Ink and Insight
Six Timeless Books on Writing
Before my first novel was published I devoured books on writing fiction, including the treasures listed here (except one, as explained below). I call the books treasures because they’re full of invaluable wisdom, knowledge, and insight that should ignite a fire inside your writing soul.
They can be especially helpful when you find yourself stuck or you feel like you’re twisting and turning in the wind with your words going nowhere. Many other great books on writing are available, of course, but you’ll remember these long after turning the last page.
Although published decades ago (with the exception of Wired for Story), what you’ll discover between the pages of these books is still very much on point today. Most of the authors have newer works on writing that I encourage you to check out, but listed below are the titles that put them on the map when it comes to books on writing and the writing life.
By the way, they would make lovely gifts for the writers in your life.
Here we go–
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, by Natalie Goldberg. With more than a million copies sold since this gem first hit bookstores in 1986, this is one of my all-time favorite books on writing. Goldberg has practiced Zen Buddhism for decades and the wisdom she’s acquired informs her own writing practice as well as her teaching.
Her writing style is informal and inviting as she weaves advice on the craft of writing with guidance on mindfulness and personal development. She encourages writers to write from their first thoughts, to avoid crossing things out, and to just get their ideas down. The book's short chapters are an easy read, with witty titles like “Man Eats Car” and “Be an Animal.”Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott, is another classic book on writing with more than a million copies in print. Lamott is the author of several novels and non-fiction books. Her writing style is engaging and humorous.
Bird by Bird offers personal and practical advice on the challenges of writing fiction, such as establishing a routine, starting with short tasks to avoid getting overwhelmed, and accepting your imperfect first drafts. Lamott also explores technical aspects such as character development, dialogue, and plot. In part two of the book she delves into the writer's mindset and the importance of being aware of your environment.
Wondering how the author came up with the title? Here is the passage from the book that inspired it, in her own words:
“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”
Her father, also a writer, was a big influence on her decision to become a writer.The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path To Higher Creativity, by Julia Cameron, is a mega-bestselling book on creativity that was first published in 1982. It has sold an astonishing five million plus copies worldwide. It’s full of all sorts of writing practices and tools designed to help artists, including writers, shed their negative internal voices with the use of gentle affirmations, inspirational quotes, and writing prompts and exercises.
The most popular of these practices is “Morning Pages,” a daily ritual that involves writing three pages of stream-of-consciousness thinking by hand first thing every morning. The journaling practice has become wildly popular and has been taught around the world at spiritual retreats and even in prisons. Practitioners include celebrities such as Patricia Cornwell, Kerry Washington, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Alicia Keys.Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting, by Robert McKee. Don’t let the title turn you away if you’re not a screenwriter. Although the book focuses on screenwriting, it really is all about the craft of storytelling. Anyone seeking guidance on how to tell a good story can benefit from it. That includes novelists, creative nonfiction writers, and poets.
McKee’s seminars on story structure, on which the book is based, are legendary in Hollywood and have been taken by more than 100,000 students including dozens of Academy and Emmy Award Winners. His webinar series titled Story is available on his website until December 31, 2023.On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King. I confess. This is the only book on writing on this list that I do not own (at least not yet). By the time it came out in 2000 I had already had a few novels published. I mention it here because it’s just about always included in lists of this type. And, well, it’s Stephen King. It is said to be part memoir and part masterclass on writing, and I’m certain I would have grabbed a copy if it had been published earlier.
Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence, by Lisa Cron. Although Wired has not been around as long as the other books mentioned on this list, I find its unusual approach to storytelling intriguing and appealing.
The author believes that writers should focus on telling a good story above writing beautiful prose. And that prose alone will not create a sense of urgency that motivates readers to turn the page. Instead, writers should use brain science, as taught in the book, to weave their beautiful prose into tales that readers will crave due to a burning desire to know what happens next. The book includes examples from novels, short stories, and screenplays.
So there you have it—some of the best books on writing, with advice and guidance that will never grow old. Feel free to share some of your own favorite books on writing with the rest of us.