To be a great writer you have to be a great reader.
What’s going to help you hone your craft more than a book on writing?
Here are my top five suggestions!
Still Writing
by Dani Shapiro
This book has been my number one for so long and I absolutely love it. It’s a very digestible read and, in true Shapiro style, is a mixture of a memoir and her thoughts on writing. I re-read this quite often, and would highly recommend it.
How to Write Like Tolstoy
by Richard Cohen
I was given this book as a gift when I finished my PhD in Creative Writing, and once I started reading it I could not stop! This book basically goes into the minds and process of writer’s that you have heard of…and is fascinating in its insight.
How NOT to Write a Novel
by Sandra Newman and Howard Mittelmark
A classic – I’ve had this on my creative writing bookshelf (yes, I do have two separate bookshelves) since I did my creative writing undergrad. This is a fantastic reference book and very easy to read – I find myself picking it up every now and then and just jumping straight back in.
Zen in the Art of Writing
by Ray Bradbury
A celebration of writing? Yes. An insight into an incredible author? Yes. What’s to stop you from picking this up and giving it a go?
Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel
by Lisa Cron
The science of writing a story! Science was one of my least favourite subjects in school, but this book makes the science of a story accessible and really interesting.
