10 of the Best Books on Writing

In my article “21 Writing Tips You Should Know,” I listed the best writing advice I have come across over the past ten years or so. As a follow-up, these are just some of the sources from which those tips were extracted. There are a lot of books on writing out there, but these are the ten I recommend above all others.

1.       On Writing by Stephen King - This book is half memoir and half writing guide. While King’s advice isn’t anything incredibly insightful or unique, it is a fun read and worth a spot on your shelf.

Read if you are a Stephen King fan and want to know more about his life and what writing is like for him.

2.       The Art of Fiction by John Gardner - Gardner’s book on writing is one of the best out there. While he can come off as arrogant, he is insightful and helpful and has a well-tuned sense of what makes a word, sentence, paragraph, or story work. He is a strong proponent of prioritizing the lyrical and rhythmic qualities in writing over the use of elevated vocabulary.

Read if you want a classic book on writing theory that offers a lot of advice and isn’t too long.

3.       On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner - Written for college students, this book is about the skills, temperament, and outlook needed to become a novelist. However, its advice is good for any aspiring writer.

Read if you want to know if you have what it takes to become a novelist and what you can do to hone your talents.

4.       Writing In General And The Short Story In Particular by Rust Hills - Rust Hills was not a writer, and that perspective makes his book unique in terms of the advice it offers and its focus. Hills looks at storytelling through the eyes of an editor and a reader, not an author. He analyzes writing techniques that help stories meet the reader’s expectations.

Read if you want to learn more about the writer/reader contract and what your audience will expect you to deliver.

5.       Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway - Burroway gives concrete advice for improving your writing and making each element of your story impactful. She also talks about peripheral topics like how and why to keep a journal and how to work best with a writing group.

Read if you want a book that covers all of the material in an introductory college-level creative writing course.

6.       What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter - This book uses exercises and prompts to teach you how to write better. It is a highly regarded classic for writers who want to learn on their own or with a group. 

Read if you want something akin to a lab book for a college-level writing course. Phenomenal hands-on, practical exercises.

7.       The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White - This classic comes in a convenient pocket-size edition. Learn how to eliminate unnecessary words and properly use others.

Read if you want to improve your writing and you can only choose one book to read on the subject. 

8.      Steering the Craft by Ursula K Le Guin - Like John Gardner, Le Guin makes a case for writing rhythmically harmonious sentences rather than using big words as a way to engage readers.

Read if you like John Gardner but want something less pretentious.

9.       GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon - Debra Dixon’s GMC system will help you create realistic and authentic characters through an analysis of their goals, motivations, and conflicts. Her technique will help your plot flow from believable choices made by highly-developed individuals.

Read if you want to have fully developed characters before you begin writing. Also read if you need help assessing the effectiveness of a scene or a character’s decision.

10.    Perrine's Story & Structure: An Introduction to Fiction by Greg Johnson and Thomas Arp - This book taught me how to read short stories with a writer’s eye.

Read if you want a classic text that has been trusted in high schools and colleges for decades.

Do you have any books that have profoundly affected your writing or house pithy advice? Let us know in the comments below!