Here are two simple truths: writing skills can be taught, and all good writers are also readers. What better way to accomplish two things at once than to read books about writing?
In the late ’90s, I owned and operated one of the first websites to offer online workshops especially for writers. Almost every week some publisher would send me one of their latest writers’ books expecting a rave review. the bottom line? I have read many books on how to write and how to live the life of writing.
You are reading: Books that help you write better
This collection of recommendations includes some of my favorite classics, as well as exciting new additions that will help linguists of all kinds, from bloggers to content producers, budding novelists and poets, hone their skills.
the best writing instruction books
1 that everyone writes: your guide to creating ridiculously good content by ann handley
ideal for: bloggers, content creators
Millions of new blog posts and other pieces of content hit the internet every day. Ann Handley’s book is an essential guide that shows content producers what it takes to stand out in a space where competition is fierce. With an accessible style, she tackles everything from how to write to grammar to usage best practices. Perhaps my favorite part is Handley’s formula for creating content focused on empathizing with the reader and telling a great story. This isn’t just a guide on how to write, it will also help you figure out what to write.
2 write well: say exactly what you mean with precision and power by william brohaugh
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ideal for: all writers
Writers are encouraged to write simply and accurately. which is great advice, but how do you do it? Brohaugh, a former editor of Writers’ Digests, provides all the necessary procedures in this book. he teaches writers how to eliminate redundancy, recognize and squash empty modifiers, and remove other deadweight that slow down writing. Although he is sometimes criticized for being a bit pedantic, Brohaugh’s guide gave me some amazing aha’s! times when I first read it a decade ago, so I wholeheartedly recommend it.
3 the sense of style: the thinking person’s guide to writing in the 21st century by steven pinker
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ideal for: all writers
Although the style elements of strunk and white are a time-honored classic, its prescriptive approach to language is not for everyone. Harvard professor Steven Pinker enters with a more contemporary version. His witty approach acknowledges that language is fluid and that while it’s good to know and follow rules when they make sense, expressive writing often depends on bending them. Novice writers may find this book challenging, but it is packed with information for those who have mastered grammar and style and want to improve.
4 you’re a writer (so start acting like one) by jeff goins
ideal for: bloggers, content creators, freelance authors
Jeff Goins turned his love of writing into a successful career as an author, blogger, and speaker. If he has the drive to succeed as a writer, Goins provides him with the roadmap. You Are a Writer is not so much a book about the art of writing as it is about the business of getting your hard work noticed. if you aspire to build your platform and become a professional writer, this is a great place to start.
5 stein on sun stein writing
ideal for: creative writers
There are plenty of books that share tips for dealing with writer’s angst, breaking out creatively, and living life as a wordsmith. Stein on Writing is not one of those books. If you’re ready to delve into the nuts and bolts of great writing and really want to get better at the craft of it, this book is a master class from a veteran editor, author, and teacher.
6 1001 ways to write good fiction, publish and win an audience by chuck wendig
ideal for: fiction writers
chuck wendig’s writing is not for the sensitive or easily offended: his no-holds-barred style is full of biting humor, social commentary, and profanity. But what his book does offer is a contemporary guide to becoming a better fiction writer delivered in quick, easy-to-digest truth bombs. This from a successful blogger, screenwriter, and author of numerous novels, including the New York Times bestseller Star Wars: Aftermath.
the best books on how to live the life of a writer
7 on writing: a memoir of stephen king’s craft
ideal for: fiction writers
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Any writer who dreams of publishing a novel should add writing to their reading (or rereading) list. Part instructional writing and part memoir, The King’s Book is a modern classic. (I’ve read it three times so far). i love king’s stories about how his experiences shaped him as a writer early on. I am moved by the story of how king, his young hand-to-mouth family, collapsed on the floor when his publisher called to tell him that the paperback rights to carrie, his breakout novel, had sold for $400,000.
on writing not only shares the origin story of a hugely successful writer, but also teaches the craft of writing in a way that feels conversational and real, like a mentor sitting across from you, drinking coffee and giving you the best of you. advice.
8 Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
ideal for: creative writers
Sometimes writers take themselves too seriously. By allowing us a glimpse of her own human frailties, Anne Lamott takes some of the sting out of things that give writers pain, from perfectionism to insomnia. and she does it all with her celebrated wit and his self-deprecating humor. it’s like having a crazy writer aunt to commiserate with. and she’ll learn a thing or two in the process.
9 writing the bones: freeing the writer inside natalie goldberg
ideal for: creative writers
natalie goldberg’s approach to writing is simple: if you want to write truthfully and powerfully, you have to connect with yourself. Using Zen teachings, he encourages writers to follow their first thoughts and trust their minds and bodies to guide them. her voice is accessible and at times vulnerable, and her inspiring and wildly creative methods have been helping writers find their voices for over thirty years.
10 zen in the art of writing by ray bradbury
ideal for: creative writers
in the form of some fahrenheit 451 bookends, i own a piece of ray bradbury’s old california bungalow, so i could hardly leave his classic off the list. Zen in the Art of Writing, a collection of essays on the life of writing, resonates with the wise wisdom of a famous science fiction teacher. Keep your highlighter (physical or digital) handy to mark off all the memorable phrases, like “every morning I jump out of bed and step on a land mine. mine is me. . . I spend the rest of the day putting the pieces together. now is your turn. jump!”
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