The holidays are around the corner. For creative writers, that might mean stockings stuffed with gel pens and journals. (One year, my aunt gave me a set of “Writer’s Block” pencils, with pithy sayings on each pencil -pieces of advice for what to do when writer’s block hits. One of the pencil’s messages: Try vodka.)
An often-overlooked gift idea for writers is books on the writing craft. Books like Stephen King’s On Writing and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird have been pivotal for me as I’ve built my writing and editing career.
Here, I offer my recommendations for the best writing books out there. From keeping you in the writing game to helping you write clearly, these are my top picks to help writers show up to the page and grow in their craft. [NOTE: The links below are affiliate links to my page on Bookshop.org. I am a proud supporter of Bookshop and the books I recommend here, and I receive a small commission from any book sale made through these links.]
- The Elements of Style, by William Strunk and E.B. White
A fantastic little resource for grammar, this is a go-to for sentence mechanics and writing style. Cornell University English Professor William Strunk penned the book in 1918, and author/editor E.B. White (of Charlotte’s Web fame) revised and expanded the book decades later. The Elements of Style was named one of the most 100 influential nonfiction books since the inception of TIME Magazine, in 2011. Erin Skarda of TIME wrote that “The Elements of Style has managed to maintain its original purpose over the years, even as our language has become less formal.” - The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron
A longtime pillar for the creative community, The Artist’s Way is at once a resource and a friend, guiding the reader through a series of activities to continually and consistently nurture a creative spirit. I recommend this book to my clients all the time – writers who seek accountability and support in establishing an ongoing creative writing practice. Julia Cameron’s recommendations of morning pages, artist dates and more help and inspire creative of all types, including writers, to develop a consistent practice of their art. Her language gets overly mystical and broad at times (the words “spiritual” and “spirituality” drive me crazy, because they’re so ambiguous), but I consider that a small shortcoming in an otherwise tremendous gift that Julia Cameron offers to creative writers who take on her Artist’s Way challenge. One of my favorite Julia Cameron quotes is, “Creativity is God’s gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.” - The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers, by John Gardner
I first learned of Gardner’s incredible book after my grandfather, a history professor, died and my mom handed me the book from his bookshelf. The title is a bit of a misnomer: while certainly a help for young writers, The Art of Fiction is a treasure trove of advice and support for creative writers of all ages. With chapters such as, “Basic Skills, Genre, and Fiction as Dream,” “Common Errors” and “Plotting,” this book can be read cover-to-cover or consulted as a resource at any point along a writer’s journey with her story. One of things that sets Gardner’s work apart is the strong examples he uses from classic literature to drive home his points. He doesn’t just tell you, “This is how it should be;” he tells you why, and he shows you how in examples of well-known stories. I turn to The Art of Fiction time again for my own writing and as I develop writing talks and workshops on various aspects of the writing craft. - On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, by William Zinsser
William Zinsser’s handy writing guide is my Bible when it comes to the basic tenets of writing. On Writing Well was a game-changer for me when I read it for the first time; I saw so clearly why things like eliminating clutter from your writing, writing simply and knowing your audience were crucial to creating meaningful work. While the book is geared toward nonfiction writing, I have consulted it time and again for fiction as well as nonfiction. A clean sentence is a clean sentence. Fiction writers must consider their audience just as much as nonfiction writers must. No surprise, the book is an easy read – because it is clearly and simply written. I believe every writer should own a copy of On Writing Well. The pages should be dog-eared, lines highlighted, cover worn. Mine certainly is! - Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott
Packed with warmth, wisdom and humor, Bird by Bird is the type of book I want to curl up with on the couch on a rainy afternoon and read cover-cover, with a companion mug of strong coffee. Anne Lamott was raised in a family of voracious readers and was largely inspired to write by her father, himself a writer who encouraged her by example to “put a little bit down on paper every day.” Bird by Bird encourages just that approach – a step-at-a-time march toward a completed story, toward an accomplished writing goal. At once life wisdom and writing advice, this book can easily be a best friend, a hand to hold through a writer’s creative journey. - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King
Another writing craft book I recommend to fellow writers and clients all the time, Stephen King’s On Writing is a testament to the grit and determination required of any writer who is serious about the craft. King’s take on writing is unique in that it is a memoir of sorts – it details his own writing journey, from his earliest memory (imagining he was the Ringling Brothers Circus Strongboy) to his advice on agents and whether he writes for the money. It is a “how-to” without being a “how-to;” the book is just as much about King’s remarkable life as it is how he has achieved such incredible writing success and how others can develop a successful writing practice. “ …my basic belief about the making of stories,” he says in the book, “is that they pretty much make themselves. The job of the writer is to give them a place to grow …” - The Writing Life, by Annie Dillard
This slim little volume by essayist Annie Dillard is like a refreshing drink of water for the writer’s soul. Dillard lays bare her struggles and the absurdities that surround a creative life, but she also poetically tackles the joy and the beauty of noticing the world around her – the art of paying attention. The Writing Life offers a lighthearted touch, a gift of encouragement, to any writer along the writing journey. Every journey is different, of course, but Dillard’s book is a unifying force, a gift that invites writers (no matter where they are along the path) to ponder and resonate. - Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking, by Ted Orland and David Bayles
Perhaps a lesser-known book across the writing landscape, Art & Fear is a wake-up call to responding to fear in our work as creatives. I do not believe it was coincidence that I read this book cover-to-cover when I was 8 months pregnant with my first child. I was terrified – terrified of the future, terrified of what becoming a mother would mean for my work as a writer. It was in those moments of fear that I read in Art & Fear, “Art is like beginning a sentence before you know its ending. The risks are obvious: you may never get to the end of the sentence … or having gotten there, you may not have said anything.” By bringing common fears to the forefront and exploring them on the page, the authors of Art & Fear invite their readers into a bigger conversation, a conversation about what keeps us from showing up and how we can confront (not ignore) our fears and use them to find strength and prevail in our creative work.
Reading is a critical part of any writer’s practice. Give a creative writer a book this Christmas (or, if YOU are the writer, add these books to your Christmas list!) and give the gift of continued inspiration and support. These 8 books are within arm’s length of my writing space. I go to them often, to learn and re-learn, and to get excited about writing all over again. This season, I wish for you or the creative writer in your life the same – a gift to nurture and inspire, a gift that will last long after the holidays are over.
