The Best Books about writing

Books about writing are popular gifts for writers, but I wanted to find out which books actually improve the writer’s craft. These are some of the best books based on what readers say, but also real writers thoughts.

If you want to purchase any of the books listed below, click on the titles. They are affiliated links that will take you directly to the store.

How to Make a Living with Your Writing: Turn Your Words into Multiple Streams Of Income

Having read the previous edition, I eagerly awaited this updated edition and Joanna Penn did not disappoint. I read it in one sitting. Not only does Joanna provide a list of ways authors can make a living with their writing, but she shows how and gives plenty explanations, examples, resources and models to do it yourself. I learnt new things. The book is well researched and quite balanced with fiction and non-fiction recommendations. It is a crash course in marketing, publishing and writing. I love the structure of the book and the author stories used. The summary of the survey results at the end was quite useful. I highly recommend this book to new or established authors for insights on how to make a living with your writing in the 21st century.

Dear Writer, You Need to Quit

Ever wondered what happens when a brilliant business coach applies her training to authors? Years of individualized data and research focused on individuals, probing incisively, producing INDIVIDUALIZED results. Something so brilliantly simple that it’s an absolute Ah- HA! moment. Yet as complex as the person applying it.

Word of the author’s coaching and courses has spread like wildfire across the publishing community, both indie and traditional. Authors with fifty or a hundred books to their names started raving about how Syme made things better, faster. Ground-breaking results for anyone willing to do the work. Slots filled word of mouth faster than anyone could get in. The woman got mobbed at writing conferences by those in the know.

Now this book. Deceptively simple. Until you sit down and begin to apply the information. Do the work. Oh…my…goodness! This really is groundbreaking. And earth shattering. And one of those books that people are going to be talking about for ages. Because it creates individual results.

None of that “here’s how I did things years ago in the golden age of ebooks” one size fits all. None of the “it works for me, so there must be something wrong with you if your brain isn’t wired the same” arrogance found in other books. No wonder her coaching and classes are so high demand. If this is the tip of the iceberg, the basic premise to get you started, I want the rest of the brilliance.

WARNING – there is no magic bullet. Simply reading this book isn’t enough. You have to sit down and actually do the work. But the eye-opening illumination the first time you apply her technique will blow minds and rock worlds. Genius appears deceptively simple in hindsight.

The 8-Minute Writing Habit: Create a Consistent Writing Habit That Works With Your Busy Lifestyle

This is an excellent resource for someone who wants to write but is just too busy. For someone in full-time work or being a full-time mom (or both), who at the end of the day just wants to collapse into a comfy chair. Yet, they’ve still got characters in their head and stories which need to be told.

If this describes you - you want to write but you just can’t find the time - this is the book you need. Monica describes not one but a whole bunch of different techniques for carving small slices of time out of your day. Where a half-hour seems impossible, 8 minutes is a segment of time anyone can find. I’m a big advocate of using modern technologies to write on the go, from portable Bluetooth keyboards to dictation or sipe-typing apps, and Monica encourages that too. Find those 8 minutes while waiting for the kids to come out of school, or while you’re on a lunch break at work, or while you’re riding the bus or train, or even waiting in line at a store.

Towards the end of the book, Monica sets a series of challenges, starting off very simple, but encouraging you to find innovative ways to fit 8 minutes of writing into your daily routine. It really is surprising how many words you can get down in 8 minutes - even if you’re not the greatest typist, 250 words is an easily made target, and if you’re using dictation you could approach 1,000.

There are heaps of useful links and resources, including an accountability hashtag monitored by Monica herself, at the end of the book. It’s not a long book - but then, if you’re someone who needs this help, you probably don’t have time to read a long book anyway! Take this on board, implement some of Monica’s strategies, and your daily word count will definitely go up.

Five stars for a resource which could prove invaluable to someone struggling to fit writing time into a busy life.

How to Write a Dynamite Scene Using the Snowflake Method

Randy Ingermanson breaks the scene-writing process down in a clear and concise manner and has some fun doing it. He continues the theme from his "How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method", honing in on individual scenes. He then shows how each "mini story" contributes to the big picture. Using some well-known examples, he points out how the process plays out to create stories that satisfy readers, and keep them turning pages. I loved the first book and I think I liked this one even more. A must-read, especially for new writers.

Randy's book is a winner in helping other writers learn the craft. This book will show you the key difference between a so-so writer and a great writer. What is it? Building scenes with Randy's interpretation of the proactive scene and the reactive scene. And placing your protagonist in a situation that becomes a crucible for her. If you're writing sci-fi, fantasy, romance or mysteries this book will help you become the best writer you can be. I used Randy's hints and tips (from his website material which he enhanced in this book) to write my first book and his ideas turned me from a struggling writer to a professional writer.

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book On Novel Writing You'll Ever Need

Jessica Brody has (in cooperation with Snyder's publisher) made an outstanding edition of this for novelists. I was pleasantly surprised to find many new insights that had not occurred to me. I am quite convinced it will help me further.

If you are unfamiliar with the Save the Cat! method, get this book! If you are familiar, it is still worth it, for those new insights and more directly novel-oriented approach.

As a long-time pantser (one who writes by the seat-of-the-pants instead of using a preplanned structure,) I was skeptical of the model. Yet I found it helped me to understand where I was going with my story, even when I didn't know where I was going in a scene. I no longer consider myself a panster, partly because this method has helped me comprehend my creative flow well enough to write with that flow inside the structure I have planned.

I've also combined a beat sheet based on Snyder's Save the Cat! book with one based on Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method, which I've put together in Scrivener. I look forward to updating that with the new insights from Jessica Brody.

All in all, this is a book that every novelist of every genre and skill level should read.

Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You'll Ever Need

In short: This is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to be better at telling stories. This is a skill I've wanted to develop, so I started with this book. Really glad I did. In fact, it ended up winning me major Boyfriend Points.

I offered my copy of the book to my girlfriend when she had to attend a company retreat and participate in a get-to-know-you exercise where everyone had to tell a two-minute story. We're talking about standing up and telling a personal anecdote in front of an audience of about fifty coworkers, managers, and direct-reports. Oh, and my girlfriend has social anxiety. So, needless to say... there was a good bit of hand-wringing and deliberation over this exercise.

Imagine how happy I was when she came back from the retreat glowing and excited to tell me about how well her story had gone. Not only did it feel good and comfortable to tell, but it also got a lot of positive feedback. Her coworkers really enjoyed it. She had directly applied many of the concepts explained so clearly and entertainingly in Long Story Short and hit the ball out of the park.

Buying Long Story Short is a favor you can do for yourself if you want to be better at storytelling. It might even burnish your reputation as a partner.

Start Writing Your Book Today: A step-by-step plan to write your nonfiction book, from first draft to finished manuscript

Read this book today so that you will start writing your book! Morgan MacDonald has written an incredible guide for any writer who struggles to get started. Not only will this book help you start writing, it will help you through the entire process of completing your manuscript. Reading Morgan's words is like siting in the room with her and listening to her coach you through your words, your questions, your sentences, and your struggles. She knows the writing craft and shares her own struggles as a writer. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to write. Read this book and you will start writing your book today!