children by louise jordan, 5 rewriting by david micheal kaplan.

S hall we start with the oldest book? Tell us about the “Dorothea Brande” .

When you’re a writer you’ve the feeling you’re someone who lives in your own world. Every now and then you come across someone who thinks the same way as you and it’s very illuminating. One of the things that really struck me about this book is what Brande says about writing and the morning, which is when I write best. I do a few things like getting my son up and sort of obvious practical stuff and then I’m not always able to sit and write as I’d like because I have other writing jobs, some of which are out of the home. But Dorothea describes this almost hypnotic state that writers are in during the morning. She says this is the time that many people write best. When you’re in this slightly trance-like state, if you have to answer a phone call or do something else first thing, it can take that away. Another of the chapters I like very much is about reading as a writer. She says you’ll often find that at first the only way to read as a writer is to go over everything twice. She says to first read as you did in the days when you had no responsibility to a book but to enjoy it. When you’ve finished she advises putting the book aside for a while and then writing a synopsis of what you’ve just read. Next say what you did and didn’t like. This will help you work out what you can do with your own book. So obviously not plagiarising but looking at the way that it’s constructed and seeing whether any scenes stand out in your mind. It’ll help you recognise some of your own weaknesses.

In the book Brande listed particular writers to read to improve your own writing. It was published in 1934. Would you add anyone to that list today? Perhaps someone you feel has helped you?

Let’s move on to the Binchy book then.

Sounds useful. Which book would you like to talk about next?

“Wannabe a Writer” by Jane Wenham-Jones. Jane’s a friend of mine and there’s a foreword by Katie Fforde, another friend. We all know each other through something called the Romantic Novelists’ Association where published authors give advice to those who are not published. So Jane is well-versed in sharing her knowledge. She talks about what it was like for her to become a writer and how it might be for other people and if people think they’ve got a book in them how to know if it’s a good book. She goes into good discipline, how to write when there’s no time, plotting, whether to plan or not, growing a novel in a folder, all this sort of stuff, so it’s very, very practical. She’s a great character Jane. She’s a novelist and a journalist. Her book also gives loads of tips from other authors, agents and publishers: where to start, how to finish, will anyone publish it and so on.

Would you agree it’s quite humorous, with all her drinking antics, talk of “writers’ bottom”…

Tell us about “How to Write for Children and Get Published” .

And now to your last book, “Rewriting: A Creative Approach to Writing Fiction”.

This is a text book really that’s been around for donkey’s years but it’s extremely useful and absolutely packed with good advice on things such as effective openings, the teaser and the grabber, saying: ‘You have to interest readers to propel them out of the opening.’

There’s a paragraph here I think is very important: ‘You have finished the first draft, it’s a mess you know but that’s ok and there it sits. Maybe you put it aside for a few days or weeks or months. Now you can approach it with fresher, more objective eyes.’ It is vital to do this, I heartily recommend it. While it is important not to immediately go through it again, I don’t believe you should leave it too long because you can lose your connection with it. Leaving some time before revising means you can get ideas for your work that you wouldn’t have had before.

It’s a very positive approach to revision because some people hate revision. Actually, I’ve learnt to love it.

December 14, 2012

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Sophie King

A journalist for more than 25 years, Jane Bidder writes fiction under the pen-name Sophie King. She is a frequent contributor to national British newspapers and magazines, including the Times and Good Housekeeping , and has authored a number of non-fiction books. She teaches creative writing at Oxford University, is writer-in-residence at a high-security prison and has recently published her fifth novel, The Wedding Party .

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25 best books on writing for authors that want to master their craft

When I decided I wanted to be a writer, I got my hands on everything I could about plotting, prose, story and character development and the art of creative writing.

Here’s what I learned: the majority of books from famous writers are self-reflecting memoirs with a handful of good life lessons. Inspirational, but not  useful.

Although – I will add – sometimes inspiration is  exactly the missing piece; because without a burning desire to succeed as a writer, few authors will take the time to master their craft.

What is “craft”? Craft is the skill of doing something well; of  making something.

In my opinion, 

Craft is the “how”. Art is the “why.”

Most writers and even many gurus (especially the famous writers) only focus on the art, the why, the passion. But writing a passionate book is not the same as writing a good book.

YOU do not get to define the quality, or the value of your work – that depends on its impact, which means ultimately, readers will decide for themselves (although you can get better at communicating the value).

I’ll also point out, when most people talk about the craft of writing, they’re actually talking  about the art: the flowery, ornamental, sentence-by-sentence choice of words that few real readers will care about. While pretty writing can be an effective additional  feature of a book, it  is not  the book.

So when I talk about the craft of writing, I’m talking about the nuts-and-bolts, universal tips, tools, lessons, techniques and strategies that you can actually use to avoid common amateur mistakes and make your manuscript stronger.

In my opinion, there are too few books like this: and instead a whole bunch of completely separate, unique approaches, so that when you read them all, you’re actually left to pick and choose or assimilate as many useful approaches as possible.

That’s why I wrote BookCraft: a complete system to writing books readers love .

But it took me a PhD, a few dozen books and a decade to get there, and I’m indebted to the insights of many great writers who came before me; peers in my field or the publishing industry; and story experts.

So without further ado, these are what I think are the  most useful books for authors who are determined to improve their writing. PS. I’m also including some “author writing business” books – because the first step to good writing is understanding

that art is creativity focused into an object of value.

Figuring out who your audience is, what they expect and appreciate, and how to make them happy will be critical to your success, confidence, skill and writing craft (because the more people like your writing, and the faster you see favorable results, the more likely you’re going to persevere and move from inexperienced to masterful.)

I didn’t list them in preference, but my top three: nobody wants to read your shit; plot perfect; and write from the middle.

The 3 secrets to book marketing, and a haunted castle tour.

Totally free. Get it here.

I’m a philosophy dropout with a PhD in Literature. I covet a cabin full of cats, where I can write fantasy novels to pay for my cake addiction. Sometimes I live in castles.

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12 Best Creativity Books for Your Library

With the best creativity books in hand, you can inspire your creativity and learn to live the creative lifestyle to the fullest.

Are you a creative person? Many aspiring writers and artists feel they don’t have what it takes to express themselves. I felt the same way for years. The funny thing is that all creatives have felt this at some point during their careers. It’s a common theme found in many of the best books about creativity. Other themes include procrastination, fear of failure, and even a fear of success!

I’ve read dozens of creativity books over the years. This guide profiles the best creativity books for the modern writers and artists, so you can start writing, creating and publishing your best works. You may also be interested in learning about the different types of creativity .

• 1. Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon
• 2. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
• 3. Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull
• 4. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
• 5. The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
• 6. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

7. Flow: The Psychology Of Optimal Experience By Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

• 8. It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden
• 9. Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step by Edward De Bono
• 10. Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon

11. The Power of Creativity By Bryan Collins

• 12. The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

A Final Word On The Best Creativity Books

What are the best creativity books for writers, what are the best creative thinking books, further reading.

1.  Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative  by Austin Kleon

Published in 2012 as part of a three-part series, in  Steal Like an Artist,  Austin Kleon  explores the idea that no artistic work is an original idea. Creative people understand that art is everywhere, and the key to creating it is taking ideas from multiple sources, combining them, and adding your own voice. This book touches on the impact of the digital age on creativity. 

Steal Like an Artist is a quick read with fun visual illustrations for developing a creative mindset . Kleon is an illustrator, after all! You can read this book in one sitting too.

“Draw the art you want to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read, build the products you want to use – do the work you want to see done.” Austin Kleon

2.  The War of Art  by Steven Pressfield

Published in 2002, in  The War of Art , Pressfield explores how aspiring and even professional artists, creatives, and writers face demons like procrastination and self-doubt. Pressfield recounts his own creative struggles and explores how creatives can find their muse more easily. If you find it hard to get your creative ideas out and onto paper or canvas, this book will teach you how to express yourself.

“Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.” Steven Pressfield

3.  Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

Published in 2014, Creativity, Inc . is by  Ed Catmull, co-founder of the Pixar Animation Studio. This creative genius shows what it takes to transform a team of creative talents into a working culture that inspires greatness. This book explores creative thinking and how to capitalize on it in a group and build a successful business.

It’s a good read because it combines creativity with entrepreneurship and business. Catmull recounts how his team built Pixar and created many of its hit films. It’s also a revealing insight into how Pixar and its creative teams write and work together.

“You are not your idea, and if you identify too closely with your ideas, you will take offense when they are challenged.” Ed Catmull

4.  The Artist’s Way  by Julia Cameron

Published in 1992, novelist and playwright Julia Cameron explores what makes an artist in  The Artist’s Way. It outlines what living the artist’s life looks like and is a must-read for the creative person.

Cameron’s book is perhaps most famous for its concept of the morning pages. She encourages a daily writing practice whereby creatives free write about whatever is on their mind first thing. Cameron also proposes the concept of artist dates: taking a day or an afternoon to visit a museum, gallery or see a show by someone you admire. 

“Leap, and the net will appear.” Julia Cameron

5.  The Creative Habit  by Twyla Tharp

Published in 2003, The Creative Habit by noted American choreographer Twyla Tharp is part autobiographical and part self-help. Tharp writes about how she finds inspiration for her hit shows and also the habits and routines she and other creatives rely on. 

She believes people aren’t born “creatives.” Instead, you can develop creativity with the right education and habits. If you feel that you just “aren’t creative,” this book is a good primer. It may challenge your thinking and show you that there is potential inside everyone.

“I read for growth, firmly believing that what you are today and what you will be in five years depends on two things: the people you meet and the books you read.” Twyla Tharp

6.  Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

For most people, fear is a big thing that holds them back from being creative. Big Magic teaches readers how to tackle their fears and rise above them. Author Elizabeth Gilbert believes this is where creativity’s “big magic” takes place. 

Published in 2015, this book is so effective at teaching you how to become creative that it instantly jumped to the top spot on the New York Times bestseller list.

“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.” Elizabeth Gilbert

Published in 1990, this book explores the psychological idea of flow, a state of optimal experience that inspires the best creative potential in an individual. Csikszentmihalyi believes this state is something an individual can control.

This book will teach you what flow is and how you can reach and sustain that state. This will help you build your own creative process more effectively by keeping you in the right psychological state to get creative work done. I used this book to develop triggers that help me get into a state of creative flow much faster and more easily. Learn how to  get into flow state

“Control of consciousness determines the quality of life.” Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

8. It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be  by Paul Arden

Grab this book if you believe creativity is a set state and something you are born with. Paul Arden believes everyone has the potential to be more creative and better at their work.

He explores problem-solving strategies in this book that can help you achieve greater things. This book is an easy read because it is funny and short. You will finish it inspired to be better, inspiring more creativity.

“If you can’t solve a problem, it’s because you’re playing by the rules” Paul Arden

• Used Book in Good Condition
• Arden, Paul (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 128 Pages - 06/01/2003 (Publication Date) - Phaidon Press (Publisher)

9.  Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step by Edward De Bono

Most people learn how to solve problems by facing them head-on. This is vertical thinking, according to De Bono. He uses  Lateral Thinking  to teach a more creative approach to problem-solving First published in 1967, it’s considered one of DeBono’s best works and a creativity classic. 

This book explores the idea of lateral thinking instead of vertical thinking and takes the reader step-by-step through learning to think outside the box.

“A problem is simply the difference between what one has and what one wants.” Edward De Bono

• De Bono, Edward (Author)
• 300 Pages - 02/24/2015 (Publication Date) - Harper Colophon (Publisher)

10.  Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon

Being creative is great, but if you want to earn money from your creative works, you need people to find you. Show Your Work! gives 10 practical ways to get your creative work seen by others. Published in 2014, this book explores everything from the balance between sharing and oversharing to getting over the fear of putting yourself out there.

Show Your Work! is particularly valuable today because it discusses the digital age and the Internet and how you can find an audience for your work.

“Make stuff you love and talk about stuff you love and you’ll attract people who love that kind of stuff. It’s that simple.” Austin Kleon

• Binding: paperback
• Workman publishing
• Language: english
• Kleon, Austin (Author)

Struggling to come up with your next great idea? Or do you find it impossible to get your creative juices flowing? Or perhaps you don’t think your creative talent will ever be strong enough to succeed? Desperate to make your next idea your big break?

Published in 2015, award-winning author, copywriter, and blogger Bryan Collins has had a lifelong fascination with creativity and the genesis of amazing ideas. After learning how to unleash his creative dreams, Collins is now ready to share his hidden secrets with you.

“You are more creative than you can imagine.” Bryan Collins

• Collins, Bryan (Author)
• 338 Pages - 05/23/2018 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)

12.  The Creative Act: A Way of Being  by Rick Rubin

Rick Rubin differs from most other music producers who have a trend-based sound. He creates a supportive environment where artists can express their true selves and unleash their full potential and has worked with everyone from U2 to Johnny Cash to the Red Hot Chill Peppers.

Published in 2023, in this book, Rubin recounts how being an artist is not solely about output but rather a deep connection with the world. He believes creativity is a vital aspect of life that can be nurtured and expanded by all. It’s an enlightening guide that showcases the journey of an artist and musician.

“If you have an idea you’re excited about and you don’t bring it to life, it’s not uncommon for the idea to find its voice through another maker. This isn’t because the other artist stole your idea, but because the idea’s time has come.” Rick Rubin

The best creativity books help you get past a hurdle like procrastination and are inspiring. Keep these choices in mind as you build a library of inspirational books. Each one will bring something to the table to help you become just a little more creative.

If you are in a creative rut, having a library on hand will help you break past that rut and start creating again. However, to do so, you must have the books on hand, so start building that creativity library today. If you want more information on this topic, check out our list of essays about creativity .

FAQs on the Best Creativity Books

The best creativity books for writers are those that help them get past writer’s block and their own fears about writing to continue creating beautiful works. Some that should be on your shelf include: 1. The Artist’s Way 2. The Creative Habit 3. Steal Like an Artist

The best books to learn more about creative thinking include: 1. Lateral Thinking 2. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience 3. Creativity, Inc.

Want more? Check out our book recommendations .

Our Always Up-to-Date List of Great Books to Read

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The Best Writing Books

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Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today's online marketing world.

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The 10 Best Books on Creativity to Unleash Your Inner Genius

Creativity is a powerful force, shaping our world through innovation, problem-solving, and personal expression. It has led to breakthroughs in fields as diverse as science, technology, art, and business. But how can we tap into this wellspring of imagination and originality within ourselves? One effective method is through reading, which can stimulate our creative minds and offer fresh perspectives. This post aims to guide you on a journey of creative discovery by recommending some of the best books on creativity.

These books provide not only inspiration but also practical tips and strategies to unlock your creative potential. Whether you’re an artist seeking new sources of inspiration, a professional looking for innovative solutions, or someone who simply wants to enrich their daily life with more creative thinking, these books offer valuable insights to help you on your creative journey.

The Power of Creativity

Creativity stands as a pillar among the fundamental skills that will remain resilient in the face of automation. It’s a common misconception to view creativity as an inherent personality trait, reserved only for the chosen few. On the contrary, creativity is a skill and a habit that can be cultivated by anyone, given the right mindset and tools.

Every day, we employ creativity in various forms, often without realizing it. From devising unique ways to tackle a mundane task to brainstorming solutions for complex problems, creativity is a constant companion in our lives.

The role of creativity extends far beyond personal expression and problem-solving. It serves as the lifeblood of innovation, powering advancements in diverse fields. Whether it’s the scientific breakthroughs that redefine our understanding of the universe, technological innovations that reshape our lifestyles, artistic expressions that challenge conventional perspectives, or entrepreneurial ventures that disrupt market norms, creativity is the driving force behind these revolutions.

The Power of Creativity: Real-World Breakthroughs

Creativity is not just about producing art or writing a novel. It’s a fundamental skill that plays a crucial role in problem-solving, innovation, and personal expression. To truly appreciate the transformative power of creativity, let’s explore some real-world examples where creative thinking has led to significant breakthroughs.

Business Innovation Through Knowledge Networks  In the realm of business, creativity often takes the form of innovative organizational strategies. One such strategy is the concept of organizing knowledge in networks. This approach allows for repeated exposure to all your knowledge assets and associative recall with them, leading to the ability to make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. This has been instrumental in sparking innovative ideas and solutions in various industries.

Technological Advances with AI  The field of technology has also seen its fair share of creative breakthroughs. A notable example is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to automate repetitive tasks, generate fresh ideas, and produce content on par with human-made creations. I

Artistic Inspiration from Unexpected Places  In the world of art, creativity often emerges when we make links across domains that have nothing to do with each other. This cross-pollination of ideas has led to breakthroughs in art, where inspiration often comes from unexpected places.

Personal Development Through Creative Problem-Solving  Finally, creativity plays a significant role in personal development. Understanding personal points of leverage and potential points of leverage for preventing problems can be a creative way to turn the odds in your favor in various areas of life and business.

In conclusion, creativity is a powerful force that can lead to breakthroughs in various fields. By fostering our creative thinking, we can come up with innovative solutions, make unexpected connections, and even transform our personal lives.

Why Read Books on Creativity

Reading books about creativity might initially seem paradoxical. After all, isn’t creativity about originality and spontaneity rather than learning from others? However, this perspective overlooks the value of diverse inputs in sparking creativity. By reading, you expose yourself to a myriad of ideas, perspectives, and experiences that can ignite your own creative insights.

The books recommended in this list are particularly valuable because they not only inspire but also offer practical guidance. They share strategies, techniques, and insights from successful creatives that you can apply in your own creative endeavors. Remember, the key is not just to read these books, but to actively integrate their ideas into your own creative process.

Best Books on Creativity for Bringing Ideas to Life

Making Ideas Happen

Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky is a book that’s been a game-changer for me. It’s a must-read for all you creatives out there who have a head full of ideas but struggle to bring them to life. The real challenge often isn’t a shortage of ideas, but rather a lack of effective organizational habits and the ability to execute. Belsky offers a solution to this with the Action Method.

The Action Method is built on the idea that every task, whether it’s planning a vacation or launching a product, can be seen as a project. Each project is made up of three main components: Action Steps, References, and Backburner Items. Action Steps are specific, concrete tasks that push the project forward. References are any materials or discussions related to the project that you might need to refer back to, and Backburner Items are tasks or ideas that aren’t immediately actionable but could be in the future.

The book drives home the point that your organizational habits and your ability to execute are just as important, if not more so, than your ideas. This makes “Making Ideas Happen” a crucial read for anyone looking to level up their creative process and effectively turn their ideas into reality. It’s a testament to the power of the Action Method and the importance of execution in the creative process.

Little Bets

Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoverie by Peter Sims is a book that really resonates with me. It introduces a fresh way to approach creative thinking and problem-solving, centered around the concept of ‘little bets’. These are small, manageable experiments that let you test an idea before you go all in.

This isn’t just theory, it’s a strategy used by successful creators and innovators, from comedian Chris Rock to the creative wizards at Pixar. Here’s the kicker, instead of betting the farm on a single, unproven idea, ‘little bets’ let you learn, iterate, and refine your idea based on real-world feedback. This way, you’re not just minimizing the risk of failure, but you’re also shifting your focus from what you’ve lost to what you’ve learned.

By embracing this approach, you’re fostering a mindset of experimentation and discovery, and that’s where the real breakthroughs happen. And here’s a little secret: my entire career, including the Unmistakable Creative podcast, started as a series of these ‘little bets’. It’s a testament to the power of starting small, learning as you go, and being open to the journey. This philosophy has been a guiding light in my own creative process.

Deep Wor by Cal Newport is a book that has had a profound impact on my approach to creativity. It’s a must-read for anyone looking to take their creativity to the next level. The book argues that great creative work isn’t the result of sporadic bursts of inspiration, but rather the outcome of dedicated time, intense focus, and disciplined effort, a concept Newport calls ‘deep work’.

This book challenges the modern-day tendency towards multitasking and constant connectivity, arguing that they are detrimental to producing high-quality creative output. Newport presents compelling arguments on how deep work leads to the creation of substantial value, and how stepping back from social media can reveal the true worth of your content. He further discusses the importance of attention as a conduit to learning and the role of flow states in achieving deep work.

Newport also addresses the issue of information overload, explaining that it can trap us in a state of constant crisis, making us less productive and hindering our cognitive abilities. “Deep Work” is an invaluable guide for anyone seeking to unlock their creative potential by mastering the skill of deep work. It’s a testament to the power of focused attention and the importance of disconnecting in the creative process.

Best Books on Creativity for Organizing Your Ideas

The root cause of unproductive knwledge work is  is the way that we organize and manage information. This becomes a major bottleneck to doing creative work. The three books below are the antidote to the problems of information overload and disorganization.

Building a Second Brain

Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte is a book that has revolutionized the way I manage and organize information. It introduces the Second Brain Methodology, a system designed to streamline your digital life, reduce cognitive load, and enhance creative output.

The methodology revolves around the concept of PARA, an acronym for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. This structure is applied across all your digital tools, including note-taking apps, inboxes, and file storage solutions. This systematic approach to organizing information facilitates the creation of knowledge assets, which can be effectively utilized to overcome creative blocks.

What sets this book apart is its emphasis on designing a digital environment that fosters the behavior you desire. Forte underscores that the ultimate purpose of building a second brain is not mere information storage, but fostering a personal network of knowledge that can aid in creative thinking and problem-solving. “Building a Second Brain” is an essential read for anyone seeking to unlock their creative potential by mastering the skill of effective information management.

The Bullet Journal Method

The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll is a book I’ve often recommended, and everyone who has implemented its concepts has marveled, “I don’t know how I ever lived without this.” This method simplifies the process of organizing our lives, providing a structured yet flexible system for managing tasks, events, and notes.

The methodology involves three key elements: the daily log, the future log, and collections. The daily log, referred to as the workhorse of the journal, is where you capture tasks with bullets, notes with dashes, and events with circles. The future log is a place for anticipating and planning for upcoming tasks or events. Collections are thematic groupings of related information.

The beauty of the bullet journal method lies in its constraints. Unlike a digital to-do list app, you’re limited to the physical bounds of a page, which naturally forces you to prioritize. By taking just 15 minutes a day to observe, record, and review what’s happening in your life, you create order out of chaos. This method not only fosters productivity but also sparks creativity, proving that constraints can indeed breed innovation.

The Extended Mind

The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul is a fascinating exploration of the science behind the concept of externalizing, a key principle in “Building a Second Brain”. The book delves into the benefits of externalizing knowledge and how it can enhance our cognitive abilities.

One of the key benefits of externalizing knowledge, as Paul points out, is that it provides cues that trigger memories and insights. By externalizing our knowledge, we create tangible reminders of our ideas and thoughts, which stimulate our memory and help us recall and build upon these ideas, leading to deeper insights and more innovative thinking.

Furthermore, externalizing knowledge makes it accessible. Instead of having our ideas and information locked away in our minds, externalization brings them into the open where they can be easily accessed and used. This can significantly improve efficiency and productivity, particularly in professional settings.

Another advantage of externalizing knowledge is that it prevents us from wasting cognitive capacity. Our brains have a limited amount of cognitive resources, and by externalizing knowledge, we free up these resources for other tasks. This can enhance our ability to focus and think creatively, further boosting our productivity and problem-solving capabilities.

Finally, externalizing knowledge allows us to take it in new directions. Once our ideas and information are out in the open, we can explore them from different angles, combine them in novel ways, and generate innovative solutions. This can be particularly useful in creative pursuits, where the ability to see things from different perspectives and make unique connections is crucial.

In conclusion, “The Extended Mind” provides a strong scientific foundation for the practices outlined in “Building a Second Brain”. By understanding and applying the principles in these books, we can enhance our creativity, improve our productivity, and unlock our full potential.

Best Books on Creativity for Inspiration and Motivation

Still Writing: Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life

Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life by Dani Shapiro is a compelling exploration of the creative journey. Part memoir, part instructional guide, it’s a book that every creative person should have on their shelf.

Shapiro beautifully articulates the essence of the creative life: “The writing life requires courage, patience, persistence, empathy, openness, and the ability to deal with rejection. It requires the willingness to be alone with oneself. To be gentle with oneself. To look at the world without blinders on. To observe and withstand what one sees.”

This book is a testament to the resilience and dedication required in any creative field. It’s the kind of book that you can pick up, read a passage from, and find inspiration. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, “Still Writing” offers valuable insights into the creative process and the journey of bringing your ideas to life.

Perennial Seller

Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday is a must-read for anyone seeking to create work that stands the test of time. Holiday, a prolific author with multiple New York Times Best-Sellers to his name, delves into the concept of a ‘perennial seller’ – a work that, regardless of its initial reception, grows stronger over time and continues to resonate with audiences long after its creation.

Holiday emphasizes that creating a perennial seller is not about chasing immediate gratification or measuring success by fleeting metrics. Instead, it’s about focusing on the quality and substance of the work. He argues that while promotion can help a work be heard, it’s the creative process and the value the work brings that truly make it great.

This book encourages creators to ask critical questions about their work, such as ‘What does this teach?’, ‘What does this solve?’, ‘How am I entertaining?’, ‘What am I giving?’, ‘What are we offering?’, and ‘What are we sharing?’. These questions help to ensure the work adds value to the world, aligns with the creator’s purpose, and is capable of standing the test of time.

“Perennial Seller” is more than just a book on creativity. It provides practical guidance on creating work that is not only meaningful but also enduring. It’s a testament to Holiday’s understanding of the creative process and his commitment to creating work that continues to inspire and resonate, making it a valuable addition to any creator’s library.

The Icarus Deception

The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin is a book that has had a profound impact on me. It was the catalyst that inspired me to stop waiting for a publisher’s approval and take the leap to self-publish “The Art of Being Unmistakable,” which went on to become a Wall-Street Journal Best-Seller. This book challenged my conventional thinking and ignited a spark within me to embrace my creativity and chart my own path.

Godin’s book is filled with thought-provoking insights. He writes, “Our cultural instinct is to wait to get picked.” This line resonates deeply, highlighting the societal pressure to conform and wait for external validation. But Godin urges us to break free from this mindset and take control of our creative journey.

He further emphasizes the importance of seeing the world through the eyes of an artist, stating, “If you’re not seeing the world through the eyes of an artist, you’ll never truly embrace the revolution that’s going on around you.” This perspective shift is crucial for anyone looking to make a meaningful impact in their field.

Godin also warns against the dangers of prioritizing instant feedback over long-term vision: “If you’ve sacrificed your long-term compass at the altar of instant feedback, you might enjoy some short-term achievement, but you’ve given up your grit.” This insight underscores the importance of staying true to your vision, even when immediate results are not forthcoming.

Finally, Godin challenges us to dare more and aim higher: “We think we’re being safe and smart and conservative and avoiding flying too close to the sun. But all the generator is doing is pushing us closer and closer to the waves, so that we’re flying too low, daring too little, and blowing our best chance ever to matter.” This powerful metaphor serves as a call to action for all creators to push their boundaries and strive for greatness.

The Icarus Deceptio is more than just a book; it’s a manifesto for the creative revolution. It’s a call to reject the status quo, embrace our unique talents, and create work that truly matters. It’s a book that has not only inspired you, Srinivas, but countless others to take control of their creative journey and make their mark on the world.

Your Brain on Art

Your Brain on Art is a book that has significantly shifted my perspective on creativity and its value. Many people, including myself at times, have fallen into the trap of believing that art is only worthwhile if it reaches millions or can be monetized. However, this book, with its focus on the neuroscience of creativity, has shown me that the act of creating and expressing creativity has profound physical and mental health benefits. Seeing the tangible, scientific evidence of how our brains light up during the creative process has underscored for me that the value of art goes far beyond its commercial success or widespread recognition. It’s about personal growth, self-expression, and the pure joy of creation.

The best books on creativity don’t just inspire you, they enable you to convert knowlegdge into action. I chose these books for this article because each one has had a tangible and concrete impact on my career. I can trace all of my most successful creative endeavors to the concepts in these books and the lessons I’ve learned from the people who wrote them.

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10 Best Books to Boost Your Writing and Creativity

Great writers have two things in common: They practice, always working to get better at it, and they read—a lot. Why not do both at the same time? These are some of the best books to read about writing. The advice, exercises and examples you’ll find will help you become better at your craft.

The books listed below cover different aspects of writing, from creativity and inspiration, to advice from the experts, to grammar and style :

Writing Down the Bones , by Natalie Goldberg

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative , by Austin Kleon

Big Magic , by Elizabeth Gilbert

On Writing , by Stephen King

Bird by Bird , by Anne Lammott

Stein on Writing , by Sol Stein

On Writing Well (30th Anniversary Edition) , by William Zinsser

It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences. , by June Casagrande

Dreyer’s English , by Benjamin Dreyer

The Elements of Style , by Strunk and White

Creativity and inspiration

These are my top three picks for books that’ll encourage you to write and live more creatively . If you only have time to read one, I suggest Big Magic —it’s the most inspiring of the bunch. If you’re looking for something with more exercises and concrete tips, start with Writing Down the Bones or Steal Like an Artist . Looking for more books on creativity? Check out The Artist’s Way or anything else by Julia Cameron.

01. Writing Down the Bones , by Natalie Goldberg

Best for: Writers from all backgrounds, genres and levels.

Read it when: You’re feeling stuck with your writing career, need some inspiration, or just have good ol’ writer’s block.

Fondly called ‘ Bones ’ by other writers, this book is like taking your inner writer to therapy. Explore not just how you write, but why . Become mindful of your unique pain points as a writer, think about what being a writer means to you, and find the best way to move forward from where you are now—even if you’re feeling like you’ll never make it as a writer.

Goldberg herself had her share of rejection: Writing Down the Bones was turned down by seven big publishing houses, before being accepted by a new and small publisher called Shambhala. Now, there’s a 30th edition with a foreword by Julia Cameron.

The author sprinkles writing prompts and creativity exercises throughout the book—the goal is to help you explore and get connected to yourself. One exercise I had a lot of fun with was to take ten minutes and write about a meal you love. In no time, I was deep in nostalgia about my mom’s baked salmon and leafy-green salad. It can be tempting to skip the exercises, especially once you enter “reading mode”, but you’ll get a lot more out of the book by taking a few minutes to try them.

Goldberg’s main mission is to encourage you to simply write . Not to go out and find a writing class, not to force yourself to “just write” for 10 minutes a day—but to really sit down and put your whole self into it. If you’re watching the clock and writing because you heard somewhere that you need to write every single day, then your heart isn’t really in it. So go deep and speak your truth—with your writing and also in your life.

“That is the challenge: to let writing teach us about life and life about writing.”

Buy Writing Down the Bones and read more reviews on goodreads .

02. Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative , by Austin Kleon

Best for: Writers looking to jumpstart creative thinking.

Read it when: You’re short on time and feeling unsure of how to start your next project.

Kleon, a self-described “writer who draws”, authored multiple best-selling books about creativity. In this New York Times hit, he gives ten tips for getting in touch with your inner artist. It’s quick and fun to read (I read it in about an hour). Even if you’ve already read many books in the genre, this one still delivers.

The author starts out by calling out obstacles that get in the way of being creative—the pressure to be “original” and the all-too familiar imposter syndrome . Kleon wants you to get inspired by work you admire, because there isn’t anything out there that’s truly original. Everything is based on something that already exists. Even if you don’t feel ready, just start making things. “Ask anybody doing truly creative work, and they’ll tell you the truth: They don’t know where the good stuff comes from. They just show up to do their thing. Every day.”

What resonated with me the most in this book is the importance of movement and using your hands when being creative. For his first book, the author used a newspaper and a black marker to write a best-selling book of poetry. His writing process was hands-on, engaging most of his senses - touching the newspaper, the sound and smell of the marker, the sight of words being blacked out. Bringing this practice into my own life, I’ve finally taken my new Paint by Numbers kit out of its packaging.

“Draw the art you want to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read, build the products you want to use—do the work you want to see done.”

Buy Steal Like an Artist and read more reviews on goodreads .

03. Big Magic , by Elizabeth Gilbert

Best for: Anyone who wants to live a more creative life.

Read it when: Anytime, but it’s an especially great pick-me-up if you’ve just gotten a rejection letter.

In Big Magic , Gilbert gives her take on what creativity is, how to bring more of it into your life, and how fear of rejection stands in the way. It’s obvious how much Gilbert enjoys writing and putting her work out there—and that’s what makes it so fun to read. I just didn’t want this book to end.

My personal takeaway here is learning how to cope with my own feelings of failure as a writer. Hearing her stories of rejection and success is inspiring, and makes me want to rewire my own reactions to criticism I get at work.

“I decided to play the game of rejection letters as if it were a great cosmic tennis match: Somebody would send me a rejection, and I would knock it right back over the net, sending out another query that same afternoon.”

Speaking of cosmic tennis matches—if you’ve read other books by Gilbert, you may already be familiar with the way she plays with anthropomorphism. It’s one of my favorite things about her writing style. In Big Magic , she gives ideas (artistic, scientific, religious, etc.) their own persona, turning abstract concepts into concrete companions that can go a long way helping writers.

“Ideas spend eternity swirling around us, searching for available and willing human partners…When an idea thinks it has found somebody—say, you—who might be able to bring it into the world, the idea will pay you a visit...The idea will not leave you alone until it has your fullest attention. And then, in a quiet moment, it will ask, 'Do you want to work with me?'”

Buy Big Magic and read more reviews on goodreads .

Advice from the experts

These are my top four picks for general writing tips from the pros. If you only have time to read one book in this category, I’d go for On Writing Well by William Zinsser because it touches on many different aspects of writing that’s relevant to most writers—or Stein on Writing , if you want to improve your storytelling skills.

04. On Writing , by Stephen King

Best for: (Mostly) fiction writers.

Read it when: You want quality advice from a writer, but also want to read a memoir.

Stephen King’s On Writing is a classic, and was highly recommended to me by other writers. He starts off by telling us about how he got to be a writer, his early struggles, and how he eventually found success.

Personally, I didn’t LOVE the memoir-ish first half of the book. I included it because so many others have enjoyed it, and, you know—classic and all that. If I wasn’t writing an article about writing books, I’m not sure I would have finished it—but I’m glad I did, because the good stuff really comes towards the end.

His advice focuses mostly on how to build a story and develop characters, as well as some more technical, grammar-related tips. I especially enjoyed his passion for grammar: “I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops.”

Two lessons I’m taking with me into my writing life are to not show anyone my work until after my first draft (so that I have space to come up with my own feelings about it), and a formula for cutting words: Second draft = First draft - 10%. I already try to remove any unnecessary fluff from my writing when I revise, but I never thought about it in such a structured way. King suggests moving onto other projects before going in for a second draft—the time away helps distance you from the words, making it less “yours”—and that’s what makes it easier to cut.

No one said writing was easy—so it’s comforting to know that even best-selling authors struggle with it.

“Writing fiction, especially a long work of fiction, can be a difficult, lonely job; it’s like crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a bathtub.”

Buy On Writing and read more reviews on goodreads .

05. Bird by Bird , by Anne Lammott

Best for: Fiction writers, memoir writers.

Read it when: You feel stuck or frustrated with your writing, and want to know you’re not alone.

As with King’s On Writing , this one came highly recommended by both Google and other writers. And just like King’s book, it was hard for me to get into it—but the rest of the book made it worth it.

Reading this book was like sitting down with an accomplished writer and hearing the real deal about the writing process—the failures, the hopes, that letter from her editor that made her cry, and everything in between. It felt nice to know that even “real” writers don’t get it right the first time.

My favorite advice from Lammot is her wise words about getting feedback on your work from people you trust, before you show it to editors. She compares it to when you’re getting ready for a party: If there’s someone there to gently let you know that maybe that specific dress isn’t so flattering, you might be disappointed for a minute, but then you’re relieved that at least you’re still at home and have a chance to change before showing up in public.

This advice is very timely for me, because I’ve just been thinking about why it’s so easy for me to take criticism from specific colleagues, while the same feedback from others makes me question my decision to even be a writer.

Lammot’s encouraging words throughout the book are here to remind that you’re not alone in your struggle, that many writers struggle with self-doubt, and the importance of not giving up.

“Writing a first draft is very much like watching a Polaroid develop. You can’t - and in fact, you’re not supposed to - know exactly what the picture is going to look like until it has finished developing.”

Buy Bird by Bird and read more reviews on goodreads .

06. Stein on Writing , by Sol Stein

Best for: All writers (fiction and nonfiction) who want to engage readers with a captivating narrative.

Read it when: You want to improve your storytelling.

The art of storytelling isn’t just for fiction—it’s what makes people interested enough to keep reading, whether you’re writing a novel or reporting on local politics . The key to engaging readers and providing them with an emotional experience is to show, not tell.

Using his experience as an editor and publisher, Stein provides a guide in sharpening your storytelling skills, from creating suspense, developing compelling characters, writing good dialogue, coming up with a title that intrigues readers—and offers a new approach to revising your first draft. He calls it “triage” and advocates for looking at major parts of your story (like characters, scenes, and actions) before doing a thorough revision. Even nonfiction writers can apply this to their work—the idea being that you should find and fix major issues in your work before you start going line by line.

By the time your project is done, you want each word to have a purpose. My professional writing life usually consists of trying to cut words wherever possible—I’m always looking for ways to make sentences shorter, tighter, simpler. But sometimes extra words are necessary to make your writing memorable and give your readers a clear visual. Here’s an example Stein gives:

“Vernon was a heavy smoker” vs. “ When a waitress heard Vernon’s voice she always guided him to the smoking section without asking.”

The second version gives you a tactile experience of what Vernon sounds like, and is more interesting to read. Even though it adds quite a few more words, it engages readers more and brings them into the story. Which is really the whole purpose of writing, isn’t it?

“You wouldn’t feed cardboard meals to guests. Don’t feed cardboard meals to your characters. Make your reader’s taste buds pop, even if he's from outer space.”

Buy Stein on Writing and read more reviews on goodreads .

07. On Writing Well (30th Anniversary Edition) , by William Zinsser

Best for: Everyone, especially nonfiction writers.

Read it when: You’re looking for a straightforward guide to improving your writing.

Zinsser is a writer, editor, and teacher - and he has great advice for anyone looking to sharpen their writing skills. You’ll learn how to start and end your writing piece, how to revise, and how to write clearly and concisely. Some parts of the book are geared towards nonfictions writers—like the chapters dedicated to specific types of writing (e.g., culture, sports, and travel), but a lot of his advice is helpful to all writers, like his philosophy of revisions:

“I don’t like to write; I like to have written. But I love to rewrite. I especially like to cut: to press the DELETE key and see an unnecessary word or phrase or sentence vanish into the electricity. I like to replace a humdrum word with one that has more precision or color...With every small refinement I feel that I’m coming nearer to where I would like to arrive, and when I finally get there I know it was the rewriting, not the writing, that won the game.”

Two tips from Zinsser that I’m already putting into practice: not visualizing the end result, and removing qualifiers from my writing. The first one resonates with me right now because I’m three years into working on a family memoir, and visualizing the final result has kept me paddling in the “research” and “interviewing” phase—now I put my focus back on the writing itself. As for the second one, I always scan my work now to check for qualifiers that make my words seem less confident, like: a bit , sort of , rather , quite , pretty much , etc. These phrases take away from the impact your words can have on the reader.

“Readers want a writer who believes in himself and in what he is saying. Don’t diminish that belief. Don’t be kind of bold. Be bold.”

Buy On Writing Well and read more reviews on goodreads .

Grammar and style

Your idea of fun probably isn’t to spend your weekends cozying up with tea and a stack of grammar books. Most grammar books are dry and not what I’d describe as light, fun reading. That’s why my goal was to find ones that are educational, but not boring. Only have time to read one book in this category? I’d go for It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences. —it’s entertaining, and the author makes grammar fun.

08. It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences. , by June Casagrande

Who is this book for: Anyone looking to write better sentences or brush up on their grammar.

Read it when: You want a quick guide to grammar that gets you back to basics.

A journalist and editor, Casagrande breaks down the basics of grammar in a way that’s easy to understand, and explains how to use it to improve each sentence you write. And with a touch of humor and wit, she makes it fun to read, too. For example, as writers we may instinctively know that these sentences are bad, but Casagrande digs into the grammar to explain why:

“Running down the street in high heels, my dog was too fast for me to catch.” (Dangling participle—sounds like your dog was wearing the heels!)

“She was awarded a national book award in fiction as well as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.” (Faulty parallelism—award and finalist don’t match.)

This book changed how I looked at grammar. Until now, I mostly got my words down and then made sure everything was grammatically correct. Now I think about how I use the principles of grammar as I work, rather than something to just check off my list.

“Yet, all great writing has one thing in common. It starts with a sentence. The sentence is a microcosm of any written work, and understanding it means understanding writing itself - how to structure ideas, how to emphasize what’s important, how to make practical use of grammar, how to cut the bull, and, above all, how to serve the almighty Reader.”

Buy It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences. and read more reviews on goodreads .

09. Dreyer’s English , by Benjamin Dreyer

Read it when: You want to indulge in some grammar-snobbery and read about common writing mistakes.

As a copyeditor, Dreyer has seen it all, and he’s sharing the most common writing mistakes even experienced writers have made. I started reading for the grammar and style advice, and I kept reading for the author’s wit and pop-culture references:

“At some point in your life, perhaps now, it may occur to you that the phrase ‘aren’t I’ is a grammatical trainwreck. You can, at that point, either spend the rest of your life saying ‘am I not?’ or ‘amn’t I?’ or embrace yet another of those oddball constructions that sneak into the English language and achieve widespread acceptance, all the while giggling to themselves at having gotten away with something.”

Insights like that made this book both informative and fun to read. A warning, though: At times his cleverness does get the better of him. His elitist tone can get a bit grating, and sometimes I had to reread sentences multiple times to understand what he was saying (which I felt was ironic for a book about improving your writing skills).

My favorite part of this book was his section on phrases with redundant words. I tend to overexplain and that probably means I use redundant phrases more often than I should. Here’s what he says about “fetch back”:

“To fetch something is not merely to go get it but to go get it and return with it to the starting place. Ask a dog.”

This book doesn’t have the same cult status as The Elements of Style (the next one in the list), but its humor made it a lot more enjoyable to read.

Buy Dreyer’s English and read more reviews on goodreads .

10. The Elements of Style , by Strunk and White

Read this book when: Anytime, but mostly just so you can say you’ve read it.

This book is a classic, and appears on almost any list of “books that writers should read”. Strunk published the first edition of this guide in 1918, and it’s been a must-have for writers ever since. More recent editions have been edited and updated by White, a student of Strunk.

In a straightforward, no-nonsense style, Strunk and White lay out the basics to grammar and good writing—everything from using hyphens properly to writing concise sentences. Just note that some rules outlined in the book might not apply to writing that’s more informal.

The parts of this book I enjoyed most was when a bit of humor peeked through:

“The hyphen can play tricks on the unwary, as it did in Chattanooga when two newspapers merged - the News and the Free Press . Someone introduced a hyphen into the merger, and the paper became The Chattanooga News-Free Press , which sounds as though the paper were news-free, or devoid of news.”

Tip: If you’re planning to read this one, I recommend getting the version that’s illustrated by Maira Kalman—the beautiful paintings add a nice touch.

Buy The Elements of Style and read more reviews on goodreads .

After reading all of these great books (and a few others that didn’t make it to this list), I noticed one thing that came up over and over again: Learn the rules before you decide whether you want to follow them. Read as much as you can about the art of writing. Once you’ve got the basics down, once you know all the “writing rules”, that’s when you can have fun and start breaking them —with confidence.

What’s your favorite book on writing? Share your top picks in the comments below.

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From New York, now lives in Tel Aviv. Loves good food, good books, and her golden retriever.

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The 12 Best Books on Writing I’ve Ever Read

Regardless how many books I’ve written (over 200) and sold (over 70 million), I fear if I’m not learning, I’m stagnating.

My late mother was a convincing example of one who never believed she had arrived. Mom was not only a piano teacher well into her eighties, but she was also a piano student.

So it’s the memory of my mother that spurs me also to keep reading everything there is to read—especially about writing.

The books below (in alpha order by author) represent a fraction of those available. You could read one per day for the rest of your life and not exhaust the resources . But, in my opinion, these are the best books on writing available.

Some require wearing your big kid pants due to language, which I have noted.

• 12 Books Every Aspiring Author Should Read

1. The Writing Life: Writers on How They Think and Work

By Marie Arana

This book came from ten years of Ms. Arana’s  Washington Post Book World  column. More than fifty fiction and nonfiction authors share how they discovered they were writers and how they work. I was fascinated by what pleases and annoys them. Arana also profiles each writer.

Click here to get the book .

2. Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot that Grips Readers from Start to Finish

By James Scott Bell (friend and colleague)

Anything but a dry textbook, this breezy guide is from a former trial lawyer who keeps you entertained while covering basics like how plot impacts structure, the difference between popular and literary fiction, and how to serve as your own book doctor.

3. Getting into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn from Actors

By Brandilyn Collins (friend and colleague)

Calling on her theater training, Collins teaches bringing characters to life the way actors do on stage. She draws on the Method Acting approach to explain and adapt characterization techniques for novelists.

4. The Writing Life

By Annie Dillard

Dillard’s hauntingly ethereal prose soars even when she’s writing about writing. That’s rare. I resonate with her honesty about how grueling the craft can be. This is one of the best books on writing available.

5. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft [language]

By Stephen King (acquaintance)

At the risk of hyperbole , there’s so much to recommend here that I hardly know where to begin. Besides all the practical advice, you get King’s own rags-to-riches story in his inimitable voice. You  learn a ton  while being wildly entertained.

6. How to Write Bestselling Fiction   [mild language]

By Dean Koontz

I’m not overstating it that this book changed my life. It informed the way I wrote the Left Behind series, which has sold more than 60 million copies and still sells six figures every year, nearly a decade since the last title was released. I use this as a textbook when I teach writing.

7. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life   [language]

By Anne Lamott

Lamott has you howling with laughter one minute and weeping the next as she recounts, with brutal honesty, the joys and travails of the writing life, single parenting, overcoming addiction, and coming to faith.

8. Writing the Breakout Novel: Insider Advice for Taking Your Fiction to the Next Level

By Donald Maass

An agent challenges you to do more than just spin a yarn, but to also think “big concept,” tackle major themes, and write life-changing works.

9. Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies

By Sol Stein (acquaintance)

Novelist, editor, publisher (Stein & Day), and writing teacher, Stein is one of the deans of the American literary scene. His career spans decades, and he shares insider stories of famous novelists and their work, as well as everything he learned along the way. I sat under his teaching years ago and still follow his advice.

10. On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction

By William Zinsser

Zinsser’s background  should not be missed. He was a graceful classicist as a writer, and this million-seller has been lauded for its warmth and clarity. Zinsser offers sound tips on the fundamentals of writing any kind of nonfiction you can think of.

Now, don’t read  any  of those books for writers, until…

…you’ve read the bible of writing books:

11. The Elements of Style

By William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

Failing to start your reading on writing with anything other than this undisputed classic would be akin to reading the top ten Christian classics while ignoring the Bible. This short paperback is recommended by every writing teacher I know. I’ve read it at least once a year for more than 40 years. Its simple truths cover everything from style and grammar and usage. Make them second nature.

12. Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go

By Les Edgerton

Les is one of the most powerfully edgy writers in the business, and you must have your big kid pants on to read his novels. But any writer will benefit from this great resource.

Packed with helpful, practical advice, it carries his blunt tone (but nothing offensive). I refer to it regularly.

If you’ve read none of the other books on this list, start with Stephen King’s  On Writing . A short course in mistakes to avoid while writing, it will remind you why you wanted to be an author . Then, especially if you want to be a novelist, read Dean Koontz’s  How to Write Bestselling Fiction .

You could learn more in just those two books than in an entire college writing course.

BONUS:   Before investing in one of these, download my free guide:  How to Write a Book: Everything You Need to Know in 20 Steps . 

Are You Making This #1 Amateur Writing Mistake?

Faith-Based Words and Phrases

What You and I Can Learn From Patricia Raybon

Before you go, be sure to grab my FREE guide:

How to Write a Book: Everything You Need to Know in 20 Steps

Just tell me where to send it:

Enter your name and email to instantly access How to Write a Book: Everything You Need to Know in 20 Steps

Work with me:

1. coaching, accountability, a portable mfa: the best books on writing.

Reading for Writers

On the hunt for the best books on writing? Enrich your craft mastery and writing process with these unconventional guides on the art of creativity.

For more than a decade, I have been tasked with selecting guides for aspiring authors. I take this seriously: the ideal combination of insight and expertise, couched in compassion and borne out by experience, can shape a writer’s development.

CLAIM YOUR CREATIVITY The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

For more than three decades, The Artist’s Way author Julia Cameron has been offering compassionate insight on the challenges of creativity. Her 12-week workbook helps writers overcome  writer’s block  by exploring how fear manifests as procrastination, the relationship between creativity and the unconscious, and by helping authors design not merely a writing career, but a creative life.

Who we are, how we live, and what we write are inextricable; hence, Anne Lamott’s pithy guide providing “some instructions on writing and life.” Accessible and honest, Lamott focuses on the nuts and bolts of getting words down and making them shine.

DEEPEN YOUR PROCESS From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction by Robert Olen Butler and Janet Burroway

Intuition trumps traditional instruction? Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler believes so. In this guide, Butler teams up with fiction writer Janet Burroway to explain his provocative premise as to why everything you’ve been taught about creative writing is wrong. Drawn from lectures and exercises designed for students in the MFA Program at Florida State, Butler emphasizes the importance of the unconscious in the drafting process.

OVERCOME CREATIVE ANXIETY The Van Gogh Blues by Eric Maisel

Does depression go hand-in-hand with creativity? Internationally renowned creativity coach and natural psychologist Maisel cuts to the heart of why making art triggers existential anxiety. In this fiercely intelligent guide, free of platitudes and rich with case studies, Maisel strategizes how writers and artists in all disciplines can successfully manage the mental challenges of creative process.

BEAT WRITER’S BLOCK Around the Writer’s Block: Using Brain Science to Solve Writer’s Resistance by Roseanne Bane

For as long as there have been writers, there has been the phenomenon known as “writer’s block”. Yet what causes procrastination on creative projects we yearn to complete ? Recent breakthroughs in neuroscience have born out some longstanding wisdom, while shattering other preconceptions. If you crave an empirical approach to the study of creativity, this bestselling book on writing outlines a practice that is both scientific and sustainable.

Language is the writer’s tool for turning ideas and emotion into art. When it comes to learning how to use this tool more skillfully, Prose proves a colorful guide as she breaks down the sentences, paragraphs and structure of masterworks for writers of all levels to understand . . . and emulate.

LEARN FROM THE BEST The Best American Short Stories of the 20th Century  by John Updike and Katrina Kenison

“Figure out how to read the work you love in a way that teaches you how to write better,” author Antonya Nelson urges in her top ten rules for writing . The process of falling in love with a few memorable stories and studying how they are put together can prove more useful for understanding structure and tone than any traditional guide.

When a fiction writer asks which book he or she should read (and re-read) to become a better writer, this is the one I recommend. Follow the evolution of American fiction over the course of the 20th century, featuring bravura performances from the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Eudora Welty, Joyce Carol Oates, Raymond Carver, Tim O’Brien and Alice Munro. Find your favorites and attempt similar elements in your own work.

KEY QUOTE: Who could select only one?

Which books have revolutionized your approach to writing? Recommend them in the comments.

In need of some encouragement? Check out quotes from TWC’s “10 Best” series:

Blessed Are The Weird : Jacob Nordby Quotes for Discouraged Writers

Julia Cameron Beats Writer’s Block

Top 10 Quotes on Writing: Read These Now

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Must Read List: Top 25 Best Books for Aspiring Writers

Written By Garry   |   Writing   |   0 Comments

Looking to excel as writer or an editor or self-publisher?

There is one essential practice that you must follow: immerse yourself in good books!

Reading widely and deeply is crucial to understanding what makes a "good book" and how to create one.

Whether you're drawn to fiction or nonfiction, history or humor, it's important to read widely within your chosen genre, as well as outside of it.

This will help you develop a keen sense of what works and what doesn't...

...and how to apply those lessons to your own work.

In addition to reading, it's also important to learn from the experts, about the craft of "building a book"... 

There are many books that offer guidance on the craft of writing, from the basics of grammar and style to the nuances of character development and plot construction.

And for those looking to make a career out of writing, there are books on how to find work, how to pitch your ideas, and how to make a living as a writer.

Below are some of the best books on writing and publishing.

No matter if you're just starting out...

...or you're a seasoned pro, these books will help you take your writing and publishing to the next level.

List of the Top 25 Best Books for Aspiring Writers to Read

The Chicago Manual of Style

by The University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff

This comprehensive guide to writing and publishing is considered the industry standard. It covers everything from grammar and punctuation to manuscript preparation and citation style.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

by Stephen King

Stephen King's memoir on writing is a must-read for any aspiring writer. In it, he shares his personal experiences and practical advice on everything from character development to plotting.

The Elements of Style

by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

This classic guide to English grammar and style is a quick and easy reference for anyone looking to improve their writing.

The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers

by John Gardner

John Gardner's book on the art of fiction is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their storytelling abilities. It covers everything from character development to narrative structure.

The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers

by Betsy Lerner

This book provides valuable insights into the editorial process and offers practical advice on how to work with editors and agents to get your work published.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

by Anne Lamott 

Anne Lamott's guide to writing is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their craft. It covers everything from the importance of first drafts to the value of perseverance.

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

by Steven Pressfield

Steven Pressfield's book is a great resource for anyone struggling with writer's block or other creative challenges. It offers practical advice and encouragement for overcoming creative obstacles.

Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity

by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury's book on the art of writing is a great resource for anyone looking to tap into their creative potential. It offers practical advice and inspiration for cultivating creativity.

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

by Twyla Tharp

Twyla Tharp's book on the creative habit is a great resource for anyone looking to develop a sustainable creative practice. It offers practical advice and exercises for cultivating creativity and staying inspired.

The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century

by Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker's guide to writing is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their writing skills. It covers everything from grammar and style to the use of language in the digital age.

The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller

by John Truby

John Truby's book on storytelling is a great resource for anyone looking to craft compelling narratives. It covers everything from character development to the use of theme and symbolism.

Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

by Blake Snyder

Blake Snyder's book on screenwriting is a must-read for anyone looking to write for film or television. It covers everything from structure and pacing to character development and dialogue.

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

by Natalie Goldberg

Natalie Goldberg's book on writing is a great resource for anyone looking to tap into their creativity. It offers practical advice and exercises for overcoming self-doubt and finding your voice.

Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting

by Robert McKee

Robert McKee's book on screenwriting is a great resource for anyone looking to learn the principles of storytelling. It covers everything from character development to the use of dialogue and conflict.

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

by Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell's classic book on mythology and storytelling is a great resource for anyone looking to understand the archetypal patterns that underlie many of our most enduring stories.

The Writing Life

by Annie Dillard

Annie Dillard's book on the writing life is a great resource for anyone looking to understand the creative process. It offers insights and reflections on the joys and challenges of writing.

The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase

by Mark Forsyth

Mark Forsyth's book on the art of rhetoric is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their writing style. It covers everything from metaphor and alliteration to hyperbole and puns.

Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them

by Francine Prose

Francine Prose's book on reading and writing is a great resource for anyone looking to understand the craft of writing. It offers practical advice and exercises for improving your writing skills.

The Art of Memoir

by Mary Karr

Mary Karr's book on memoir writing is a great resource for anyone looking to write about their own life experiences. It covers everything from structure and pacing to the use of dialogue and description.

Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer

by Roy Peter Clark

Roy Peter Clark's book on writing is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their writing skills. It offers practical advice and exercises for everything from sentence structure to story structure.

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

by Julia Cameron

Julia Cameron's book on creativity is a great resource for anyone looking to tap into their creative potential. It offers practical advice and exercises for overcoming creative blocks and staying inspired.

Becoming a Writer

by Dorothea Brande

Dorothea Brande's book on writing is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their writing skills. It covers everything from the importance of practice to the value of discipline and dedication.

The Paris Review Interviews, Vol. 1- 4

edited by The Paris Review

This features a collection of interviews with some of the greatest writers of the 20th century, including Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, and William Faulkner. It offers valuable insights into the creative process and the craft of writing.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print

by Renni Browne and Dave King

Renni Browne and Dave King's book on self-editing is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their editing skills. It covers everything from dialogue and point of view to pacing and plot.

The Business of Being a Writer

by Jane Friedman

Jane Friedman's book on the business of writing is a great resource for anyone looking to make a living as a writer. It covers everything from finding work to negotiating contracts to building a platform.

Whether you're an aspiring writer, editor, or self-publisher, these books offer valuable insights and practical advice for taking your craft to the next level.

From grammar and style to storytelling and creativity, these books cover everything you need to know to succeed in the competitive world of writing and publishing.

But now let's break it down into categories:

List of the Top 10-15 Books for Aspiring Writers

As an aspiring writer, reading is an essential part of developing your writing skills and style.

Exposure to a variety of writing styles and genres can inspire and inform your own writing, and reading can also help you to understand the publishing industry and market trends.

This post has the list of the best books for aspiring writers, including memoirs of the craft, books on story structure and character development, guides to the elements of style, and books on practical advice and overcoming writer's block.

Each book will be briefly described and its importance to a writer's development will be discussed.

• "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" by Stephen King - This classic guide to the craft of writing is part memoir, part how-to manual, and is essential reading for aspiring writers. King shares his personal story of how he became a writer, as well as his advice on the craft, including tips on plot, character, and dialogue. This book is a go-to guide for any writer, whether you're just starting out or have been writing for years.
• "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White - This short book is a comprehensive guide to the rules of grammar and style in the English language. It covers everything from punctuation to usage, and is an essential resource for any writer looking to improve their writing skills.
• "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield - This short, punchy book is a must-read for anyone struggling with writer's block or inner creative battles. Pressfield offers practical advice on how to overcome resistance and get to work, and his no-nonsense approach is both inspiring and motivating.
• "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott - Lamott's witty tone and personal anecdotes make this book an enjoyable read, but it's also packed with practical advice for aspiring writers. Lamott offers tips on everything from character development to finding your voice, and her focus on the writing process rather than the end result is refreshing.
• "The Creative Habit" by Twyla Tharp - Tharp's book on creativity is a great resource for anyone looking to tap into their creative potential. It offers practical advice and exercises for overcoming creative blocks and staying inspired, and Tharp's emphasis on the importance of routine and discipline is especially useful for aspiring writers.
• "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker - Pinker's book on the art of writing is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their writing style. It covers everything from the use of metaphor and alliteration to the value of clarity and simplicity, and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to write with style and flair.
• "The Anatomy of Story" by John Truby - Truby's comprehensive guide to story structure and character development is a great resource for anyone looking to write a good novel or screenplay. It covers everything from the importance of creating a strong protagonist to the role of conflict and theme in storytelling.
• "Save the Cat!" by Blake Snyder - Snyder's book on screenwriting is a must-read for anyone looking to write for film or television. It covers everything from structure and pacing to character development and dialogue, and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to break into the world of screenwriting.
• "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell - This classic book on mythology and storytelling is a great resource for anyone looking to understand the archetypal patterns that underlie many of our most enduring stories. Campbell's exploration of the hero's journey is especially useful for writers looking to create memorable characters and compelling plots.
• "The Writing Life" by Annie Dillard - Dillard's book on the writing life offers a unique perspective on what it means to be a professional writer. She covers everything from the inner creative battles writers face to the practical aspects of writing, such as finding a quiet place to work and managing your time effectively. This book is a great resource for anyone looking to turn their writing into a career.

Each of these books is a great resource for aspiring writers, offering practical advice and insights into the creative process.

By reading and learning from these books, aspiring writers can take the first step towards becoming successful authors.

Memoirs of the Craft

Memoirs about writing can be incredibly useful for aspiring writers, providing valuable insights into the creative process and the writer's life.

Let's explore some of the best memoirs of the craft, including classic works by Stephen King and Annie Dillard, as well as newer books by emerging writers.

• "Lit" by Mary Karr - Karr's memoir about her own writing journey is both honest and inspiring. She shares her struggles with alcoholism and depression, as well as the challenges of writing a memoir. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to write about their own life experiences.
• " The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls - Walls' memoir about growing up in poverty is a great example of how personal narrative can be turned into compelling storytelling. This book is a great resource for anyone looking to write memoir or personal essays.
• "The Art of Memoir" by Mary Karr - Karr's guide to writing memoir is a great resource for anyone looking to tell their own life story. She covers everything from the ethics of writing about real people to the importance of structure and voice.
• "Why We Write: 20 Acclaimed Authors on How and Why They Do What They Do" edited by Meredith Maran - This collection of essays by some of today's best writers offers a unique perspective on the creative process. Each author shares their own story of why they became a writer and how they approach the craft, providing valuable insights for aspiring writers.
• "Shimmering Images: A Handy Little Guide to Writing Memoir" by Lisa Dale Norton - Norton's guide to writing memoir is a practical and inspiring resource for anyone looking to tell their own life story. She offers step-by-step guidance on everything from finding your voice to structuring your story.

Memoirs about writing offer a unique perspective on the creative process and the writer's life, and can be incredibly inspiring for aspiring writers.

Story Structure and Character Development

Understanding story structure and character development is essential for aspiring writers.

A well-crafted story with fully developed characters is much more likely to engage readers and leave a lasting impression.

We've covered a lot already, but let's continue and explore some of the best books on story structure and character development, including classic works by John Truby and Joseph Campbell, as well as newer books by emerging writers.

• "The Anatomy of Story" by John Truby - Truby's comprehensive guide to story structure and character development is a great resource for anyone looking to write a good novel or screenplay. It covers everything from the importance of creating a strong protagonist to the role of conflict and theme in storytelling. The book is a step-by-step guide that includes practical exercises to help writers apply the lessons to their own work.
• "Save the Cat!" by Blake Snyder - Snyder's book on screenwriting is a must-read for anyone looking to write for film or television. It covers everything from structure and pacing to character development and dialogue, and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to break into the world of screenwriting. The book is based on Snyder's own experience as a Hollywood screenwriter and includes practical advice on how to create a successful screenplay.
• "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell - This classic book on mythology and storytelling is a great resource for anyone looking to understand the archetypal patterns that underlie many of our most enduring stories. Campbell's exploration of the hero's journey is especially useful for writers looking to create memorable characters and compelling plots. The book is a comprehensive guide to the elements of storytelling, and is essential reading for anyone looking to write great fiction.
• "Story Genius" by Lisa Cron - Cron's book on story structure and character development is a great resource for anyone looking to write a novel. She emphasizes the importance of creating fully developed characters with their own unique perspectives and motivations. The book includes practical exercises to help writers apply the lessons to their own work, and is a great resource for anyone looking to take their writing to the next level.
• "The Art of Character" by David Corbett - Corbett's book on character development is a great resource for anyone looking to create compelling and complex characters. He emphasizes the importance of creating characters with depth and complexity, and provides practical advice on how to achieve this. The book includes exercises to help writers create more nuanced and realistic characters, and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their writing skills.
• "Creating Character Arcs" by K.M. Weiland - Weiland's book on character development focuses on the importance of creating believable and engaging character arcs. She emphasizes the importance of creating characters that change and grow throughout the story, and provides practical advice on how to achieve this. The book includes examples from popular novels and movies to illustrate the lessons, and is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their writing skills.

By reading and learning from these books, writers can take the first step towards creating compelling and engaging stories with fully developed characters.

As an aspiring writer, understanding the rules of grammar and style is essential for creating clear, concise, and effective writing.

Some of the best books are listed below on the elements of style, including the classic "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, as well as newer books by emerging writers.

• "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White - This short book is a comprehensive guide to the rules of grammar and style in the English language. It covers everything from punctuation to usage, and is an essential resource for any writer looking to improve their writing skills. The book is concise and easy to follow, and is an excellent reference guide for writers of all levels.
• "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker - Pinker's book on the art of writing is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their writing style. It covers everything from the use of metaphor and alliteration to the value of clarity and simplicity, and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to write with style and flair. The book is also a great resource for anyone looking to write for a popular audience.
• "Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace" by Joseph M. Williams - Williams' book on style is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their writing skills. He emphasizes the importance of clarity and simplicity in writing, and provides practical advice on how to achieve this. The book includes examples from popular writers to illustrate the lessons, and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to take their writing to the next level.
• "The Elements of Eloquence" by Mark Forsyth - Forsyth's book on the art of rhetoric is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their writing style. He explores the various literary techniques that writers can use to create memorable and effective writing, and provides practical advice on how to apply these techniques to your own writing. The book is both informative and entertaining, and is a great resource for writers looking to add a bit of flair to their writing.
• "The Glamour of Grammar" by Roy Peter Clark - Clark's book on grammar and style is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their writing skills. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the rules of grammar and style in order to create effective writing, and provides practical advice on how to apply these rules to your own writing. The book is both informative and entertaining, and is a great resource for writers looking to improve their writing skills.

Understanding the rules of grammar and style is essential for aspiring writers.

By reading and learning from these books, writers can take the first step towards creating clear, concise, and effective writing.

Practical Advice and Overcoming Writer's Block

Writing can be a difficult and frustrating process, and every writer experiences periods of writer's block at some point.

Now it's time to cover some of the best books on practical advice for writers...

...as well as strategies for overcoming writer's block.

These books offer valuable insights into the creative process, as well as practical tips for staying motivated and inspired.

• "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield - This short book is a great resource for anyone struggling with writer's block or a lack of motivation. Pressfield explores the inner battles that writers face when trying to create, and provides practical advice on how to overcome these obstacles. The book is both informative and inspiring, and is a great resource for anyone looking to take their writing to the next level.
• "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron - Cameron's book on creativity is a great resource for anyone looking to overcome writer's block and unleash their inner creative spirit. She provides practical exercises and strategies for staying motivated and inspired, and offers a unique perspective on what it means to be a writer. The book is both informative and inspiring, and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to develop their creativity.
• "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott - Lamott's book on writing is a great resource for anyone looking for practical advice on the creative process. She offers tips on everything from character development to finding your voice, and provides strategies for overcoming writer's block and staying motivated. The book is both informative and entertaining, and is a valuable resource for writers of all levels.
• "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg - Goldberg's book on writing is a great resource for anyone looking to overcome writer's block and tap into their inner creative spirit. She provides practical exercises and strategies for staying motivated and inspired, and offers a unique perspective on what it means to be a writer. The book is both informative and inspiring, and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to develop their creativity.
• "Big Magic" by Elizabeth Gilbert - Gilbert's book on creativity is a great resource for anyone looking to overcome writer's block and unleash their inner creative spirit. She provides practical advice and strategies for staying motivated and inspired, and offers a unique perspective on what it means to be a writer. The book is both informative and inspiring, and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to develop their creativity.
• "Writing the Breakout Novel" by Donald Maass - Maass' book on writing is a great resource for anyone looking to improve their writing skills and overcome writer's block. He offers practical advice on everything from plot development to character arc, and provides strategies for staying motivated and inspired. The book is both informative and entertaining, and is a valuable resource for writers of all levels.
• "The Emotional Craft of Fiction" by Donald Maass - Maass' book on the emotional aspects of writing is a great resource for anyone looking to develop deeper and more nuanced characters. He offers practical advice on how to create fully-realized characters with depth and complexity, and provides strategies for overcoming writer's block and staying motivated. The book is both informative and inspiring, and is a valuable resource for writers looking to take their writing to the next level.

Understanding the creative process and developing strategies for overcoming writer's block is essential for aspiring writers.

By reading and learning from these books, writers can take the first step towards developing their creativity and creating compelling and engaging writing.

As an aspiring writer, editor or self-publisher, the journey to becoming successful can be a challenging one.

However, with the right tools and resources, it is possible to develop the skills needed to understand what makes compelling and engaging stories.

In this post, we have explored some of the best books for aspiring writers, editors or self-publishers, including memoirs of the craft, story structure and character development, the elements of style, and practical advice for overcoming writer's block.

Reading the books on this list can help you develop the craft needed to take writing, editing and self-publishing to the next level.

By learning from the greats who have come before us, we can gain valuable insights into the creative process and develop the skills needed to write engaging and memorable stories.

From Stephen King's classic "On Writing" to Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way," each book offers valuable insights into the creative process and provides practical advice for aspiring writers.

Whether you're looking to develop your writing style, create fully-realized characters, or overcome writer's block, there is a book on this list that can help you achieve your goals.

Ultimately, the key to becoming a successful writer, editor, or self-publisher is to read widely, write consistently, and never give up on your dreams.

With the right tools and resources, anyone can develop the skills needed to create engaging and memorable stories, edit and refine the work of others, or self-publish their own book.

So, pick up a book, sit down at your desk, and start writing, editing, and prepare your new masterpieces to be self-published. 

The world is waiting to hear your story!

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Miami University Creative Writing

Professor TaraShea Nesbit makes New York Times Best Books of the last 25 years list!

Congratulations to popular Creative Writing Professor TaraShea Nesbit, whose latest novel Beheld  is on the  New York Times’ list  of the Best and Notable Books of the last nearly 25 years!

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JK Rowling: ‘I’ve got six more books in my head’

From the pressure of harry potter to where she writes best, for the first time the bestselling author invites readers into her creative world.

J K Rowling is often asked questions by fans and budding writers about her writing process: where she writes, how she writes, her inspiration and her research, how a book comes about, from the germ of an idea to the editing process and eventual publication.

Here, for the first time, she responds to those questions, talking openly and in depth about her writing, from Harry Potter to her other children’s books, including The Ickabog , as well as writing the Cormoran Strike crime fiction series as Robert Galbraith. This Q&A is taken from three films of her talking in her writing room in Edinburgh and in a London pub. For the full interview, go to jkrowling.com

What were you writing when you felt you’d found your

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Rebecca Joines Schinsky

Rebecca Joines Schinsky is the executive director of product and ecommerce at Riot New Media Group. She co-hosts All the Books! and the Book Riot Podcast. Follow her on Twitter: @rebeccaschinsky .

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Welcome to Today in Books, where we report on literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.

The Brag is Coming From Inside the House

Book Riot’s Kelly Jensen has spent the last few years becoming a leading name in book banning coverage, and we couldn’t be prouder to see her named as one of  Library Journal’s 2024 Movers & Shakers.  Subscribe to Kelly’s (free) Literary Activism newsletter to stay up-to-date on book banning efforts and learn about the most effective ways to get involved in your community. Kelly’s work has changed the way I think about the book banning movement and what it’s really about, and I know I speak for all of us here at BR when I say we are deeply grateful for her dedication, intelligence, and ability to get to the heart of an issue. May her efforts continue to succeed.

The Best Books of the Century (So Far)

The New York Times  has taken  a page from NPR’s book  and  aggregated their best books of the last 23 years into a cool interactive tool . Filter by year and/or genre and make your way to a read that’s almost guaranteed to be great. The  NYT ’s end-of-year lists of 10 best books and 100 notable books are consistently varied and interesting, and they’ve informed more than a few of my reading choices over the years. Nice to see them finding creative ways to repurpose content that continues to be relevant and helpful.

What’s the Point?

Why seek a traditional publishing deal when you have the internet and direct access to audience? Does anyone even read anymore? What makes books so special? Author Emma Gannon reflects on these questions and more.

New Legislation Aims to Ban Librarians from Joining the ALA

Yep, you’re reading that right. Louisiana’s House Bill 777 would criminalize libraries and library workers who use taxpayer funds to join the American Library Association. Why?  I’ll let Kelly tell.

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