Best Writing Books
Looking for good writing books to read? This is my recommended list of the best writing books of all-time.
To make it easier for you to choose your next writing book, I further subdivided this list into 5 sections. You can click the links below to jump to a specific category or scroll down to check them all.
The Best Writing Books
> Bird By Bird is a guide to become a better writer. In this book Anne Lamott touches upon all kinds of subjects that writers find intriguing, such as writer's block (and writer's jealousy), the benefits of writing groups and conferences, the ups and downs of publishing, and finding your voice... Find out more about this book >>
> On Writing begins with a mesmerizing account of King's childhood and his early focus on writing to tell a story. A series of vivid memories from adolescence, college, and the struggling years that led up to his first novel, Carrie, offer a fresh and often funny perspective on the formation of a writer.
> King then turns to the tools of his trade, examining crucial aspects of the writer's art and life, offering practical and inspiring advice on everything from plot and character development to work habits and rejection... Find out more about this book >>
The War of Art: Break Through The Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
> This book will show and define the #1 thing that's stopping you from bringing out your creative potential. It's called Resistance and how it behaves and how it beats you.
> So if you're an entrepreneur, an artist, a writer, scientist or just about anybody with an internal urge to CREATE something but cannot because of distractions, fears, doubts and apprehensions, then this is the book for you... Find out more about this book >>
> The Elements of Style is widely considered America's most beloved grammar book. This is the most trusted writer's guide to English-this is the book that generations of writers have relied upon for timeless advice on grammar, diction, syntax, sentence construction, and other writing essentials.
> Strunk begins with the basic rules of usage, offering accessible explanations of correct punctuation and grammar... Find out more about this book >>
Books on Writing Skills
> On Writing Well has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity and the warmth of its style. It is a book for everybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some writing to get through the day, as almost everybody does in the age of e-mail and the Internet... Find out more about this book >>
Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting and Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish
> How does plot influence story structure? What's the difference between plotting for commercial and literary fiction? How do you revise a plot or structure that's gone off course?
> Maybe you're a first-time novelist looking for practical guidance. Maybe you've already been published, but your latest effort is stuck in mid-list limbo.
> Whatever the case may be, author and literary agent Donald Maass can show you how to take your prose to the next level and write a breakout novel - one that rises out of obscurity and hits the best-seller lists... Find out more about this book >>
> The road to rejection is paved with bad beginnings. Agents and editors agree: Improper story beginnings are the single biggest barrier to publication. Why? If a novel or short story has a bad beginning, then no one will keep reading. It's just that simple... Find out more about this book >>
> Stein on Writing provides immediately useful advice for writers of fiction and nonfiction, whether newcomers or accomplished professionals... Find out more about this book >>
> Want to bring characters to life on the page as vividly as fine actors do on the stage or screen? Getting Into Character will give you a whole new way of thinking about your writing.
> Drawing on the Method Acting theory that theater professionals have used for decades, this in-depth guide explains seven characterization techniques and adapts them for the novelist’s use... Find out more about this book >>
Best Books on Content Writing
> Everybody Writes is a go-to guide to attracting and retaining customers through stellar online communication, because in our content-driven world, every one of us is, in fact, a writer.
> If you have a web site, you are a publisher. If you are on social media, you are in marketing. And that means that we are all relying on our words to carry our marketing messages. We are all writers... Find out more about this book >>
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
> Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas?
> In Made to Stick, the brothers Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the "human scale principle", using the "Velcro Theory of Memory", and creating "curiosity gaps"...Find out more about this book >>
> Web site design and development continues to become more sophisticated. An important part of this maturity originates with well-laid-out and well-written content. Ginny Redish is a world-renowned expert on information design and how to produce clear writing in plain language for the web... Find out more about this book >>
> Many people find copywriting confusing. But Breakthrough Copywriting makes it simple--by breaking everything down into a clear, step-by-step process.
> There's something for everyone. New copywriters will get a complete toolkit. Experienced marketers will benefit from new strategies and tactics... Find out more about this book >>
> For organizations all over the world, Content Strategy for the Web is the go-to content strategy handbook. Read it to:
- Understand content strategy and its business value
- Discover the processes and people behind a successful content strategy
- Make smarter, achievable decisions about what content to create and how
- Find out how to build a business case for content strategy... Find out more about this book >>
The Adweek Copywriting Handbook: The ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters
> Great copy is the heart and soul of the advertising business. In this practical guide, legendary copywriter Joe Sugarman provides proven guidelines and expert advice on what it takes to write copy that will entice, motivate, and move customers to buy... Find out more about this book >>
> Writing copy that sells without seeming "salesy" can be tough, but is an essential business skill. How to Write Copy That Sells is a step-by-step guide to writing fast, easy-to-read, effective copy. It's for everyone who needs to write copy that brings in cash - including copywriters, freelancers, and entrepreneurs... Find out more about this book >>
> What makes things popular? If you said advertising, think again. People don’t listen to advertisements, they listen to their peers. But why do people talk about certain products and ideas more than others? Why are some stories and rumors more infectious? And what makes online content go viral?
The Ultimate Sales Letter: Attract New Customers. Boost Your Sales
> In this book Dan Kennedy explains why some sales letters work and most don't. And he shows how to write copy that any business can use... Find out more about this book >>
Other Writing Books Recommendations
> With color, irony, and sensitivity, Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Dillard illuminates the dedication, absurdity, and daring that is the writer's life. As it probes and exposes, examines and analyzes, The Writing Life offers deeper insight into one of the most mysterious of professions... Find out more about this book >>
> The updated and revised third edition provides new insights and observations from Vogler's ongoing work on mythology's influence on stories, movies, and man himself. The previous two editons of this book have sold over 180,000 units, making this book a 'classic' for screenwriters, writers, and novelists... Find out more about this book >>
Art and Creativity Book Recommendations
> In Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon shares 10 principles that will help readers discover their artistic side and build a more creative life.
> Nothing is original, so embrace influence, school yourself through the work of others, remix and reimagine to discover your own path. Follow interests wherever they take you—what feels like a hobby may turn into you life’s work. Forget about writing what you know: Instead, write the book you want to read, make the movie you want to watch. Find out more about this book >>
In Ignore Everybody, MacLeod share his forty keys of creativity. In this book he discusses how do new ideas emerge in a cynical, risk-averse world? Where does inspiration come from? What does it take to make a living as a creative person?
The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life
> All it takes to make creativity a part of your life is the willingness to make it a habit. It is the product of preparation and effort, and is within reach of everyone. Whether you are a painter, musician, businessperson, or simply an individual yearning to put your creativity to use, The Creative Habit provides you with 32 practical exercises based on the lessons Twyla Tharp has learned in her remarkable 35-year career...Find out more about this book >>
This book shows how artists used to live their lives. Here are: Anthony Trollope, who demanded of himself that each morning he write three thousand words (250 words every fifteen minutes for three hours) before going off to his job at the postal service, which he kept for thirty-three years during the writing of more than two dozen books . . . Karl Marx, Woody Allen, Agatha Christie, George Balanchine, who did most of his work while ironing . , Leo Tolstoy, Charles Dickens, Pablo Picasso, George Gershwin, who, said his brother Ira, worked for twelve hours a day from late morning to midnight, composing at the piano in pajamas, bathrobe, and slippers . .Find out more about this book >>
> In those times when we want to acquire a new skill or face a formidable challenge we hope to overcome, what we need most are patience, focus, and discipline, traits that seem elusive or difficult to maintain.
> In this enticing and practical book, Thomas Sterner demonstrates how to learn skills for any aspect of life, from golfing to business to parenting, by learning to love the process.Find out more about this book >>