• International edition
  • Australia edition
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 Toni Morrison in 1979.

Top 10 books about creative writing

From linguistics to essays by Zadie Smith and Toni Morrison, poet Anthony Anaxagorou recommends some ‘lateral’ ways in to a demanding craft

T he poet Rita Dove was once asked what makes poetry successful. She went on to illuminate three key areas: First, the heart of the writer; the things they wish to say – their politics and overarching sensibilities. Second, their tools: how they work language to organise and position words. And the third, the love a person must have for books: “To read, read, read.”

When I started mapping out How to Write It , I wanted to focus on the aspects of writing development that took in both theoretical and interpersonal aspects. No writer lives in a vacuum, their job is an endless task of paying attention.

How do I get myself an agent? What’s the best way to approach a publisher? Should I self-publish? There is never one way to assuage the concerns of those looking to make a career out of writing. Many labour tirelessly for decades on manuscripts that never make it to print. The UK on average publishes around 185,000 new titles per year, ranking us the third largest publishing market in the world, yet the number of aspiring writers is substantially greater.

Writers writing about writing can become a supercilious endeavour; I’m more interested in the process of making work and the writer’s perspectives that substantiate the framework.

There’s no single authority, anything is possible. All that’s required are some words and an idea – which makes the art of writing enticing but also difficult and daunting. The books listed below, diverse in their central arguments and genres, guide us towards more interesting and lateral ways to think about what we want to say, and ultimately, how we choose to say it.

1. The Hatred of Poetry by Ben Lerner An intellectual meditation on the cultural function of poetry. Less idealistic than other poetry criticism, Lerner puts forward a richly layered case for the reasons writers and readers alike turn to poetry, probing into why it’s often misconceived as elitist or tedious, and asks that we reconsider the value we place on the art form today.

2. Find Your Voice by Angie Thomas One of the hardest things about creative writing is developing a voice and not compromising your vision for the sake of public appeal. Thomas offers sharp advice to those wrestling with novels or Young Adult fiction. She writes with appealing honesty, taking in everything from writer’s block to deciding what a final draft should look like. The book also comes interspersed with prompts and writing exercises alongside other tips and suggestions to help airlift writers out of the mud.

3. Linguistics: Why It Matters by Geoffrey K Pullum If language is in a constant state of flux, and rules governing sentence construction, meaning and logic are always at a point of contention, what then can conventional modes of language and linguistics tell us about ourselves, our cultures and our relationship to the material world? Pullum addresses a number of philosophical questions through the scientific study of human languages – their grammars, clauses and limitations. An approachable, fascinating resource for those interested in the mechanics of words.

4. Madness, Rack, and Honey by Mary Ruefle The collected lectures of poet and professor Mary Ruefle present us with an erudite inquiry into some of the major aspects of a writer’s mind and craft. Ruefle possesses an uncanny ability to excavate broad and complex subjects with such unforced and original lucidity that you come away feeling as if you’ve acquired an entirely new perspective from only a few pages. Themes range from sentimentality in poetry, to fear, beginnings and – a topic she returns to throughout the book – wonder. “A poem is a finished work of the mind, it is not the work of a finished mind.”

Zadie Smith.

5. Feel Free by Zadie Smith These astute and topical essays dating from 2010 to 2017 demonstrate Smith’s forensic ability to navigate and unpack everything from Brexit to Justin Bieber. Dissecting high philosophical works then bringing the focus back on to her own practice as a fiction writer, her essay The I Who Is Not Me sees Smith extrapolate on how autobiography shapes novel writing, and elucidates her approach to thinking around British society’s tenuous and often binary perspectives on race, class and ethnicity.

6. Threads by Sandeep Parmar, Nisha Ramayya and Bhanu Kapil Who occupies the “I” in poetry? When poets write, are they personally embodying their speakers or are they intended to be emblematic of something larger and more complex? Is the “I” assumed to be immutable or is it more porous? These are the questions posited in Threads, which illuminates the function of the lyric “I” in relation to whiteness, maleness and Britishness. Its short but acute essays interrogate whiteness’s hegemony in literature and language, revealing how writers from outside the dominant paradigm are often made to reckon with the positions and perspectives they write from.

7. Mouth Full of Blood by Toni Morrison An urgent set of essays and lectures from the late Nobel prize winner that collates her most discerning musings around citizenship, race and art, as well as offering invaluable insight into the craft of writing. She reflects on revisions made to her most famous novel, Beloved, while also reflecting on the ways vernaculars can shape new stories. One of my favourite aphorisms written by Morrison sits on my desk and declares: “As writers, what we do is remember. And to remember this world is to create it.”

8. On Poetry by Jonathan Davidson Poetry can be thought of as something arduous or an exercise in analysis, existing either within small artistic enclaves or secondary school classrooms. One of the many strengths of Davidson’s writing is how he makes poetry feel intimate and personal, neither dry or remote. His approach to thinking around ways that certain poems affect us is well measured without being exclusive. A timely and resourceful book for writers interested in how poems go on to live with us throughout our lives.

9. Essays by Lydia Davis From flash fiction to stories, Davis is recognised as one of the preeminent writers of short-form fiction. In these essays, spanning several decades, she tracks much of her writing process and her relationship to experimentalism, form and the ways language can work when pushed to its outer limits. How we read into lines is something Davis returns to, as is the idea of risk and brevity within micro-fiction.

10. Essayism by Brian Dillon Dillon summarises the essay as an “experiment in attention”. This dynamic and robust consideration of the form sheds light on how and why certain essays have changed the cultural and political landscape, from the end of the Middle Ages to the present time. A sharp and curious disquisition on one of the more popular yet challenging writing enterprises.

How to Write It by Anthony Anaxagorou is published by Merky Books. To order a copy, go to guardianbookshop.com .

  • Creative writing
  • Toni Morrison
  • Zadie Smith
  • Lydia Davis

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Writing Beginner

The Best Writing Books For Beginners 2024 (My 10 Favorites)

Being a beginner writer is overwhelming. There are so many options, and beginners often don’t know where to start. It seems like every blog and YouTube video is recommending a different set of tools, resources, and books for writers.

There are a lot of good books out there, but what are the best writing books for beginners?

Here are the best writing books for beginners:

The Secrets of Action Screenwriting

Writing a breakout novel workbook.

  • Save the Cat

The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes

Writing for emotional impact, secrets of story, dialogue secrets, act two secrets.

  • Scene Secrets

Supporting Character Secrets

I’ve kept a running list of my favorite writing books ever since I started over 20 years ago. In this post, I’m going to share with you my top 10.

My Criteria for Choosing the 10 Best Writing Books for Beginners

10 Best Writing Books for Beginners

Here are my criteria for choosing these 10 books.

My criteria: I’ve actually read the book, learned a ton, and consistently apply its principles and practices to my writing on a regular basis. The book consolidates practical, clear, and concrete writing lessons that have transformed my writing.

Not my criteria: I listen to the recommendations of other people but, if I’m completely honest, I think a lot of their recommendations are trash. Not that the books themselves are bad, but they don’t have the practical insight and tools that have helped me when I sit down at my keyboard to type.

Here’s also what was NOT my criteria:

  • What I thought were popular books (popularity doesn’t equal good or helpful)
  • What I thought you expected to hear (There are some surprises on the list)
  • What I thought you might buy through one of my affiliate links (I’ve only listed books that I personally own and use regularly)
  • What bestselling authors or popular authors say (There are many decent writing books out there. These are by far the best I’ve come across)
  • What I wanted you to believe, like my own books (I didn’t put any of my own books on the list)
  • Pretty book covers (Some of the book covers on the list look terrible and cheap. I didn’t choose the books for appearance; I chose them for content)

My ultimate criteria was: did this book change my life as a writer, level up my skills, and help me to write a better story?

If so, it made the list.

The 10 Best Writing Books For Beginners in 2023 (My Personal List)

My list has changed some over the last two decades, but most of the books on here have remained largely the same.

If I could go back 20 years and give my younger self 10 books on writing, these are the books I would gift.

Action Screenwriting Writing book for beginners image

Yes, this is a screenwriting book.

Trust me, it doesn’t matter. This is by far the best writing book I have ever read in my life. It’s my absolute favorite and that’s why I listed it first. It’s a gold mine of practical understanding of what a story is and how to write a really good one.

There are so many tools and techniques in this book, I really think that it should be an entire course that’s into the hundreds of dollars.

I 100% believe it’s that valuable. If you only get one book on this list, please do yourself a favor and go get this book right now.

I read all of these books on this list every time that I write a new novel, but this is by far the one that I read the most intensely and from which I apply the most tools and techniques.

Here are the book details:

My biggest takeaways from the book are all the specific and practical writing techniques such as how to build out scenes from your theme, connect your characters, and connect internal conflict to external conflict…

I could literally go on for days. This is also the book that gave me my favorite definition of story.

Breakout-Novel-image-for-best-writing-books-for-beginners

I put this book second because this is the oldest book on my list.

I’ve literally had it for three decades and go back to it time and time again to make sure that I understand and apply the techniques to my stories.

Yes, it’s a workbook, which means there’s an actual book that goes with it.

I’ve read that book, too, and honestly, I prefer the workbook. It has the same information and, in my opinion, the information is more effectively communicated in the workbook.

There are practical exercises with writing techniques very clearly laid out.

Basically, the book goes over the main elements of a blockbuster or best-selling story from one of the best literary agents in the world.

Book Details :

Save the Cat book image for Best writing books for beginners

Save The Cat

Oh look, another screenwriting book.

This is a very popular book among writers and screenwriters because it is a simple and straightforward outline of a successful story.

I really like that this book gives you a complete approach to outlining the major plot points of a novel or script.

It really covers everything from the start of the novel all the way to the conclusion.

My biggest takeaway is the 15-point outline or “beat sheet” for the major events of the story.

I also really enjoyed the idea of the different sections of a story that he calls thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. I just think it’s a good framework for understanding what needs to happen in each segment of the story.

There are a couple of cool techniques like “save the cat” (from which the book got its title) and “pope in a pool” that I have never forgotten and continue to use in all of my stories.

38 Fiction Writing Mistakes for best writing books for beginners

This is one of the most beginner-friendly writing books I’ve ever read.

It covers a lot of ground but it does so very clearly and with good examples. The other thing I really like about this book is that it teaches you 38 practical writing lessons that, to get elsewhere, you’d have to read (at least) 5 and 10 separate books.

As a beginning writer, it’s a very approachable book with easy-to-understand and apply lessons.

And, just like the title suggests, by reading the book you can avoid some of the most common writing mistakes. That, in and of itself, is invaluable.

My biggest takeaways are the simple lessons that save you a lot of time and pain as a writer learning the ropes.

writing for emotional impact for best writing books for beginners

This is more of a dense book so not one that I would start with, which is why I put it here in the middle of the list.

But, it’s a really good book that can take your writing to a much deeper and more impactful level. There are tons of tools here to add emotional depth to your characters, scenes, and stories.

Add it to your beginner writer bookshelf.

Book Details:

Secrets of Story Well Told for best writing books for beginners

What I love about this book is how it helps you break or build out a story based on the theme.

The model in the story is called the thematic method. It’s all about how to develop a very connected story that is layered and powerful. You learn how to create characters, secondary characters, and scenes that all include the “DNA” of the story.

It’s another very practical book full of useful tools for writers. Storytelling is, after all, the most important part of being a novelist.

Dialogue Secrets for best writing books for beginners

This book is a gold mine of dialogue techniques.

I really can’t explain how thorough and complete your education about dialogue will be after reading this book. Super practical, super actionable, and incredibly informative.

Tons of examples make applying the techniques to your own writing as easy as possible.

You will learn more about dialogue from this one book than from a whole collection of other books on the same topic.

Dialog is a key element in writing a story because most scenes include some form of dialogue. And many writers really struggle with how to write realistic dialogue that reveals character while also advancing the story.

You can learn so many techniques (over 50) to level up your dialogue from this book. It’s a must-read.

Book details :

Act-2-secrets-for-best-writing-books-for-beginners.

As a beginner writer, one of the most important lessons to learn is how to write the middle section of your stories.

This is called act 2 in screenplays.

Don’t be put off by this being another screenwriting book. Again, screenwriters seem to understand the practical structure and techniques to put together a story much better than most novelists or writing teachers.

This book will teach you everything you need to know about what to put in that middle section of your story to:

  • Escalate the conflict
  • Advance the plot
  • Deepen character
  • Keep the reader engrossed in the story

In many ways, act two is the story.

At least, it is the most important part of the story because it’s the biggest section where most of the story happens. So, understanding the middle of the story and how to write it well is essential to Your growth as a writer.

This book puts so many different pieces of the story puzzle together for me.

Scene Secrets book image for best writing books for beginners

Scene S ecrets

A story is a collection of scenes.

This book explores every angle and aspect of what makes a compelling scene. you’ll find the answers to the following questions: What kinds of scenes do you include in your story and what kinds do you leave out?

What’s the best way to write a scene? What do you actually put in a scene? How do you make scenes more compelling to the reader?

It’s a fantastic addition to your writing library.

Supporting Character Secrets image for best writing books for beginners

This book explains clearly and in detail everything you need to know about how to create secondary characters and subplots for your story.

This is an area where many writers get confused, lost ,and go wildly astray.

You can really shorten your learning curve by reading and applying the ideas in this book.

You’ll learn what secondary characters are, how to create them, and how to interweave subplots into your overall narrative. Lots of examples are included from different genres so that all of the points are super concrete.

A Few Comments About My List of Best Writing Books

You probably noticed that many of the books on the list are written by the same author (William C. Martell).

Martell is a practicing screenwriter and not a novelist.

One of my biggest aha moments as a writer in the last two decades is to realize that screenwriters, in general, seem to have a better grasp on the practical structural techniques of a story.

There are certainly differences between the visual medium of movies and the more personal and intimate experience of writing fiction.

However, I have found that the vast majority of story principles, tools, and techniques cross over very well.

That’s true of fiction and nonfiction.

I’d go so far as to say that I never understood story as well as when I read these “blue books”. You don’t have to believe me, just read the books, (they’re very cheap Kindle books on Amazon), and watch the results you get with your own writing.

There are a lot of good books on writing that I didn’t include in this list that many other people include on their list, like Writing Down the Bones , On Writing Well , War of Art , and I could go on.

What I found in my own journey is that after reading a few of these books about the main elements of a story (characters, conflict, plot, etc.) all the other books on the same subject mostly said the same thing.

Even if they did say a few extra little things that helped, those books never seemed to leapfrog me ahead in my understanding of story or my ability to write a good yarn.

The exception were the books on my list in this post.

These are the books that have stayed with me for many years, some of them for the entire two decades. Every time I write a new novel, I go back to them and reread them to make sure that I understand their ideas and apply their techniques.

I think you’ll find them amazing books that will level up your writing.

There are no shortcuts to being a great writer. The key seems to be to write a lot and read a lot, get feedback and continually push yourself to improve.

These 10 books are the best books to get you to great writing faster.

Honorable Mentions for Writing Fiction

On Writing image for best writing books for beginners

On W riting

Part memoir and part writing instruction, Stephen King’s book on writing is fabulous.

If you are interested in his story interspersed with some very clear and practical writing advice, please do check it out. I consider it an essential book in any writer’s library.

However, it’s not a book that I return to over and over again to reread.

That’s why it’s not on the main top 10 list. But it’s still very good.

Plot-and-Structure-for-best-writing-books-for-beginners

Plot and Structure

James Scott Bell has several good books on writing that are practical and useful.

You might check out some of his books and see if any of them resonate with you. I actually really like this book and it was helpful for my understanding of plot and structure.

It’s just not a book that I go back to year after year.

Best Nonfiction Writing Book for Beginners

I didn’t want to leave the nonfiction writers out of this list. So, I made a very short list of what I consider to be the best nonfiction writing books for beginners.

100 ways to improve your writing image for best writing books for beginners

100 Ways to Improve Your Writing

There are so many nuggets of information here on how to write faster, keep readers engaged and simply write better. All of the tips are very short and actionable so it’s a quick and easy read.

How-to-Write-and-Sell-Informational-Products.

How to Write and Sell Simple Information for Fun and Profit: Your Guide to Writing and Publishing Books, E-Books, Articles, Special Reports, Audio Programs, DVDs, and Other How-To Content

This is literally a book about how to write other how-to books. I’ve never read a more simple, straightforward, and practical book on how to create a very valuable resource for others.

If and when you write your book, you’ll probably want to know some good eBook Marketing Strategies .

What’s the Overall Best Writing Book for Beginners?

I’d say without a doubt it’s the Secret to Action Screenwriting .

It just covers all the bases of a story (and I mean all). The book is incredibly thorough in covering all of the essential story elements.

It doesn’t matter if you write screenplays or novels or in which genre you write.

This book is the key to taking your storytelling to a whole new level. It will literally teach you more than most other writing books combined.

Final Thoughts: The Best Writing Books for Beginners

Those are the 10 best writing books for beginners (plus lots of other freebies and recommendations). I truly believe you’ll find these books to be fantastic resources that you’ll be using decades from now.

What to Read Next:

  • What Courses To Take To Become a Writer (Solved)
  • The Best Thesaurus for Writers (Best 9 Tested & Solved)
  • 15 Best Software for Writing a Book With Pictures (Solved)
  • My Most Recommended Tools for Writers

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Nicola Martin

5 best books on writing for beginners and beyond

Whether you’re starting out in creative writing or looking to fine-tune your writing craft, there are a wealth of reference books out there..

Here are five that I find invaluable:

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers – Renni Browne and Dave King

The first time I flicked through Self-Editing for Fiction Writers , I was unimpressed. A chapter on Show Don’t Tell? Pleeeeeease. Are you also going to tell me not to use adverbs ?

Then I actually read the chapter on Show Don’t Tell and realised I’d never fully understood Show Don’t Tell before. Every chapter of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers is like that.

Renni Browne and Dave King explain the fundamentals of writing in a way that’s clear, comprehensive and yet also concise.

Having a problem with POV? Check this book. Dialogue a bit dodgy? Check this book.

I refer to this book at least once a month. I also recommend it to fellow writers more than any other writing book.

The Story Grid – Shawn Coyne

While Self-Editing for Fiction Writers is about the nuts and bolts of writing, The Story Grid zooms you upwards 26,000ft. Shawn Coyne’s book is all about helicopter-view, big-picture storytelling.

It’s also the solution to the hardest question you’ll have as a writer, “Why don’t people find my fiction compelling?”

(Trust me, I’ve been there.)

Shawn Coyne details narrative arcs and genre beats, and gives writers a framework to begin editing (truly editing, not polishing) their novel.

I am not kidding when I say that The Story Grid method was the only way I was able to make it through the final rewrite of my debut thriller, Dead Ringer .

On Writing – Stephen King

Ever noticed how many creative writing books are by writers you’ve never heard of?

This is the reason I rate Stephen King’s On Writing . Love him or hate him, you can’t argue with his success.

Some of King’s advice I agree with, some I don’t (King is far more of a pantser than I will ever be), but there’s plenty to chew over.

Most cheering, perhaps, is the account of King’s journey to publication and success. It’s a reminder of how much of this life is perseverance .

Writing Down the Bones – Natalie Goldberg

Writing Down the Bones is the book I return to when I need a shot of inspiration. Creative writing books can be dry. “Do this. Don’t do this.”

Natalie Goldberg, by contrast, is your effervescent fairy godmother. With chapter titles like “Writing is not a McDonald’s Hamburger”, Writing Down the Bones is all about learning to love the creative process.

Goldberg’s philosophy is that writing is a type of meditation and sessions of “freewriting”, where you write and write and write without stopping, can unleash your creativity.

This isn’t the way I write, typically, but it’s a good way of battling writer’s block or forcing a start to a new project when you feel overwhelmed.

2k to 10k: How to write faster, write better, and write more of what you love – Rachel Aaron

If Writing Down the Bones is airy-fairy, 2k to 10k is just-the-facts-ma’am. It’s also the craft book that best describes the way I write. If ever I find myself floundering, it’s usually because I’ve strayed from Rachel Aaron’s triangle .

Aaron’s story is pretty incredible: as a new mother with limited time to write and deadlines looming, she had to figure out a way to write a lot, fast. I doubt I will ever be cracking 10,000 words a day like Aaron, but by using her strategies, I easily started boosting my daily word count by 500 words or more.

What are those strategies? Write during your most creative hours; plan your stories with a detailed outline; figure out what you’re going to write ahead of time (daydreaming is better done when queueing at the bank, not at your desk; plot holes are better untangled in note form, not when you’re halfway through a scene); and pack your novel full of things you can’t wait to write.

Which writing craft books do you come back to time and again? Let me know your recommendations in the comments.

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Thank you for these recommendations. I just got fired for the first time in my life! Instead of being down about it, I thought I’d use it to finally write a book. I also just found out I am going to be a grandma and would love to be a stay at home Gammy! Any other advice? Bless you.

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V nicc and i like it

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Language » Writing Books

The best books on creative writing, recommended by andrew cowan.

The professor of creative writing at UEA says Joseph Conrad got it right when he said that the sitting down is all. He chooses five books to help aspiring writers.

The best books on Creative Writing - Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande

The best books on Creative Writing - On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner

On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner

The best books on Creative Writing - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

The best books on Creative Writing - The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner

The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner

The best books on Creative Writing - Worstward Ho by Samuel Beckett

Worstward Ho by Samuel Beckett

creative writing books for beginners

1 Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande

2 on becoming a novelist by john gardner, 3 on writing: a memoir of the craft by stephen king, 4 the forest for the trees by betsy lerner, 5 worstward ho by samuel beckett.

How would you describe creative writing?

Creative writing is an academic discipline. I draw a distinction between writing , which is what writers do, and creative writing. I think most people in the UK who teach creative writing have come to it via writing – they are bona fide writers who publish poems and novels and play scripts and the like, and they have found some way of supporting that vocation through having a career in academia. So in teaching aspirant writers how to write they are drawing upon their own experience of working in that medium. They are drawing upon their knowledge of what the problems are and how those problems might be tackled. It’s a practice-based form of learning and teaching.

But because it is in academia there is all this paraphernalia that has to go with it. So you get credits for attending classes. You have to do supporting modules; you have to be assessed. If you are doing an undergraduate degree you have to follow a particular curriculum and only about a quarter of that will be creative writing and the rest will be in the canon of English literature . If you are doing a PhD you have to support whatever the creative element is with a critical element. So there are these ways in which academia disciplines writing and I think of that as Creative Writing with a capital C and a capital W. All of us who teach creative writing are doing it, in a sense, to support our writing, but it is also often at the expense of our writing. We give up quite a lot of time and mental energy and also, I think, imaginative and creative energy to teach.

It is hugely rewarding, engaging with the students, but it is hugely frustrating as well, because the larger part of it is engaging with an institution. I’m sure I’m not alone in being very ambivalent about what I do!

Your first choice is Dorothea Brande’s Becoming a Writer , which for someone writing in 1934 sounds pretty forward thinking.

Because creative writing has now taken off and has become this very widespread academic discipline it is beginning to acquire its own canon of key works and key texts. This is one of the oldest of them. It’s a book that almost anyone who teaches creative writing will have read. They will probably have read it because some fundamentals are explained and I think the most important one is Brande’s sense of the creative writer being comprised of two people. One of them is the artist and the other is the critic.

Actually, Malcolm Bradbury who taught me at UEA, wrote the foreword to my edition of Becoming a Writer , and he talks about how Dorothea Brande was writing this book ‘in Freudian times’ – the 1930s in the States. And she does have this very Freudian idea of the writer as comprised of a child artist on the one hand, who is associated with spontaneity, unconscious processes, while on the other side there is the adult critic making very careful discriminations.

And did she think the adult critic hindered the child artist?

No. Her point is that the two have to work in harmony and in some way the writer has to achieve an effective balance between the two, which is often taken to mean that you allow the artist child free rein in the morning. So you just pour stuff on to the page in the morning when you are closest to the condition of sleep. The dream state for the writer is the one that is closest to the unconscious. And then in the afternoon you come back to your morning’s work with your critical head on and you consciously and objectively edit it. Lots of how-to-write books encourage writers to do it that way. It is also possible that you can just pour stuff on to the page for days on end as long as you come back to it eventually with a critical eye.

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There are two ways in which you can start to get that wrong and produce bad work. One is where you don’t allow the critic in at all. And so it is just a constant outpouring of unmediated automatic writing, which can become a kind of verbal diarrhoea. And the other side of that is where you allow the critic too much authority and the critic becomes like a bad dad who finds fault with everything and doesn’t allow the child to produce anything. And that results in a sort of self-sabotaging perfectionism, which I have suffered from. I got very blocked, and I read this book and it unblocked me.

Good! Your next book, John Gardner’s On Becoming a Novelist , is described as comfort food for the aspiring novelist.

This is another one of the classics. He was quite a successful novelist in the States, but possibly an even more successful teacher of creative writing. The short story writer and poet Raymond Carver, for instance, was one of his students. And he died young in a motorcycle accident when he was 49. There are two classic works by him. One is this book, On Becoming a Novelist , and the other is The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers . They were both put together from his teaching notes after he died.

On Becoming a Novelist  is the more succinct and, I think, is the better of the two. He talks about automatic writing and the idea, just like Dorothea Brande, of the artist being comprised of two people. But his key idea is the notion of the vivid and continuous dream. He suggests that when we read a novel we submit to the logic of that novel in the same way as we might submit to the logic of a dream – we sink into it, and clearly the events that occur could not exist outside the imagination.

What makes student writing in particular go wrong is when it draws attention to itself, either through bad writing or over-elaborate writing. He suggests that these faults in the aspirant writer alert the reader to the fact that they are reading a fiction and it is a bit like giving someone who is dreaming a nudge. It jolts them out of the dream. So he proposes that the student writer should try to create a dream state in the reader that is vivid and appeals to all the senses and is continuous. What you mustn’t do is alert the reader to the fact that they are reading a fiction.

It is a very good piece of advice for writers starting out but it is ultimately very limiting. It rules out all the great works of modernism and post-modernism, anything which is linguistically experimental. It rules out anything which draws attention to the words as words on a page. It’s a piece of advice which really applies to the writing of realist fiction, but is a very good place from which to begin.

And then people can move on.

I never would have expected the master of terror Stephen King to write a book about writing. But your next choice, On Writing , is more of an autobiography .

Yes. It is a surprise to a lot of people that this book is so widely read on university campuses and so widely recommended by teachers of writing. Students love it. It’s bracing: there’s no nonsense. He says somewhere in the foreword or preface that it is a short book because most books are filled with bullshit and he is determined not to offer bullshit but to tell it like it is.

It is autobiographical. It describes his struggle to emerge from his addictions – to alcohol and drugs – and he talks about how he managed to pull himself and his family out of poverty and the dead end into which he had taken them. He comes from a very disadvantaged background and through sheer hard work and determination he becomes this worldwide bestselling author. This is partly because of his idea of the creative muse. Most people think of this as some sprite or fairy that is usually feminine and flutters about your head offering inspiration. His idea of the muse is ‘a basement guy’, as he calls him, who is grumpy and turns up smoking a cigar. You have to be down in the basement every day clocking in to do your shift if you want to meet the basement guy.

Stephen King has this attitude that if you are going to be a writer you need to keep going and accept that quite a lot of what you produce is going to be rubbish and then you are going to revise it and keep working at it.

Do you agree with him?

Yes, I do. I think he talks an awful lot of sense. There is this question which continues to be asked of people who teach creative writing, even though it has been taught in the States for over 100 years and in the UK for over 40 years. We keep being asked, ‘Can writing be taught?’ And King says it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, but what is possible, with lots of hard work and dedication and timely help, is to make a good writer out of a merely competent one. And his book is partly intended to address that, to help competent writers to become good ones. It is inspirational because he had no sense of entitlement. He is not a bookish person and yet he becomes this figurehead.

He sounds inspirational. Your next book, Betsy Lerner’s The Forest for the Trees , looks at things from the editor’s point of view.

Yes, she was an editor at several major American publishing houses, such as Simon & Schuster. She went on to become an agent, and also did an MFA in poetry before that, so she came through the US creative writing process and understands where many writers are coming from.

The book is divided into two halves. In the second half she describes the process that goes from the completion of the author’s manuscript to submitting it to agents and editors. She explains what goes on at the agent’s offices and the publisher’s offices. She talks about the drawing up of contracts, negotiating advances and royalties. So she takes the manuscript from the author’s hands, all the way through the publishing process to its appearance in bookshops. She describes that from an insider’s point of view, which is hugely interesting.

But the reason I like this book is for the first half of it, which is very different. Here she offers six chapters, each of which is a character sketch of a different type of author. She has met each of them and so although she doesn’t mention names you feel she is revealing something to you about authors whose books you may have read. She describes six classic personality types. She has the ambivalent writer, the natural, the wicked child, the self-promoter, the neurotic and a chapter called ‘Touching Fire’, which is about the addictive and the mentally unstable.

It is very entertaining and informative and it is also hugely affirming. I identified myself with each one of the six types. There is a bit in each of them that sounded just like me. And I thought, well if they can get published so can I. You do often worry that you are an impostor, that you are only pretending to be a writer and that real writers are a completely different breed, but actually this book shows they can be just like you.

Your final choice is Worstward Ho by Samuel Beckett .

This is a tiny book – it is only about 40 pages and it has got these massive white margins and really large type. I haven’t counted, but I would guess it is only about two to three thousand words and it is dressed up as a novella when it is really only a short story. On the first page there is this riff: ‘Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’

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When I read this I thought I had discovered a slogan for the classroom that I could share with my students. I want to encourage them to make mistakes and not to be perfectionists, not to feel that everything they do has to be of publishable standard. The whole point of doing a course, especially a creative writing MA and attending workshops, is that you can treat the course as a sandpit. You go in there, you try things out which otherwise you wouldn’t try, and then you submit it to the scrutiny of your classmates and you get feedback. Inevitably there will be things that don’t work and your classmates will help you to identify those so that you can take it away and redraft it – you can try again. And inevitably you are going to fail again because any artistic endeavour is doomed to failure because the achievement can never match the ambition. That’s why artists keep producing their art and writers keep writing, because the thing you did last just didn’t quite satisfy you, just wasn’t quite right. And you keep going and trying to improve on that.

But why, when so much of it is about failing – failing to get published, failing to be satisfied, failing to be inspired – do writers carry on?

I have a really good quote from Joseph Conrad in which he says the sitting down is all. He spends eight hours at his desk, trying to write, failing to write, foaming at the mouth, and in the end wanting to hit his head on the wall but refraining from that for fear of alarming his wife!

It’s a familiar situation; lots of writers will have been there. For me it is a kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is something I have to keep returning to. I have to keep going back to the sentences, trying to get them right. Trying to line them up correctly. I can’t let them go. It is endlessly frustrating because they are never quite right.

You have published four books. Are you happy with them?

Reasonably happy. Once they are done and gone I can relax and feel a little bit proud of them. But at the time I just experience agonies. It takes me ages. It takes me four or five years to finish a novel partly because I always find distractions – like working in academia – something that will keep me away from the writing, which is equally as unrewarding as it is rewarding!

September 27, 2012

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Andrew Cowan

Andrew Cowan

Andrew Cowan is Professor of Creative Writing and Director of the Creative Writing programme at UEA. His first novel, Pig , won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, the Betty Trask Award, the Ruth Hadden Memorial Prize, the Author’s Club First Novel Award and a Scottish Council Book Award. He is also the author of the novels Common Ground , Crustaceans ,  What I Know  and  Worthless Men . His own creative writing guidebook is  The  Art  of  Writing  Fiction .

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creative writing books for beginners

The 20+ Best Books on Creative Writing

If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I write a book?”, “How do I write a short story?”, or “How do I write a poem?” you’re not alone. I’m halfway done my MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts , and I ask myself these questions a lot, too, though I’m noticing that by now I feel more comfortable with the answers that fit my personal craft. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a Master’s of Fine Arts in Writing candidate, or even a college graduate, in order to soak up the great Wisdom of Words, as I like to call it. Another word for it is craft . That’s because there are so many great books out there on writing craft. In this post, I’ll guide you through 20+ of the most essential books on creative writing. These essential books for writers will teach you what you need to know to write riveting stories and emotionally resonant books—and to sell them.

I just also want to put in a quick plug for my post with the word count of 175 favorite novels . This resource is helpful for any writer.

creative writing books for beginners

Now, with that done… Let’s get to it!

What Made the List of Essential Books for Writers—and What Didn’t

So what made the list? And what didn’t?

Unique to this list, these are all books that I have personally used in my journey as a creative and commercial writer.

That journey started when I was 15 and extended through majoring in English and Creative Writing as an undergrad at UPenn through becoming a freelance writer in 2014, starting this book blog, pursuing my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts , and publishing some fiction and nonfiction books myself . My point here is not to boast, just to explain that these books have all helped me better understand and apply the craft, discipline, and business of writing over the course of more than half my life as I’ve walked the path to become a full-time writer. Your mileage my vary , but each of these books have contributed to my growth as a writer in some way. I’m not endorsing books I’ve never read or reviewed. This list comes from my heart (and pen!).

Most of these books are geared towards fiction writers, not poetry or nonfiction writers

It’s true that I’m only one human and can only write so much in one post. Originally, I wanted this list to be more than 25 books on writing. Yes, 25 books! But it’s just not possible to manage that in a single post. What I’ll do is publish a follow-up article with even more books for writers. Stay tuned!

The most commonly recommended books on writing are left out.

Why? Because they’re everywhere! I’m aiming for under-the-radar books on writing, ones that aren’t highlighted often enough. You’ll notice that many of these books are self-published because I wanted to give voice to indie authors.

But I did want to include a brief write-up of these books… and, well, you’ve probably heard of them, but here are 7 of the most recommended books on writing:

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – With her guided practice on how to rejuvenate your art over the course of 16 weeks, Cameron has fashioned an enduring classic about living and breathing your craft (for artists as well as writers). This book is perhaps best known for popularizing the morning pages method.

The Art of Fiction by John Gardner – If you want to better understand how fiction works, John Gardner will be your guide in this timeless book.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott – A beloved writing book on process, craft, and overcoming stumbling blocks (both existential and material).

On Writing by Stephen King – A must-read hybrid memoir-craft book on the writer mythos and reality for every writer.

Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose – A core writing book that teaches you how to read with a writer’s eye and unlock the ability to recognize and analyze craft for yourself.

Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin – Many writers consider this to be their bible on craft and storytelling.

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg – A favorite of many writers, this book takes an almost spiritual approach to the art, craft, and experience of writing.

I’m aiming for under-the-radar books on writing on my list.

These books are all in print.

Over the years, I’ve picked up several awesome books on creative writing from used bookstores. Oh, how I wish I could recommend these! But many of them are out of print. The books on this list are all available new either as eBooks, hardcovers, or paperbacks. I guess this is the right time for my Affiliate Link disclaimer:

This article contains affiliate links, which means I might get a small portion of your purchase. For more on my affiliate link policy, check out my official Affiliate Link Disclaimer .

You’ll notice a lot of the books focus on the business of writing.

Too often, money is a subject that writers won’t talk about. I want to be upfront about the business of writing and making a living as a writer (or not ) with these books. It’s my goal to get every writer, even poets!, to look at writing not just from a craft perspective, but from a commercial POV, too.

And now on to the books!

Part i: the best books on writing craft, the anatomy of story by john truby.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You want to develop an instinctive skill at understanding the contours of storytelling .

All I want to do as a writer, my MO, is tell good stories well. It took me so long to understand that what really matters to me is good storytelling. That’s it—that’s the essence of what we do as writers… tell good stories well. And in The Anatomy of Story , legendary screenwriting teacher John Truby takes you through story theory. This book is packed with movie references to illustrate the core beat points in story, and many of these example films are actually literary adaptations, making this a crossover craft book for fiction writers and screenwriters alike.

How to read it: Purchase The Anatomy of Story on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

The art of memoir by mary karr.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You’re writing a memoir book or personal essays .

Nobody is a better person to teach memoir writing than Mary Karr, whose memoirs The Liar’s Club and Lit are considered classics of the genre. In The Art of Memoir , Karr delivers a master class on memoir writing, adapted from her experience as a writer and a professor in Syracuse’s prestigious MFA program. What I love about this book as an aspiring memoirist is Karr’s approach, which blends practical, actionable advice with more bigger-picture concepts on things like truth vs. fact in memoir storytelling. Like I said in the intro to this list, I didn’t include many nonfiction and poetry books on this list, but I knew I had to make an exception for The Art of Memoir .

How to read it: Purchase The Art of Memoir on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

The emotional craft of fiction by donald maass.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: Plot isn’t your problem, it’s character .

From literary agent Donald Maass, The Emotional Craft of Fiction gives you the skill set you need to master emotionally engaging fiction. Maass’s technique is to show you how readers get pulled into the most resonant, engaging, and unforgettable stories: by going through an emotional journey nimbly crafted by the author. The Emotional Craft of Fiction is a must-have work of craft to balance more plot-driven craft books.

How to read it: Purchase the The Emotional Craft of Fiction on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

How to Write Using the Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You need a quick-and-dirty plotting technique that’s easy to memorize .

I first heard of the “Snowflake Method” in the National Novel Writing Month forums (which, by the way, are excellent places for finding writing craft worksheets, book recommendations, and online resources). In How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method , the Snowflake Method is introduced by its creator. This quick yet thorough plotting and outlining structure is humble and easy to master. If you don’t have time to read a bunch of books on outlining and the hundreds of pages that would require, check out How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method for a quick, 235-page read.

How to read it: Purchase How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Meander, spiral, explode: design and pattern in narrative by jane alison.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You want to do a deep dive understanding of the core theory of story, a.k.a. narrative.

A most unconventional writing craft book, Meander, Spiral, Explode offers a theory of narrative (story) as recognizable patterns. According to author Jane Alison, there are three main narrative narratives in writing: meandering, spiraling, and exploding. This cerebral book (chock full of examples!) is equal parts seminar on literary theory as it is craft, and it will make you see and understand storytelling better than maybe any book on this list.

How to read it: Purchase Meander, Spiral, Explode on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

The modern library writer’s workshop by stephen koch.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You’re wondering what it means to be the writer you want to become .

This is one of the earliest creative writing books I ever bought and it remains among the best I’ve read. Why? Reading The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop echoes the kind of mind-body-spirit approach you need to take to writing. The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop doesn’t teach you the nuts and bolts of writing as much as it teaches you how to envision the machine. Koch zooms out to big picture stuff as much as zeroes in on the little details. This is an outstanding book about getting into the mindset of being a writer, not just in a commercial sense, but as your passion and identity. It’s as close as you’ll get to the feel of an MFA in Fiction education.

How to read it: Purchase The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Romancing the beat by gwen hayes.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You write or edit the romance genre and want a trusted plotting strategy to craft the perfect love story .

If you’re writing romance, you have to get Gwen Hayes’s Romancing the Beat . This book breaks down the plot points or “beats” you want to hit when you’re crafting your romance novel. When I worked as a romance novel outliner (yes, a real job), our team used Romancing the Beat as its bible; every outline was structured around Hayes’s formula. For romance writers (like myself) I cannot endorse it any higher.

How to read it: Purchase Romancing the Beat on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Save the cat writes a novel by jessica brody.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You have big ideas for a plot but need to work on the smaller moments that propel stories .

Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel adapts Blake Snyder’s bestselling screenwriting book Save the Cat! into story craft for writing novels. Brody reworks the Save the Cat! methodology in actionable, point-by-point stages of story that are each explained with countless relevant examples. If you want to focus your efforts on plot, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is an excellent place to go to start learning the ins and outs of what makes a good story.

How to read it: Purchase Save the Cat! Writes a Novel on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Story genius by lisa cron.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You’re a pantser and are terrified at outlining yet also realize you might have a “plot problem .”

More than any other book, Lisa Cron’s Story Genius will get you where you need to go for writing amazing stories. Story Genius helps you look at plotting differently, starting from a point of characterization in which our protagonists have a clearly defined need and misbelief that play off each other and move the story forward from an emotional interior and action exterior standpoint. For many of my fellow MFA students—and myself— Story Genius is the missing link book for marrying plot and character so you innately understand the contours of good story.

How to read it: Purchase Story Genius on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Wonderbook: the illustrated guide to creating imaginative fiction by jeff vandermeer.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You’re writing in a speculative fiction genre—like science fiction, fantasy, or horror—or are trying to better understand those genres.

Jeff VanderMeer’s Wonderbook is a dazzling gem of a book and a can’t-miss-it writing book for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror writers. This book will teach you all the skills you need to craft speculative fiction, like world-building, with micro-lessons and close-reads of excellent works in these genres. Wonderbook is also one to linger over, with lavish illustrations and every inch and corner crammed with craft talk for writing imaginative fiction (sometimes called speculative fiction). And who better to guide you through this than Jeff VanderMeer, author of the popular Southern Reach Trilogy, which kicks off with Annihilation , which was adapted into a feature film.

How to read it: Purchase Wonderbook on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Writing picture books by ann whitford paul.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You’re looking to write picture books and/or understand how they work .

This book is the only one you need to learn how to write and sell picture books. As an MFA student studying children’s literature, I’ve consulted with this book several times as I’ve dipped my toes into writing picture books, a form I considered scary and intimidating until reading this book. Writing Picture Books should be on the shelf of any writer of children’s literature. a.k.a. “kid lit.”

How to read it: Purchase Writing Picture Books on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Writing with emotion, conflict, and tension by cheryl st. john.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You need to work on the conflict, tension, and suspense that keep readers turning pages and your story going forward .

Mmm, conflict. As I said earlier, it’s the element of fiction writing that makes a story interesting and a key aspect of characterization that is underrated. In Writing with Emotion, Tension, and Conflict , bestselling romance author Cheryl St. John offers a masterclass on the delicate dance between incorporating conflict, the emotions it inspires in characters, and the tension that results from those two factors.

How to read it: Purchase Writing with Emotion, Tension, and Conflict on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Part ii: the best books on the productivity, mfas, and the business of writing, 2k to 10k: writing faster, writing better, and writing more of what you love by rachel aaron.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You struggle to find the time to write and always seem to be a chapter or two behind schedule .

If you’re struggling to find time of your own to write with competing obligations (family, work, whatever) making that hard, you need Rachel Aaron’s 2k to 10k . This book will get you in shape to go from writing just a few words an hour to, eventually, 10,000 words a day. Yes, you read that right. 10,000 words a day. At that rate, you can complete so many more projects and publish more. Writers simply cannot afford to waste time if they want to keep up the kind of production that leads to perpetual publication. Trust me, Aaron’s method works. It has for me. I’m on my way to 10k in the future, currently at like 4 or 5k a day for me at the moment.

How to read it: Purchase 2k to 10k on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

The 3 a.m. epiphany by brian kitele.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You’re going through writer’s block, have been away from writing for a while, or just want to loosen up and try something new .

Every writer must own an an exercise or prompt book. Why? Because regularly practicing your writing by going outside your current works-in-progress (or writer’s block) will free you up, help you plant the seeds for new ideas, and defrost your creative blocks. And the best book writing exercise book I know is The 3 A.M. Epiphany by Brian Kiteley, an MFA professor who uses prompts like these with his grad students. You’ll find that this book (and its sequel, The 4 A.M. Breakthrough ) go beyond cutesy exercises and forces you to push outside your comfort zone and learn something from the writing you find there.

How to read it: Purchase The 3 A.M. Epiphany on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

The 4-hour workweek by timothy ferriss.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You think being a writer means you have to be poor .

The 4-Hour Workweek changed my life. Although not strictly about writing in the traditional sense, The 4-Hour Workweek does an excellent job teaching you about how passive income can offer you freedom. I first heard about The 4-Hour Workweek when I was getting into tarot in 2013. On Biddy Tarot , founder Brigit (author of some of the best books on tarot ) related how she read this book, learned how to create passive income, and quit her corporate job to read tarot full time. As a person with a total and permanent disability, this spoke to me because it offered a way out of the 9-to-5 “active” income that I thought was the only way. I picked up Ferriss’s book and learned that there’s more than one option, and that passive income is a viable way for me to make money even when I’m too sick to work. I saw this come true last year when I was in the hospital. When I got out, I checked my stats and learned I’d made money off my blog and books even while I was hospitalized and couldn’t do any “active” work. I almost cried.; I’ve been working on my passive income game since 2013, and I saw a return on that time investment when I needed it most.

That’s why I’m recommending The 4-Hour Workweek to writers. So much of our trade is producing passive income products. Yes, your books are products! And for many writers, this means rewiring your brain to stop looking at writing strictly as an art that will leave you impoverished for life and start approaching writing as a business that can earn you a real living through passive income. No book will help you break out of that mindset better than The 4-Hour Workweek and its actionable steps, proven method, and numerous examples of people who have followed the strategy and are living the lifestyle they’ve always dreamed of but never thought was possible.

How to read it: Purchase The 4-Hour Workweek on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book by Courtney Maum

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You’re serious about making a living as a writer and publishing with a Big 5 or major indie publisher .

Courtney Maum’s Before and After the Book Deal addresses exactly what its title suggests: what happens after you sell your first book. This book is for ambitious writers intent on submission who know they want to write and want to avoid common pitfalls while negotiating terms and life after your debut. As many published authors would tell you, the debut is one thing, but following that book up with a sustainable, successful career is another trick entirely. Fortunately, we have Maum’s book, packed with to-the-moment details and advice.

How to read it: Purchase Before and After the Book Deal on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Diy mfa: write with focus, read with purpose, build your community by gabriela pereira.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You’re stressed out wondering if you really need an MFA .

The MFA is under this header “business of writing” because it is absolutely an economic choice you make. And, look, I’m biased. I’m getting an MFA. But back when I was grappling with whether or not it was worth it—the debt, the time, the stress—I consulted with DIY MFA , an exceptional guide to learning how to enrich your writing craft, career, and community outside the structures of an MFA program. I’ve also more than once visited the companion site, DIYMFA.com , to find a kind of never-ending rabbit hole of new and timeless content on the writing life. On DIYMFA.com and in the corresponding book, you’ll find a lively hub for author interviews, writing craft shop talk, reading lists, and business of writing articles.

How to read it: Purchase DIY MFA on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Mfa vs. nyc by chad harbach.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You’re wondering how far an MFA really gets you—and you’re ready to learn the realities of the publishing world .

About a thousand years ago (well, in 2007), I spent the fall of my sophomore year of college as a “Fiction Submissions and Advertising Intern” for the literary magazine n+1 , which was co-founded by Chad Harbach, who you might know from his buzzy novel, The Art of Fielding . In MFA vs NYC , Harbach offers his perspective as both an MFA graduate and someone deeply enmeshed in the New York City publishing industry. This thought-provoking look at these two arenas that launch writers will pull the wool up from your eyes about how publishing really works . It’s not just Harbach’s voice you get in here, though. The book, slim but mighty, includes perspectives from the likes of George Saunders and David Foster Wallace in the MFA camp and Emily Gould and Keith Gessen speaking to NYC’s writing culture.

How to read it: Purchase MFA vs. NYC on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Scratch: writers, money, and the art of making a living – edited by manjula martin.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: a) You’re worried about how to balance writing with making a living; b) You’re not worried about how to balance writing with making a living .

Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living is alternately one of the most underrated and essential books on writing out there. This collection of personal essays and interviews all revolve around the taboo theme of how writers make their living, and it’s not always—indeed, rarely—through writing alone. Some of the many contributing authors include Cheryl Strayed ( Wild ), Alexander Chee ( How to Write an Autobiographical Novel ), Jennifer Weiner ( Mrs. Everything ), Austin Kleon ( Steal Like an Artist ), and many others. Recently a young woman asked me for career advice on being a professional freelance writer, and I made sure to recommend Scratch as an eye-opening and candid read that is both motivating and candid.

How to read it: Purchase Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

Write to market: deliver a book that sells by chris fox.

creative writing books for beginners

For you if: You don’t know why your books aren’t selling—and you want to start turning a profit by getting a real publishing strategy

So you don’t have to be an indie author to internalize the invaluable wisdom you’ll find here in Write to Market . I first heard about Write to Market when I first joined the 20Booksto50K writing group on Facebook , a massive, supportive, motivating community of mostly indie authors. Everyone kept talking about Write to Market . I read the book in a day and found the way I looked at publishing change. Essentially, what Chris Fox does in Write to Market is help you learn to identify what are viable publishing niches. Following his method, I’ve since published several successful and #1 bestselling books in the quotations genre on Amazon . Without Fox’s book, I’m not sure I would have gotten there on my own.

How to read it: Purchase Write to Market on Amazon and add it on Goodreads

And that’s a wrap what are some of your favorite writing books, share this:, you might be interested in.

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Sarah S. Davis is the founder of Broke by Books, a blog about her journey as a schizoaffective disorder bipolar type writer and reader. Sarah's writing about books has appeared on Book Riot, Electric Literature, Kirkus Reviews, BookRags, PsychCentral, and more. She has a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Library and Information Science from Clarion University, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

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5 of the best writing books for beginners

By BBC Maestro Writing Last updated: 10 March 2022

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Writing a book can feel like a big challenge. From the genre of your story to the number of pages you want to write, it requires some careful consideration and a little guidance. Luckily, in this day and age, there are some great tools out there from writers who have been in the same shoes as you. 

In this article, we’ve collated some of the world's best writing books for beginners and summarised what you can expect to learn from them.

Considerations before you start writing

Before you begin your writing journey, it’s important to take some time to decide what kind of book you want to write and how you want to produce it.

You might already have an idea of what genre you would like to work with. But if you haven’t yet, there are a few prompts that can help you make your decision. You could start off reflecting on the books you enjoy reading yourself. Does the creative freedom of fiction excite you? Or perhaps retelling a story of factual events is more appealing? It’s entirely up to you.

You could take some inspiration from real life, as David Walliams says in his online writing course, “real life stories can give you some great ideas”. Perhaps a memoir, crime story or thriller piques your interest, or the simple sweetness of a love story. If it helps, you can consider what audience you would like to write for too. If it’s younger audiences, you may want to explore picture books , comics, children’s books or young adult fiction .

Once you’ve decided upon your genre, you also may have an indication of whether your story could work as a series of books, or, if it’s best, as a standalone. Although it’s not crucial to know at this stage, if you have an inkling it may lend itself nicely to a series, it can be useful to keep this in mind as you write.

It may also be worth exploring how you want to publish your book. A literary agent can get your manuscript read by some of the biggest publishers. However, having an agent isn’t crucial, as Julia Donaldson says in her BBC maestro course on writing picture books , “you don’t have to have a literary agent, I didn’t have one for years”. But as she later reveals, once you produce multiple books, an agent can be useful to help you manage your business affairs. The decision to secure an agent can be made later on in the process, but for the sake of planning, financials and writing something with commercial potential, you may want to start thinking about it earlier on.

A person writing

5 of the best writing books

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody (2018)

Based on Blake Snyder’s enormously popular Save the Cat! screenwriting book, which has sat firmly on the best-seller shelves for over 15 years, this novel-writing edition is a popular choice for budding authors. Its various editions have been hailed by screenwriters and novel writers alike. Why is this? you ask. Many praise it as a great resource that cuts through those clouds of dwell and doubt that writers face when starting their next work, and delivers the perfect formula to writing a hit success. It focuses on the basic ideas involved in structuring a story, which has made it a universal tool for all writers.

In the screenplay edition, Snyder shares the secrets of screenplay physics, delves into the creative intricacies involved in writing across a range of genres, and uncovers tactful ways to navigate conflict and emotional change. A book that inspired filmmaker Edgar Wright , it’s well worth a glance at Snyder’s work if you’re looking to make the leap into writing.

On Writing by Stephen King (2000)

Written by one of the world’s most prolific horror authors, On Writing is an ode to the magnificent craft of writing. Part memoir, part writing how-to guide, Stephen King uncovers his own experiences as a writer and unlocks some treasured advice for aspiring writers along the way too. It's one of David Walliams' favourites.

Organised into five sections, each part outlines a different path of advice. In the first section, entitled ‘CV’, he explores the different life experiences that shaped his writing career. In the second section, ‘What Writing Is’, he urges readers to grasp the seriousness of writing, amplifying the huge privilege it is to be able to communicate by writing. The third section, ‘Toolbox’, details the mechanics of language, whilst the fourth section, ‘On Writing’, gives advice and wisdom for fledgling writers. He rounds up the book with section number five, ‘On Living: A Postscript’, where he sheds light on his life today. Stephen King’s work continues to influence today’s leading writers, such as Ken Follett , and will likely will inspire many more generations of them too.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (1992)

This book helps aspiring writers discover their creative self. Written by teacher, author, poet, playwright, novelist and filmmaker, Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way adopts more of a spiritual and sensitive approach to writing. The book outlines a 12-week approach, aiming to help people shift creative blocks, uncover any limiting beliefs or feelings that may be blocking someone’s flow, and replace it with artistic confidence and a hunger to put pen to paper. Over the years the book has helped many creative individuals find their voice. Maybe it can help you find yours.

Story by Robert McKee (2006)

In this guide, notable author, lecturer and story consultant, Robert McKee , breaks down the craft of writing into simple, clear and easy to follow steps for budding writers. Famous for his ‘Story Seminar’, which he developed in his time as a professor at the University of Southern California, McKee condenses the content and wisdom taught in the classroom into a tool that is accessible for all. He delves into the substance, structure and style of screenwriting, but makes clear its value far beyond the screen – with insights to be cherished by playwrights, journalists and novelists too.

The Screenwriter’s Workbook by Syd Field (1984)  

This work, authored by the legendary noted teacher, lecturer and author, Syd Field , has been pivotal in the world of screenwriting . Famous for his version of the three-act structure, use of plot points and inciting incidents to kick-start the action, this writing book offers a masterclass from one of the brightest minds in writing.  Field breaks down the arguably overwhelming topic into definitive categories and steps easy for writers of any level to follow. He dives into the rules of structure, of paradigm, and what makes a good character, acting as a guide throughout the writing process. Esteemed writer Alan Moore references Syd Field's book in his BBC Maestro online storytelling course , as it was recommended to him while he was working on the screenplay for the film Fashion Beast . Syd Field later authored The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver in 1998, which too made waves in the writing space.

Beginning to write may feel daunting at first, but with guidance from authors who have inspired some of the best stories of today, you have all the tools you need to get started. There are plenty of resources out there to help – books, podcasts, and even online writing courses too. As Lee Child puts it, "if you want to be a writer, you have to be a reader first." So get started today.

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100 Best Creative Writing Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best creative writing books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

creative writing books for beginners

A Memoir of the Craft

Stephen King | 5.00

creative writing books for beginners

Mark Manson I read a bunch of books on writing before I wrote my first book and the two that stuck with me were Stephen King’s book and “On Writing Well” by Zinsser (which is a bit on the technical side). (Source)

Jennifer Rock If you are interested in writing and communication, start with reading and understanding the technical aspects of the craft: The Elements of Style. On Writing Well. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. (Source)

Benjamin Spall [Question: What five books would you recommend to youngsters interested in your professional path?] On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft by Stephen King, [...] (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

creative writing books for beginners

Bird By Bird

Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Anne Lamott | 4.88

creative writing books for beginners

Susan Cain I love [this book]. Such a good book. (Source)

Timothy Ferriss Bird by Bird is one of my absolute favorite books, and I gift it to everybody, which I should probably also give to startup founders, quite frankly. A lot of the lessons are the same. But you can get to your destination, even though you can only see 20 feet in front of you. (Source)

Ryan Holiday It was wonderful to read these two provocative books of essays by two incredibly wise and compassionate women. [...] Anne Lamott’s book is ostensibly about the art of writing, but really it too is about life and how to tackle the problems, temptations and opportunities life throws at us. Both will make you think and both made me a better person this year. (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

The War of Art

out of 5 stars4,70 | 4.76

creative writing books for beginners

James Altucher When a writer or an entrepreneur, or a manager, or an employee, or a…whatever…sits down to get to work, he or she is often met by “the resistance”. The excuses that come up: I can’t do this. I am too old. I don’t have enough money. I’m scared. “The War of Art” is the guide to getting through that block. The comfort zone is papered up and cemented shut by our excuses. Learn to blast through that... (Source)

Seth Godin Also hard to find on audio. I find Steve's voice to be fascinating, and even before I knew him, I was fascinated by listening to him speak his own work. The War of Art is one of those books, at least for me when I finally was exposed to it, I said, 'Why wasn't I informed? Why did it take this long for this book to land on my desk?'... You need to be clear with yourself about what you are afraid... (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Brian Koppelman Talks about resistance. (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

The Elements of Style

William Jr. Strunk | 4.57

creative writing books for beginners

Tobi Lütke [My] most frequently gifted book is [this book] because I like good writing. (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Bill Nye This is my guide. I accept that I’ll never write anything as good as the introductory essay by [the author]. It’s brilliant. (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

The Hero With a Thousand Faces

Joseph Campbell | 4.57

The first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, the book creates a roadmap for navigating the frustrating path of contemporary life. Examining heroic myths in the light of modern psychology, it considers not only the patterns and stages of mythology but also its relevance to our lives today--and to the life of any person seeking a fully realized existence. Myth, according to Campbell, is the projection of a culture's dreams onto a large screen; Campbell's book, like Star Wars , the...

The first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, the book creates a roadmap for navigating the frustrating path of contemporary life. Examining heroic myths in the light of modern psychology, it considers not only the patterns and stages of mythology but also its relevance to our lives today--and to the life of any person seeking a fully realized existence. Myth, according to Campbell, is the projection of a culture's dreams onto a large screen; Campbell's book, like Star Wars , the film it helped inspire, is an exploration of the big-picture moments from the stage that is our world. It is a must-have resource for both experienced students of mythology and the explorer just beginning to approach myth as a source of knowledge.

creative writing books for beginners

Ray Dalio The book I’d give [every graduating senior in college or high school] would be [...] Joseph Campbell’s 'Hero of a Thousand Faces'. It's little bit dense but it’s so rich, so it’s a good one. (Source)

Darren Aronofsky [I'm] totally part of his cult. Because I believe in that hero’s journey. (Source)

Kyle Russell Book 28 Lesson: Embedded in human psychology (and the resulting symbolism we find compelling) is a wish for our struggles to be meaningful, for our suffering to have value, for our effort to pay off for ourselves and those we love - and to then be recognized for it. https://t.co/lWgr4k7d8Y (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

On Writing Well

The Classic Guide To Writing Nonfiction

William Zinsser | 4.55

creative writing books for beginners

Tim O'Reilly On Writing Well, by William Zinsser. I wouldn't say this book influenced me, since my principles of writing were established long before I read it. However, it does capture many things that I believe about effective writing. (Source)

Derek Sivers Great blunt advice about writing better non-fiction. So inspiring. (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

The Writer's Journey

Mythic Structure for Writers

Christopher Vogler | 4.50

Darren Aronofsky It’s the Bible for screenwriters. I think it’s the best book on how to write a screenplay ever written. It helped me get through so many roadblocks as a writer. (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Writing Down the Bones

Freeing the Writer Within

Natalie Goldberg | 4.47

creative writing books for beginners

Brie Code @gamesandbowties Oh I love that book! And am intrigued by mystic poetry and would love to see it on Twitter 😇 (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Writing Tools

50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer

Roy Peter Clark | 4.47

creative writing books for beginners

The Artist's Way

Julia Cameron | 4.46

creative writing books for beginners

Anand C STARTING FROM AUTHENTICITY: by observing, showing humility and being grateful - I started being open to what’s in the sub-conscious more (30+ sessions in). Speaking your truth is a powerful result of this. One great book to help explore this. https://t.co/sOAgAHhWsO (Source)

Emma Gannon Instead of all these fast paced books saying: ‘Here’s how to be amazing, here’s how to get a side hustle, here’s how to hustle, hustle, hustle.’ This is the total opposite. It’s about slowing right down and connecting with yourself again. (Source)

Don't have time to read the top Creative Writing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.

creative writing books for beginners

The Emotion Thesaurus

A Writer's Guide to Character Expression

Becca Puglisi | 4.38

creative writing books for beginners

Save the Cat

The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

Blake Snyder | 4.37

creative writing books for beginners

Eric Weinstein [Eric Weinstein recommended this book on Twitter.] (Source)

Bill Liao The human world occurs in language so best get good at it! (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Neville Medhora It takes you through 11 different 'archetypes' of screenplays you can write, and the exact elements each needs to be a great story. (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting

Robert McKee | 4.35

creative writing books for beginners

Gotham Writers' Workshop: Writing Fiction

The Practical Guide From New York's Acclaimed Creative Writing School

Gotham Writers' Workshop | 4.33

creative writing books for beginners

The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction

Jeff VanderMeer, Jeremy Zerfoss | 4.33

creative writing books for beginners

Becoming a Writer

Dorothea Brande, John Gardner | 4.33

creative writing books for beginners

Sophie King This book will help you work out what you can do with your own book. (Source)

Andrew Cowan Because creative writing has now taken off and has become this very widespread academic discipline it is beginning to acquire its own canon of key works and key texts. This is one of the oldest of them. It’s a book that almost anyone who teaches creative writing will have read. They will probably have read it because some fundamentals are explained and I think the most important one is Brande’s... (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

How to Edit Yourself Into Print

Renni Browne, Dave King | 4.32

Alina Varlanuta My professional path – copywriting – somehow intertwines with my unprofessional (hahaha) path – writing so I would recommend reading literature for both. Somehow reading and writing are two ways of doing the same thing: storytelling (even when you read you tell yourself a story in your own voice, bringing your personal emotion and empathy to the story you’re reading). The only difference is that... (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Plot & Structure

Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish

James Scott Bell | 4.30

creative writing books for beginners

Zen in the Art of Writing

Ray Bradbury | 4.27

creative writing books for beginners

Maria Popova In Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You, Ray Bradbury — acclaimed author, dystopian novelist, hater of symbolism — shares not only his wisdom and experience in writing, but also his contagious excitement for the craft. Blending practical how-to’s on everything from finding your voice to negotiating with editors with snippets and glimpses of the author’s own career,... (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Steering the Craft

Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew

Ursula K. Le Guin | 4.27

creative writing books for beginners

Reading Like a Writer

A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them

Francine Prose | 4.27

creative writing books for beginners

Steal Like an Artist

10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

Austin Kleon | 4.26

creative writing books for beginners

Seth Godin Breezy and fun and yes, scary. Scary because it calls your bluff. (Source)

Ryan Holiday Part of ambition is modeling yourself after those you’d like to be like. Austin’s philosophy of ruthlessly stealing and remixing the greats might sound appalling at first but it is actually the essence of art. You learn by stealing, you become creative by stealing, you push yourself to be better by working with these materials. Austin is a fantastic artist, but most importantly he communicates... (Source)

Chase Jarvis Super small, fast read. (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Outlining Your Novel

Map Your Way to Success

K. M. Weiland | 4.25

creative writing books for beginners

Writing Fiction for Dummies

Randy Ingermanson | 4.23

creative writing books for beginners

Characters and Viewpoint (Elements of Fiction Writing)

Orson Scott Car | 4.22

creative writing books for beginners

Wired for Story

The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence

Lisa Cron | 4.22

creative writing books for beginners

2,000 to 10,000

How to Write Faster, Write Better, and Write More of What You Love

Rachel Aaro | 4.21

creative writing books for beginners

Creating Character Arcs

The Masterful Author's Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development (Helping Writers Become Authors Book 7)

K.M. Weiland | 4.21

Powerful Character Arcs Create Powerful Stories

Have you written a story with an exciting concept and interesting characters—but it just isn’t grabbing the attention of readers or agents? It’s time to look deeper into the story beats that create realistic and compelling character arcs. Internationally published, award-winning novelist K.M. Weiland shares her acclaimed method for achieving memorable and moving character arcs in every book you write.

By applying the foundation of the Three-Act Story Structure and then...

By applying the foundation of the Three-Act Story Structure and then delving even deeper into the psychology of realistic and dynamic human change, Weiland offers a beat-by-beat checklist of character arc guidelines that flexes to fit any type of story.

This comprehensive book will teach you:

Gaining an understanding of how to write character arcs is a game-changing moment in any author’s pursuit of the craft.

Bring your characters to unforgettable and realistic life—and take your stories from good to great!

creative writing books for beginners

Writing Fiction

A Guide to Narrative Craft

Janet Burroway, Elizabeth Stuckey-French | 4.20

creative writing books for beginners

Story Engineering

Character Development, Story Concept, Scene Construction

Larry Brooks | 4.19

creative writing books for beginners

The Art of Fiction

Notes on Craft for Young Writers

John Gardner | 4.19

creative writing books for beginners

The Anatomy of Story

22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller

John Truby | 4.19

creative writing books for beginners

Writing Magic

Creating Stories that Fly

Gail Carson Levine | 4.19

creative writing books for beginners

The Positive Trait Thesaurus

A Writer's Guide to Character Attributes

Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi | 4.18

creative writing books for beginners

The Art of Dramatic Writing

Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives

Lajos Egri | 4.17

creative writing books for beginners

Seth Rogen Very referential to certain plays. (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

The Negative Trait Thesaurus

A Writer's Guide to Character Flaws

Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi | 4.17

creative writing books for beginners

The Emotional Wound Thesaurus

A Writer's Guide to Psychological Trauma

Becca Puglisi | 4.16

creative writing books for beginners

Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint

Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints

Nancy Kress | 4.16

•Choose and execute the best...
•Choose and execute the best point of view for your story •Create three-dimensional and believable characters •Develop your characters' emotions •Create realistic love, fight, and death scenes •Use frustration to motivate your characters and drive your story

creative writing books for beginners

Structuring Your Novel

Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story

K. M. Weiland | 4.16

creative writing books for beginners

Creative Living Beyond Fear

Elizabeth Gilbert | 4.16

Mark Manson I read a bunch of books on writing before I wrote my first book and the two that stuck with me were Stephen King’s book and “On Writing Well” by Zinsser (which is a bit on the technical side). I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic.” (Source)

Chelsea Frank I read everything with an open mind, often challenging myself by choosing books with an odd perspective or religious/spiritual views. These books do not reflect my personal feelings but are books that helped shape my perspective on life, love, and happiness. (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Story Genius

How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere)

Lisa Cron | 4.16

creative writing books for beginners

Back to Creative Writing School

Bridget Whelan | 4.15

creative writing books for beginners

Writing the Breakout Novel

Donald Maass | 4.15

creative writing books for beginners

Where the Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak | 4.15

creative writing books for beginners

Richard Branson Today is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. (Source)

Barack Obama During a trip to a public library in Washington’s Anacostia neighborhood in 2015, Obama shared some of his childhood favorites with a group of young students. He also read (and acted out) Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak to kids at the White House in 2014. (Source)

Martha Stewart In this photo, Jimmy Fallon and I enjoy slurping Eggs of Newt together for Season-5 of “The Martha Stewart Show." I am dressed as "Queen of the Wild Things" inspired by the beloved Maurice Sendak children's book, "Where the Wild Things Are." https://t.co/1ZBqXEW7dC (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Into the Woods

A Five Act Journey Into Story

out of 5 stars31 | 4.15

creative writing books for beginners

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

The Last Book on Novel Writing You'll Ever Need

Jessica Brody | 4.14

creative writing books for beginners

How to Write a Damn Good Novel

A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling

James N. Frey | 4.14

creative writing books for beginners

Scene & Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing)

Jack M. Bickham | 4.14

creative writing books for beginners

On Becoming a Novelist

John Gardner, Raymond Carver | 4.14

Andrew Cowan This is another one of the classics. He was quite a successful novelist in the States, but possibly an even more successful teacher of creative writing. The short story writer and poet Raymond Carver, for instance, was one of his students. And he died young in a motorcycle accident when he was 49. There are two classic works by him. One is this book, On Becoming a Novelist, and the other is The... (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Stein on Writing

A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies

Sol Stein | 4.14

creative writing books for beginners

Letters to a Young Poet

Rainer Maria Rilke | 4.13

Todd Henry A book of mentorship for young artists. (Source)

Estella Ng Letters to a Young Poet - it is everything. [...] This line in Letters to a Young Poet “If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself, tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches" is an important one to me. I constantly go back to this to evaluate if I have been living a full life. (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go

Les Edgerton | 4.13

*The first and only fiction-writing book that focuses exclusively on beginnings--no other book on the market addresses story beginnings in a comprehensive manner

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....

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. Hooked provides readers with a detailed understanding of what a beginning must include (setup, backstory, the inciting incident, etc.); instruction on how to successfully develop the story problem; tips on how to correct common beginning mistakes; exclusive insider advice from agents, acquiring book editors, and literary journal editors; and much more.

creative writing books for beginners

The Writing Life

Annie Dillard | 4.13

creative writing books for beginners

How Not to Write a Novel

200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them—A Misstep-by-Misstep Guide

Howard Mittelmark, Sandra Newman | 4.13

creative writing books for beginners

How to Write Dazzling Dialogue

The Fastest Way to Improve Any Manuscript

James Scott Bel | 4.12

creative writing books for beginners

Take Off Your Pants! Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing

Libbie Hawke | 4.12

creative writing books for beginners

Conflict and Suspense (Elements of Fiction Writing)

James Scott Bell | 4.11

Conflict pulls readers into a story and suspense carries them along until its conclusion. Expert author of over 15 thrillers, James Scott Bell offers proven techniques that help writers craft fiction that their readers won?t be able to put down. Learn how to believably weave conflict and suspense into a story, how to pace your story and keep the pressure on throughout, and how to bring it all to a gripping conclusion.

creative writing books for beginners

The First Five Pages

A Writer's Guide To Staying Out of the Rejection Pile

Noah Lukeman | 4.11

Many writers spend the majority of their time devising their plot. What they don't seem to understand is that if their execution -- if their prose -- isn't up to par, their plot may not even be considered.

creative writing books for beginners

Write. Publish. Repeat. (The No-Luck-Required Guide to Self-Publishing Success)

Sean M. Platt and Johnny Truan | 4.10

In 2013, Johnny B. Truant and Sean Platt published 1.5 million words and made their full-time livings as indie authors. In Write. Publish. Repeat., they tell you exactly how they did it: how they created over 15 independent franchises across 50+ published works, how they turned their art into a logical, sustainable business, and how any independent author can do the same to build a sustainable, profitable career with their writing.

Write. Publish. Repeat. explains the current self-publishing landscape and...

Write. Publish. Repeat. explains the current self-publishing landscape and covers the truths and myths about what it means to be an indie author now and in the foreseeable future. It explains how to create books your readers will love and will want to return to again and again. Write. Publish. Repeat. details expert methods for building story worlds, characters, and plots, understanding your market (right down to your ideal reader), using the best tools possible to capture your draft, and explains proven best practices for editing. The book also discusses covers, titles, formatting, pricing, and publishing to multiple platforms, plus a bit on getting your books into print (and why that might not be a good idea!). But most importantly, Write. Publish. Repeat. details the psychology-driven marketing plan that Sean and Johnny built to shape their stories into "products" that readers couldn't help but be drawn into -- thus almost automatically generating sales -- and explores ways that smart, business-minded writers can do the same to future-proof their careers.

This book is not a formula with an easy path to follow. It is a guidebook that will help you build a successful indie publishing career, no matter what type of writer you are ... so long as you're the type who's willing to do the work.

James Altucher Sean Platt has a good book that just came out about writing many books. I recommend it. “Write. Publish. Repeat.” I think Sean has published over 50 books. I don’t know because he uses pseudonyms as well. (Source)

Kaci Lambe Kai On the same flight, I read Write. Publish. Repeat. by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant. They made it seem so easy to become an author and a creative. It's as easy as the title. Create a thing. Put it out into the world. Do it all over again. I got off that flight a changed human being. I knew I wanted to make my living as an independent creative in which I create works, release them, and obtain... (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

The Ode Less Travelled

Unlocking the Poet Within

Stephen Fry | 4.08

Fry is a wonderfully engaging teacher and writer of poetry himself, and he explains the various elements of poetry in simple terms, without condescension. His enjoyable exercises and witty insights introduce the concepts of Metre, Rhyme, Form, Diction, and Poetics. Aspiring poets will learn to write a sonnet, on ode, a villanelle, a ballad, and a haiku, among others. Along the way, he introduces us to poets we've heard of, but never read. The Ode Less Travelled is a lively celebration of poetry that makes even the most reluctant reader want to pick up a pencil and give it a try. BACKCOVER: Advanced Praise: “Delightfully erudite, charming and soundly pedagogical guide to poetic form… Fry has created an invaluable and highly enjoyable reference book.” — Publishers Weekly “A smart, sane and entertaining return to the basics… If you like Fry's comic manner… this book has a lot of charm… People entirely fresh to the subject could do worse than stick with his cheerful leadership.” — The Telegraph (UK) “…intelligent and informative, a worthy enterprise well executed.” — Observer (UK) "If you learn how to write a sonnet, and Fry shows you how, you may or may not make a poem. But you will unlock the stored wisdom of the form itself." —Grey Gowrie, The Spectator (UK) “…intelligent and informative, a worthy enterprise well executed.” — Observer (UK)

creative writing books for beginners

The Forest for the Trees

Betsy Lerner | 4.08

Andrew Cowan Yes, she was an editor at several major American publishing houses, such as Simon & Schuster. She went on to become an agent, and also did an MFA in poetry before that, so she came through the US creative writing process and understands where many writers are coming from. (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

No Plot? No Problem!

A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days

Chris Baty | 4.08

creative writing books for beginners

Daily Rituals

How Artists Work

Mason Currey | 4.08

creative writing books for beginners

Alok Kejriwal Daily Rituals - Book Review "Sooner or later, Pritchett writes, "great men turn to be alike. They never stop working. They never lose a minute. It's very depressing". Daily Rituals is a remarkable book. It chronicles the daily habits of artists, writers, composers.. see note https://t.co/tMUhBKmzkI (Source)

Bobby Voicu Mason Currey’s "Daily Rituals" will show you how 161 of the most creative and inspiring minds in the world work. This book’s great to demolish the myth that artists don’t have a routine and they’re just waiting for inspiration to hit them. As David Brook… https://t.co/4Owd29TQEm (Source)

B. J. Novak B. J. also recommended Daily Rituals by Mason Currey for anyone who would enjoy seeing the daily routines of legends like Steve Jobs, Charles Darwin, and Charles Dickens. "It is so reassuring to see that everyone has their own system, and how dysfunctional a lot of them are". (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Divergent (Divergent, #1)

Veronica Roth | 4.08

creative writing books for beginners

The Foundations of Screenwriting

Syd Field | 4.07

creative writing books for beginners

The Fire in Fiction

Passion, Purpose and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great

Donald Maass | 4.07

creative writing books for beginners

The Writing Strategies Book

Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Writers

Jennifer Serravallo | 4.06

creative writing books for beginners

The Story Grid

What Good Editors Know

Shawn Coyne and Steven Pressfiel | 4.06

creative writing books for beginners

Revision & Self-Editing

Techniques for Transforming Your First Draft Into a Finished Novel

James Scott Scott Bell | 4.06

•Write a cleaner first draft right out of the gate using Bell's plotting principles •Get the most out of revision and self-editing techniques by honing your skills with detailed exercises •Systematically revise a completed draft using the ultimate revision checklist that talks you through the core story elements

creative writing books for beginners

Spilling Ink

A Young Writer's Handbook

Ellen Potter, Anne Mazer, et al. | 4.06

creative writing books for beginners

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Judi Barrett, Ronald Barrett | 4.06

creative writing books for beginners

Travis Herzog I absolutely LOVED this book as a kid, and I still love reading it today as an adult. @Ginger_Zee and @RobMarciano, I challenge you to post your own "shelfie" (selfie with a book) and @Disney will donate up to 1 million books for kids in need! #magicofstorytelling https://t.co/zEwuZpf0zc (Source)

The Rural Setting Thesaurus

A Writer's Guide to Personal and Natural Places

Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi | 4.06

creative writing books for beginners

Emotion Amplifiers

Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglis | 4.05

creative writing books for beginners

Techniques of the Selling Writer

Dwight V. Swain | 4.05

creative writing books for beginners

The Right to Write

An Invitation and Initiation Into the Writing Life

Julia Cameron | 4.05

creative writing books for beginners

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy

Orson Scott Card | 4.05

creative writing books for beginners

Still Writing

The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life

Dani Shapiro | 4.05

creative writing books for beginners

Writing 21st Century Fiction

High Impact Techniques for Exceptional Storytelling

Donald Maass | 4.04

creative writing books for beginners

Ernest Hemingway on Writing

Larry W. Phillips | 4.04

Maria Popova Ernest Hemingway famously maintained that it was bad luck to talk about writing. Yet, over the course of his career, he frequently wrote about writing in his novels and short stories, his letters to editors, friends, critics, and lovers, in interviews, and even in articles specifically commissioned on the subject. In Ernest Hemingway on Writing, editor Larry W. Phillips culls the finest,... (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

Imaginative Writing

Janet Burroway | 4.04

creative writing books for beginners

Eats, Shoots & Leaves

The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

Lynne Truss | 4.04

creative writing books for beginners

Write to Market

Deliver a Book that Sells (Write Faster, Write Smart, #3)

Chris Fox | 4.03

creative writing books for beginners

Insurgent (Divergent, #2)

Veronica Roth | 4.03

creative writing books for beginners

The Science of Storytelling

out of 5 stars10 | 4.03

‘One of my absolute favourite writers’ Decca Aitkenhead

Who would we be without stories?

Stories mould who we are, from our character to our cultural identity. They drive us to act out our dreams and ambitions, and shape our politics and beliefs. We use them to construct our relationships, to keep order in our law courts, to interpret events in our newspapers and social media. Storytelling is an essential part of what makes us human.

There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story – from Joseph Campbell’s...

There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story – from Joseph Campbell’s well-worn theories about myth and archetype to recent attempts to crack the ‘Bestseller Code’. But few have used a scientific approach. This is curious, for if we are to truly understand storytelling in its grandest sense, we must first come to understand the ultimate storyteller – the human brain.

In this scalpel-sharp, thought-provoking book, Will Storr demonstrates how master storytellers manipulate and compel us, leading us on a journey from the Hebrew scriptures to Mr Men, from Booker Prize-winning literature to box set TV. Applying dazzling psychological research and cutting-edge neuroscience to the foundations of our myths and archetypes, he shows how we can use these tools to tell better stories – and make sense of our chaotic modern world.

creative writing books for beginners

Hannah Fry This is the intro to The Science of Storytelling by @wstorr. Easily the best book I've read this year. https://t.co/WzpSWlzVGi https://t.co/RX9kdQANeB (Source)

Adam Rutherford Tomorrow night at @WaterstonesTCR I’ll be in conversation with @wstorr about his brilliant book The Science of Storytelling - a book that has made me change how I write. Come. https://t.co/mbQpHfwysV (Source)

creative writing books for beginners

The Art of War for Writers

Fiction Writing Strategies, Tactics, and Exercises

James Scott Bell | 4.03

creative writing books for beginners

The Sense of Style

The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century

Steven Pinker | 4.03

creative writing books for beginners

Writing Alone and with Others

Pat Schneider, Peter Elbow | 4.02

creative writing books for beginners

The Urban Setting Thesaurus

A Writer's Guide to City Spaces

Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi | 4.02

creative writing books for beginners

Living the Writer's Life

Natalie Goldberg | 4.02

creative writing books for beginners

The Creative Writing Coursebook

Forty Authors Share Advice and Exercises for Fiction and Poetry

Julia Bell, Paul Magrs, Andrew Motion | 4.02

creative writing books for beginners

Getting Into Character

Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn from Actors

Brandilyn Collins | 4.02

creative writing books for beginners

GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict

The Building Blocks of Good Fiction

Debra Dixon | 4.01

creative writing books for beginners

The Modern Library Writer's Workshop

A Guide to the Craft of Fiction

Stephen Koch | 4.01

creative writing books for beginners

Beginnings, Middles & Ends (Elements of Fiction Writing)

Nancy Kress | 4.01

creative writing books for beginners

Old Friend from Far Away

The Practice of Writing Memoir

Natalie Goldberg | 4.01

creative writing books for beginners

Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers

Anne Bernays, Pamela Painter | 4.01

creative writing books for beginners

Description & Setting

Ron Rozelle | 4.01

creative writing books for beginners

The Art of the Novel

Milan Kundera | 4.00

creative writing books for beginners

Make a Scene

Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time

Jordan E. Rosenfeld | 4.00

creative writing books for beginners

Story Trumps Structure

How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules

Steven James and Donald Maas | 4.00

Essential Books for Writers

The Center for Fiction

essential

Maybe calling our list "Essential Books for Writers" is a bit of a stretch. We know that there are many opinions on what makes great writing, and what works for one person may not work for the next. Can you imagine Ernest Hemingway, Flannery O'Connor, and Charles Dickens debating about the right way to write? But we wanted to give you some options and inspiration on your path to whatever a successful life as a writer looks like to you. We hope you'll find your essential guide in our list. Happy reading and writing!

on writing

By Stephen King

Published by Scribner

Leave it to the literary rock star to compose a craft book that’s as entertaining as a good novel. “This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit,” King writes. What follows is a witty, practical, and sometimes poignant guide that is refreshingly devoid of the aforementioned BS. King relates his personal story of becoming a writer, then offers a “toolkit” of clear advice about everything from dialogue and descriptive passages to revisions and the head game. And there’s more: tips for beginning writers on submitting work for publication, a mark-up of one of King’s own manuscripts, and a reading list. You might not be awake at 3 a.m. turning these pages, but we promise  On Writing  will open your eyes to essential tricks of the trade.

shapiro-dani.still-writing

Still Writing

By Dani Shapiro

Published by Grove/Atlantic

Dani Shapiro’s book,  Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life , is a perfect walk through an imperfect process. She shares the tried and true rules that some aspiring writers may want to hear, like using the five senses, sticking to a work schedule, and avoiding clichéd characters; but it is the places where Shapiro acknowledges the ambiguity of the process that stand out. Peppered with personal history and insight into how and where she created novels like  Black and White  as well as acclaimed memoirs  Devotion  and  Slow Motion , Shapiro gives us a road map to writing with one simple direction at its heart: Keep writing. The rules she lays out are meant to be broken; no life-story is more worthy of being written than any other; no process (unless it involves surfing the Web instead of actually writing) is wrong. Yes, Dani Shapiro is still writing, and because she possesses that all-important need to create, it seems she will be doing so for quite some time.

On Moral Fiction by John Gardner

On Moral Fiction

By John Gardner

Published by HarperCollins

John Gardner’s  On Moral Fiction , by now a well-known classic, is as relevant in its exploration of the obligations of literature as when it was first published in 1979. Gardner discusses art and criticism, concluding that the artist has a responsibility to produce “moral” works for the sake of society. “Art discovers, generation after generation, what is necessary to humanness,” says Gardner. By linking literature to such elemental ideas as immortality and death, entropy and truth, Gardner dramatizes the act of writing itself, coloring literature and criticism with such vitality and excitement that it is hard not to become exhilarated. “Art gropes,” Gardner says. “It stalks like a hunter lost in the woods, listening to itself and to everything around it, unsure of itself, waiting to pounce.” You might say that some of his ideas are outrageous or unconventional, but none of them lack the ability to provoke us.

white shirt

First You Write

By Joni Rodgers

It’s fitting that Joni Rodgers’s  First You Write: The Worst Way to Become an Almost Famous Author and the Best Advice I Got While Doing It  is available only as an e-book. Rodgers’s writes with wit and candor not only about her circuitous route to becoming a  New York Times bestselling memoirist ( Bald in the Land of Big Hair , a searingly funny account of her journey through cancer) and a critically acclaimed small-press novelist ( Crazy for Trying ;  Sugar Land ), but also about her pioneering adventures in self-publishing on Kindle. Rodgers’s willingness to experiment (isn’t that what artists do?) and to turn preconceived publishing notions on their ear is wonderfully refreshing, and her whip-smart observations will keep you turning (virtual) pages.

the-forest-for-the-trees-alt

The Forest for the Trees

By Betsy Lerner

Published by Penguin

Betsy Lerner’s  The Forest for The Trees  begins as a psychological compendium of the writer’s life; written to the writer, with love. Lerner diagnoses writers: the ambivalent, the natural, the neurotic, and as we relate to aspects of each, we are delivered through an embarrassing adolescence of our own writerly growth, discovering who we were, are, and might better be. Through humorous and often moving anecdotes and a wealth of quotable quotes, we sweep through the personal and into the political landscape of the literary industry. Like all good books, Lerner’s reflects the reader (as writer) back to herself at every moment. She morphs between midwife and editor, weaving stories that teach us how best to birth our own.

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard

The Writing Life

By Annie Dillard

In the years since its original publication, Annie Dillard’s  The Writing Life  has become a must-read for aspiring writers of all walks. Perhaps this is because her approach to the creative process manages a kind of golden ratio, a balance of magic and pragmatism that continues to reveal its depths to writers of the 21st century. Plainly, this is not a field guide. Dillard does not draw a tidy map. She does the opposite, acknowledging the unknown and unknowable wilderness that every writer must face. “The line of words is a miner’s pick, a wood carver’s gouge, a surgeon’s probe. You wield it, and it digs a path you follow. Soon you find yourself deep in new territory. Is it a dead end, or have you located the real subject? You will know tomorrow, or this time next  year.” A master in the art of illumination, she focuses on the edges of big ideas. The resulting work is as mystifying as it is enduring.

friedman-bonnie.writing-past-dark

Writing Past Dark

By Bonnie Friedman

In  Writing Past Dark , Bonnie Friedman shines a light on the hidden ways we mess ourselves up—with envy, fear, distraction, and other self-defeating habits of mind. “Successful writers are not the ones who write the best sentences. They are the ones who keep writing,” she says. “They are the ones who discover what is most important and strangest and most pleasurable in themselves, and keep believing in the value of their work, despite the difficulties.” With warmth and candor, Friedman offers insights into surmounting those tricky obstacles.

strunk-white.elements-of-style

The Elements of Style

By William Strunk & E.B. White

Of the hundreds of volumes written about the art and craft of writing,  The Elements of Style  by William Strunk and E.B. White is the elegant granddad. This slim volume offers no touchy-feely solutions for writer’s block, no inspirational exercises, and no musings on the writing life. Instead, it contains clear, concise rules for writing well, delivered with panache. Whether you strive for formal excellence or stylistic innovation, whether you’re a first-time author or have a string of publications to your name, there’s something here to learn—or gladly rediscover.

mckee-robert.story

By Robert McKee

Robert McKee (the renowned screenwriting guru whose real-life teaching persona was portrayed by Brian Cox in the film  Adaptation ) is required reading, but not just for screenwriters. He illustrates good plotting and structure that can make your novels or short stories as gripping as your favorite film. In Story , McKee structures his advice by first broadly stating a principle of writing, then expounding on different ways it can be applied, with examples from all kinds of scripts. His pearls of wisdom have been legendary in the Hollywood world, and they’ll certainly stick in your head after you’re through this book. Whether you’re writing for the screen or the page, this fantastic book will help you break your work down to the core of why we write fiction in the first place: the story.

Making Shapely Fiction by Jerome Stern

Making Shapely Fiction

By Jerome Stern

Published by W. W. Norton

It’s easy, when one is far enough along in the “writing life,” to assume that a manual won’t have much to offer beyond technical guidance and fluffy prompts. But Stern’s wise and thorough little book should be as indispensable to the master of the form as the student. Like Stern himself, who was the head of the Creative Writing Program at Florida State University for many years, it takes a brass tacks approach to fiction, one that can be read straight through if you want to bone up on the basics or in bits and pieces as inspiration is needed. The “shapes” in question are sixteen storytelling archetypes which Stern breaks down in the book’s first section, followed by a tongue-in-cheek section on whether or not to write what you know, and finally a glossary of terms “from Accuracy to Zig-Zag.” This may all sound like stuff you already know, but to read them again in Stern’s irreverent voice is like revisiting fairy tales from your childhood and discovering all the dirty parts that went over your head. You’ll want to dig back into your own discarded ideas box and sculpt something new.

Steering the Craft by Ursula LeGuin

Steering the Craft

By Ursula K. Le Guin

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Le Guin has published two books about writing. The more recent of these,  Steering the Craft  (1998), is intended for experienced writers, the ones, she says, who “blow all Rules of Writing to bits.” It offers exercises and advice on storytelling, point of view, and grammar. For the younger author, there is her 1979 volume,  The Language of the Night , filled with inspirational essays on science fiction and fantasy, that are no less rigorous than the later book. “In art,” she observes, “‘good enough’ is not good enough.”

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Think Outside the Book

YouDoYou_Arlaina Tibensky

When Working on Your Writing Doesn't Look Like Writing

FromScratch_Cheng

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An Unfunny Essay About Humor

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Last updated on May 31, 2022

The 40 Best Books About Writing: A Reading List for Authors

For this post, we’ve scoured the web (so you don’t have to) and asked our community of writers for recommendations on some indispensable books about writing. We've filled this list with dozens of amazing titles, all of which are great — but this list might seem intimidating. So for starters, here are our top 10 books about writing:

  • On Writing by Stephen King
  • The Kick-Ass Writer by Chuck Wendig
  • Dreyer’s Englis h by Benjamin Dreyer
  • The Elements of Style by Strunk, White, and Kalman
  • The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne
  • A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
  • Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
  • Mouth Full of Blood by Toni Morrison
  • How to Market a Book by Ricardo Fayet
  • On Writing Well by William Zinsser

But if you're ready to get into the weeds, here are 40 of our favorite writing books.

Books about becoming a writer

1. on writing by stephen king.

creative writing books for beginners

Perhaps the most-cited book on this list, On Writing is part-memoir, part-masterclass from one of America’s leading authors. Come for the vivid accounts of his childhood and youth — including his extended "lost weekend" spent on alcohol and drugs in the 1980s. Stay for the actionable advice on how to use your emotions and experiences to kickstart your writing, hone your skills, and become an author. Among the many craft-based tips are King’s expert takes on plot, story, character, and more.

From the book: “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” 

2. The Kick-Ass Writer by Chuck Wendig

If you haven’t checked out Wendig’s personal blog, head over there now and bookmark it. Unfiltered, profane, and almost always right, Wendig’s become a leading voice among online writing communities in the past few years. In The Kick-Ass Writer , he offers over 1,000 pearls of wisdom for authors, ranging from express writing tips to guidance on getting published. Written to be read in short bursts, we’re sure he’d agree that this is the perfect bathroom book for writers.

From the book: “I have been writing professionally for a lucky-despite-the-number 13 years. Not once — seriously, not once ever — has anyone ever asked me where I got my writing degree… Nobody gives two ferrets fornicating in a filth-caked gym sock whether or not you have a degree… The only thing that matters is, Can you write well? ” 

3. Find Your Voice by Angie Thomas

Taking advice from famous authors is not about imitation, but about finding your own voice . Take it from someone who knows: Thomas is the New York Times #1 Bestselling author of The Hate U Give , On the Come Up , and Concrete Rose . While she’s found her calling in YA literature , she has plenty of insight into finding your own voice in your genre of choice. Written in the form of a guided journal, this volume comes with step-by-step instructions, writing prompts, and exercises especially aimed at helping younger creatives develop the strength and skills to realize their vision.

From the book: “Write fearlessly. Write what is true and real to you.” 

4. The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner

Since its publication in 2000, The Forest for the Trees has remained an essential resource for authors at various stages in their careers. As an editor, Lerner gives advice not only on producing quality content, but also on how to build your career as an author and develop a winning routine — like how writers can be more productive in their creative process, how to get published , and how to publish well . 

From the book: “The world doesn't fully make sense until the writer has secured his version of it on the page. And the act of writing is strangely more lifelike than life.”

creative writing books for beginners

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5. How to Write Like Tolstoy by Richard Cohen

creative writing books for beginners

From the book: “Great writers can be inhibiting, and maybe after one has read a Scott Fitzgerald or Henry James one can’t escape imitat­ing them; but more often such writers are inspiring.”

6. Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith

Smith is well-known for her fiction, but she is also a prolific essay writer. In Feel Free , she has gathered several essays on recent cultural and political developments and combined them with experiences from her own life and career. In “The I Who Is Not Me”, she explores how her own lived experience comes into play in her fiction writing, and how she manages to extrapolate that to comment on contemporary social contexts, discussing race, class, and ethnicity.

From the book: “Writing exists (for me) at the intersection of three precarious, uncertain elements: language, the world, the self. The first is never wholly mine; the second I can only ever know in a partial sense; the third is a malleable and improvised response to the previous two.”

Books about language and style 

7. dreyer’s english by benjamin dreyer.

A staple book about writing well, Dreyer’s English serves as a one-stop guide to proper English, based on the knowledge that Dreyer — a senior copy editor at Random House — has accumulated throughout his career. From punctuation to tricky homophones, passive voice, and commas, the goal of these tools should be to facilitate effective communication of ideas and thoughts. Dreyer delivers this and then some, but not without its due dosage of humor and informative examples. 

From the book: “A good sentence, I find myself saying frequently, is one that the reader can follow from beginning to end, no matter how long it is, without having to double back in confusion because the writer misused or omitted a key piece of punctuation, chose a vague or misleading pronoun, or in some other way engaged in inadvertent misdirection.”

8. The Elements of Style (Illustrated) by William Strunk, Jr., E. B. White, and Maira Kalman

creative writing books for beginners

A perfect resource for visual learners, this illustrated edition of The Elements of Style has taken the classic style manual to a new, more accessible level but kept its main tenet intact: make every word tell. The written content by Strunk and White has long been referred to as an outline of the basic principles of style. Maira Kalman’s illustrations elevate the experience and make it a feast for both the mind and the eye. 

From the book: “A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.”

9. Sin and Syntax by Constance Hale

If you’re looking to bring a bit of spunk into your writing, copy editor Constance Hale may hold the key . Whether you’re writing a work-related email or the next rap anthem, she has one goal: to make creative communication available to everyone by dispelling old writing myths and making every word count. Peppered with writing prompts and challenges, this book will have you itching to put pen to paper.

From the book: “Verbose is not a synonym for literary.”

10. The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker

Combining entertainment with intellectual pursuit, Pinker, a cognitive scientist and dictionary consultant, explores and rethinks language usage in the 21st century . With illustrative examples of both great and not-so-great linguistic constructions, Pinker breaks down the art of writing and gives a gentle but firm nudge in the right direction, towards coherent yet stylish prose. This is not a polemic on the decay of the English language, nor a recitation of pet peeves, but a thoughtful, challenging, and practical take on the science of communication. 

From the book: “Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing—and why should we care?”

11. Eats, Shoots, & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss

creative writing books for beginners

From the book: “A panda walks into a cafe. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air. "Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife annual and tosses it over his shoulder. "I'm a panda," he says, at the door. "Look it up." The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation. Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.”

Books about story structure

12. save the cat by blake snyder.

Best known as a screenwriting manual, Save the Cat! is just as often named by authors as one of their most influential books about writing. The title comes from the tried-and-true trope of the protagonist doing something heroic in the first act (such as saving a cat) in order to win over the audience. Yes, it might sound trite to some — but others swear by its bulletproof beat sheet. More recently, there has been Save the Cat! Writes a Novel , which tailors its principles specifically to the literary crowd. (For a concise breakdown of the beat sheet, check this post out!)

From the book: “Because liking the person we go on a journey with is the single most important element in drawing us into the story.” 

13. The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne

Shawn Coyne is a veteran editor with over 25 years of publishing experience, and he knows exactly what works and what doesn’t in a story — indeed, he’s pretty much got it down to a science. The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know outlines Coyne’s original “Story Grid” evaluation technique, which both writers and editors can use to appraise, revise, and ultimately improve their writing (in order to get it ready for publication). Coyne and his friend Tim Grahl also co-host the acclaimed Story Grid podcast , another great resource for aspiring writers.

From the book: “The Story Grid is a tool with many applications. It pinpoints problems but does not emotionally abuse the writer… it is a tool to re-envision and resuscitate a seemingly irredeemable pile of paper stuck in an attack drawer, and it can inspire an original creation.”

14. Story Structure Architect by Victoria Schmidt

For those who find the idea of improvising utterly terrifying and prefer the security of structures, this book breaks down just about every kind of story structure you’ve ever heard of. Victoria Schmidt offers no less than fifty-five different creative paths for your story to follow — some of which are more unconventional, or outright outlandish than others. The level of detail here is pretty staggering: Schmidt goes into the various conflicts, subplots, and resolutions these different story structures entail — with plenty of concrete examples! Suffice to say that no matter what kind of story you’re writing, you’ll find a blueprint for it in Story Structure Architect .

From the book: “When you grow up in a Westernized culture, the traditional plot structure becomes so embedded in your subconscious that you may have to work hard to create a plot structure that deviates from it… Understand this and keep your mind open when reading [this book]. Just because a piece doesn’t conform to the model you are used to, does not make it bad or wrong.”

15. The Writer's Journey  by Christopher Vogler

Moving on, we hone in on the mythic structure. Vogler’s book, originally published in 1992, is now a modern classic of writing advice; though intended as a screenwriting textbook, its contents apply to any story of mythic proportions. In The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers , Vogler takes a page (literally) from Joseph Campbell’s Hero of a Thousand Faces to ruminate upon the most essential narrative structures and character archetypes of the writing craft. So if you’re thinking of drawing up an epic fantasy series full of those tropes we all know and love, this guide should be right up your alley.

From the book: “The Hero’s Journey is not an invention, but an observation. It is a recognition of a beautiful design… It’s difficult to avoid the sensation that the Hero’s Journey exists somewhere, somehow, as an external reality, a Platonic ideal form, a divine model. From this model, infinite and highly varied copies can be produced, each resonating with the essential spirit of the form.”

16. Story Genius by Lisa Cron

creative writing books for beginners

From the book: “We don't turn to story to escape reality. We turn to story to navigate reality.”

17. A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

More than just a New York Times bestseller and the winner of the Booker Prize, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain is a distillation of the MFA class on Russian short stories that Saunders has been teaching. Breaking down narrative functions and why we become immersed in a story, this is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand and nurture our continued need for fiction.

From the book: “We’re going to enter seven fastidiously constructed scale models of the world, made for a specific purpose that our time maybe doesn’t fully endorse but that these writers accepted implicitly as the aim of art—namely, to ask the big questions, questions like, How are we supposed to be living down here? What were we put here to accomplish? What should we value? What is truth, anyway, and how might we recognize it?”

Books about overcoming obstacles as a writer

18. bird by bird by anne lamott .

Like Stephen King’s book about writing craft, this work from acclaimed novelist and nonfiction writer Anne Lamott also fuses elements of a memoir with invaluable advice on the writer’s journey. Particularly known for popularizing the concept of “shitty first drafts”, Bird by Bird was recently recommended by editor Jennifer Hartmann in her Reedsy Live webinar for its outlook take on book writing. She said, “This book does exactly what it says it will do: it teaches you to become a better writer. [Lamott] is funny and witty and very knowledgeable.”

From the book: “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft.”

19. Take Off Your Pants by Libbie Hawker 

creative writing books for beginners

From the book: “When it comes to the eternal quandary of pantsing or plotting, you can keep a foot in each camp. But if your goals will require you to write with speed and confidence, an effective outline will be your best friend.”

20. Writing into the Dark by Dean Wesley Smith 

And for those who eschew structure altogether, we’ll now refer you to this title from profile science fiction author Dean Wesley Smith . Having authored a number of official Star Trek novels, he definitely knows what he’s talking about when he encourages writers to go boldly into the unknown with an approach to writing books that doesn’t necessarily involve an elaborate plan. It might not be your action plan, but it can be a fresh perspective to get out of the occasional writer’s block .

From the book: “Imagine if every novel you picked up had a detailed outline of the entire plot… Would you read the novel after reading the outline? Chances are, no. What would be the point? You already know the journey the writer is going to take you on. So, as a writer, why do an outline and then have to spend all that time creating a book you already know?”

21. No Plot, No Problem by Chris Baty

If you’re procrastinating to the point where you haven’t even started your novel yet, NaNo founder Chris Baty is your guy! No Plot, No Problem is a “low-stress, high-velocity” guide to writing a novel in just 30 days (yup, it’s great prep for the NaNoWriMo challenge ). You’ll get tons of tips on how to survive this rigorous process, from taking advantage of your initial momentum to persisting through moments of doubt . Whether you’re participating in everyone’s favorite November write-a-thon or you just want to bang out a novel that’s been in your head forever, Baty will help you cross that elusive finish line.

From the book: “A rough draft is best written in the steam-cooker of an already busy life. If you have a million things to do, adding item number 1,000,001 is not such a big deal.”

22. The 90-Day Novel by Alan Watt

And for those who think 30 days is a bit too steam cooker-esque, there’s always Alan Watt’s more laid-back option. In The 90-Day Novel , Watt provides a unique three-part process to assist you with your writing. The first part provides assistance in developing your story’s premise, the second part helps you work through obstacles to execute it, and the third part is full of writing exercises to unlock the “primal forces” of your story — aka the energy that will invigorate your work and incite readers to devour it like popcorn at the movies.

From the book: “Why we write is as important as what we write. Grammar, punctuation, and syntax are fairly irrelevant in the first draft. Get the story down… fast. Get out of your head, so you can surprise yourself on the page.”

23. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

If you feel like you’re constantly in the trenches of your “inner creative battle,” The War of Art is the book for you. Pressfield emphasizes the importance of breaking down creative barriers — what he calls “Resistance” — in order to defeat your demons (i.e. procrastination, self-doubt, etc.) and fulfill your potential. Though some of his opinions are no doubt controversial (he makes repeated claims that almost anything can be procrastination, including going to the doctor), this book is the perfect remedy for prevaricating writers who need a little bit of tough love.

From the book: “Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.”

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Books about writing as a lifestyle and career

24. steal like an artist by austin kleon.

As Kleon notes in the first section of Steal Like an Artist , this title obviously doesn’t refer to plagiarism. Rather, it acknowledges that art cannot be created in a vacuum, and encourages writers (and all other artists) to be open and receptive to all sources of inspiration. By “stealing like an artist,” writers can construct stories that already have a baseline of familiarity for readers, but with new twists that keep them fresh and exciting .

From the book: “If we’re free from the burden of trying to be completely original, we can stop trying to make something out of nothing, and we can embrace influence instead of running away from it.”

25. Mouth Full of Blood by Toni Morrison

creative writing books for beginners

From the book: “A writer's life and work are not a gift to mankind; they are its necessity.”

26. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

No matter what stage you’re at in your writing career, Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones will help you write more skillfully and creatively. With suggestions, encouragement, and valuable advice on the many aspects of the writing craft, Goldberg doesn’t shy away from making the crucial connection between writing and adding value to your life. Covering a range of topics including taking notes of your initial thoughts, listening, overcoming doubt, choosing where to write, and the selection of your verbs, this guide has plenty to say about the minute details of writing, but excels at exploring the author life.

From the book: “Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open.”

27. Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

What does it take to become a great author? According to the beloved writer Ray Bradbury , it takes zest, gusto, curiosity, as well as a spirit of adventure. Sharing his wisdom and experiences as one of the most prolific writers in America, Bradbury gives plenty of practical tips and tricks on how to develop ideas, find your voice, and create your own style in this thoughtful volume. In addition to that, this is also an insight into the life and mind of this prolific writer, and a celebration of the act of writing. 

From the book: “Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a land mine. The land mine is me. After the explosion, I spend the rest of the day putting the pieces back together. Now, it's your turn. Jump!”

28. The Kite and the String by Alice Mattison

One of the most common dilemmas an author faces is the struggle between spontaneity and control. Literary endeavors need those unexpected light-bulb moments, but a book will never be finished if you rely solely on inspiration. In The Kite and the String , Mattison has heard your cry for help and developed a guide for balancing these elements throughout the different stages of writing a novel or a memoir. Sure, there may be language and grammar rules that govern the way you write, but letting a bit of playfulness breathe life into your writing will see it take off to a whole new level. On the other hand, your writing routine, solitude, audience, and goal-setting will act as the strings that keep you from floating too far away. 

From the book: "Don’t make yourself miserable wishing for a kind of success that you wouldn’t enjoy if you had it."

29. How to Become a Successful Indie Author by Craig Martelle

This one’s for all the indie authors out there! Even if you’ve already self-published a book , you can still learn a lot from this guide by Craig Martelle , who has dozens of indie books — “over two and a half million words,” as he puts it — under his belt. With patience and expertise, Martelle walks you through everything you need to know: from developing your premise to perfecting your writing routine, to finally getting your work to the top of the Amazon charts.

From the book: “No matter where you are on your author journey, there’s always a new level you can reach. Roll up your sleeves, because it’s time to get to work.”

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30. How to Market a Book by Ricardo Fayet 

creative writing books for beginners

From the book: “Here’s the thing: authors don’t find readers; readers find books . [...] Marketing is not about selling your book to readers. It’s about getting readers to find it.”

31. Everybody Writes by Ann Handley

The full title of Handley’s all-inclusive book on writing is actually Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content — which should tell you something about its broad appeal. Not only does Handley have some great ideas on how to plan and produce a great story, but she also provides tips on general content writing, which comes in handy when it’s time to build your author platform or a mailing list to promote your book. As such, Everybody Writes is nothing like your other books on novel writing — it’ll make you see writing in a whole new light.

From the book: “In our world, many hold a notion that the ability to write, or write well, is a gift bestowed on a chosen few. That leaves us thinking there are two kinds of people: the writing haves — and the hapless, for whom writing well is a hopeless struggle, like trying to carve marble with a butter knife. But I don’t believe that, and neither should you.” 

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Books on writing poetry 

32. madness, rack, and honey by mary ruefle.

With a long history of crafting and lecturing about poetry, Ruefle invites the reader of Madness, Rack, and Honey to immerse themselves into its beauty and magic. In a powerful combination of lectures and musings, she expertly explores the mind and craft of writers while excavating the magical potential of poetry. Often a struggle between giving and taking, poetry is, according to Ruefle, a unique art form that reveals the innermost workings of the human heart.

From the book: “In one sense, reading is a great waste of time. In another sense, it is a great extension of time, a way for one person to live a thousand and one lives in a single lifespan, to watch the great impersonal universe at work again and again”

33. Threads by Sandeep Parmar, Nisha Ramayya, and Bhanu Kapil

If you’re looking for something that explores the philosophical aspects of writing, Threads asks big questions about writing and the position of the writer in an industry that has largely excluded marginalized voices. Where does the writer exist in relation to its text and, particularly in the case of poetry, who is the “I”? Examining the common white, British, male lens, this collection of short essays will make it hard for you not to critically consider your own perceptions and how they affect your writing process.

From the book: “It is impossible to consider the lyric without fully interrogating its inherent promise of universality, its coded whiteness.”

34. The Hatred of Poetry by Ben Lerner

Despite its eye-catching title, this short essay is actually a defense of poetry . Lerner begins with his own hatred of the art form, and then moves on to explore this love-hate dichotomy that actually doesn’t seem to be contradictory. Rather, such a multitude of emotions might be one of the reasons that writers and readers alike turn to it. With its ability to evoke feelings and responses through word-play and meter, poetry has often been misconceived as inaccessible and elitist; this is a call to change that perception. 

From the book: “All I ask the haters — and I, too, am one — is that they strive to perfect their contempt, even consider bringing it to bear on poems, where it will be deepened, not dispelled, and where, by creating a place for possibility and present absences (like unheard melodies), it might come to resemble love.”

35. Poemcrazy by Susan G. Wooldridge

If you’ve ever felt that the mysterious workings of poetry are out of your reach and expressly not for you, Wooldridge is here to tell you that anyone who wants to can write poetry . An experienced workshop leader, she will help you find your inner voice and to express it through the written word. Giving you advice on how to think, use your senses, and practice your writing, Wooldrige will have you putting down rhyme schemes before you know it. 

From the book: “Writing a poem is a form of listening, helping me discover what's wrong or frightening in my world as well as what delights me.”

36. Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison

creative writing books for beginners

From the book: “Don't be afraid to write crap — it makes the best fertilizer. The more of it you write, the better your chances are of growing something wonderful.”

Books about writing nonfiction

37. on writing well by william zinsser.

Going strong with its 30th-anniversary edition, On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction is an evergreen resource for nonfiction writers which breaks down the fundamental principles of written communication. As a bonus, the insights and guidelines in this book can certainly be applied to most forms of writing, from interviewing to camp-fire storytelling. Beyond giving tips on how to stay consistent in your writing and voice, how to edit, and how to avoid common pitfalls, Zinsser can also help you grow as a professional writer, strengthening your career and taking steps in a new direction. 

From the book: “Don’t try to visualize the great mass audience. There is no such audience—every reader is a different person.”

38. Essays by Lydia Davis

Ironically enough, this rather lengthy book is a celebration of brevity. As one of the leading American voices in flash-fiction and short-form writing, Davis traces her literary roots and inspirations in essays on everything, ranging from the mastodonic work of Proust to minimalism. In both her translations and her own writing, she celebrates experimental writing that stretches the boundaries of language. Playing with the contrast between what is said and what is not, this collection of essays is another tool to the writing shed to help you feel and use the power of every word you write.

From the book: “Free yourself of your device, for at least certain hours of the day — or at the very least one hour. Learn to be alone, all alone, without people, and without a device that is turned on. Learn to experience the purity of that kind of concentration. Develop focus, learn to focus intently on one thing, uninterrupted, for a long time.”

39. Essayism by Brian Dillon

In this volume, Dillon explores the often overlooked genre of essay writing and its place in literature’s past, present, and future. He argues that essays are an “experiment in attention” but also highlights how and why certain essays have directly impacted the development of the cultural and political landscape, from the end of the Middle Ages until the present day. At its heart, despite its many forms, subject areas, and purposes, essayism has its root in self-exploration. Dip in and out of Dillon’s short texts to find inspiration for your own nonfiction writing.

From the book: “What exactly do I mean, even, by 'style'? Perhaps it is nothing but an urge, an aspiration, a clumsy access of admiration, a crush.”

40. Naked, Drunk, and Writing by Adair Lara

creative writing books for beginners

From the book: “Write it down. Whatever it is, write it down. Chip it into marble. Type it into Microsoft Word. Spell it out in seaweeds on the shore. We are each of us an endangered species, delicate as unicorns.”

With a few of these books in your arsenal, you’ll be penning perfect plots in no time! And if you’re interested in learning more about the editing process, check these books on editing out as well!

ZUrlocker says:

11/03/2019 – 19:46

I'm familiar with several of these books. But for new authors, I urge you caution. It is very tempting to read so many books about writing that you never get around to writing. (I did this successfully for many years!) So I will suggest paring it down to just two books: Stephen King on Writing and Blake Snyder Save the Cat. Snyder's book is mostly about screenwriting, so you could also consider Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. Best of luck!

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CREEES Professional Resources Forum

Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

Grad Program: MA in Creative Writing in Russian (Moscow)

Application opens February 2019

For fiction/non-fiction writers in Russian.

MA “Creative Writing”  is:

  • Practical and theoretical/historical courses, such as  Creative Writing Workshop ,  Storytelling in Different Media ,  Literary Editing , Poetics of Novel and Screenwriting ;
  • Unique professors and teachers, among them famous Russian writers, screenwriters and critics –  Marina Stepnova ,  Lyudmila Ulitskaya ,  Lev Danilkin ,  Sergey Gandlevsky  and  Maya Kucherskaya  as well as prominent philologists, authors of academic and non-fiction books  Oleg Lekmanov ,  Ekaterina Lyamina  and  Alexey Vdovin ;
  • Participation in open readings, discussions and  literary expeditions ,  publications in students’ projects ;
  • International exchange  – lectures and workshops of the leading specialists in Creative Writing, students’ exchange in the best world universities;
  •  Help and support in the process of  employment  in various publishing houses, editorials, Mass Media, high schools and universities and PR;
  • Creation and participation in  cultural projects ;
  • Flexible timetable  enabling students to work while studying.

Our graduates already work in the best publishing houses, universities and schools in Moscow. Their writing is published in the authoritative literary magazines. Their projects (such as prize  “_Litblog”  for the best literary blogger and first Creative Writing Internet resource in Russian  “Mnogobukv” and collections of prose) have gained much attention.

Language of instruction: Russian

You can apply to non-paid place as a foreign student in February. Looking forward to seeing you at Higher School of Economics!

More information about the programme:  https://www.hse.ru/en/ma/litmaster

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One Night in Winter

One Night in Winter

Author(s): Simon Sebag Montefiore

Location(s): Moscow

Genre(s): Fiction, Historical

Era(s): 1945

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If  your  children were forced to testify against you, what terrible secrets would they reveal?

Moscow 1945.  As Stalin and his courtiers celebrate victory over Hitler, shots ring out. On a nearby bridge, a teenage boy and girl lie dead.

But this is no ordinary tragedy and these are no ordinary teenagers, but the children of Russia’s most important leaders who attend the most exclusive school in Moscow.

Is it murder? A suicide pact? Or a conspiracy against the state?

Directed by Stalin himself, an investigation begins as children are arrested and forced to testify against their friends – and their parents. This terrifying witch-hunt soon unveils illicit love affairs and family secrets in a hidden world where the smallest mistakes will be punished with death.

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Nigeria: Creative Writing Tips for Beginners (3), By Ruth Oji

As a beginner writer, you are probably still wondering what more you can do to help you master the art of writing.

This week's article shares further tips you can apply. In addition to previous tips shared, such as writing as well as you can, examining why you want to write, identifying the kind of writing you want to do, putting in the time, and practising your writing, other tips such as endeavouring to read and re-read, making a conscious effort to overcome obstacles to your writing, and silencing your inner critic will help you succeed in this journey. Let's examine the tips one after the other.

Undeniably, what teaches you most about writing is reading. Because it demonstrates what you are trying to do, reading is so important. When you read, you unconsciously absorb the rules of narrative, and you note how the author achieves certain effects. Have you heard it said that some writers refrain from reading other writers because they fear they could lose their unique style and be influenced by other writers' style? Should we tell them? Well, the truth is that you end up writing what someone else has written because you did not bother to check what was out there. It does not harm you to read, explore, and know what has been done so that you are well informed. So how should you approach reading others' work?

I am an advocate of speed reading to rewire your brain-eye connection and let you begin to see words at a faster pace; however, if you are attempting to be a writer, I will urge you to try reading more slowly and with more attention. When you come to a passage where you can smell the white soup (ofe nsala) from the balcony, where time seems to have slowed right down and your heart is beating extra fast - stop and look back; try to figure out how the author achieved this feat! After all, you are just reading words on a page.

Imagine you see a character walk into a room, and you can feel you know them inside out - how they think and behave - what should you do? That's the right time to also stop and look back. Look at the words the writer used, what he did to convey this sense of reality, and learn from it. Additionally, it could be that you read a poem and find that it moves you to tears or joy, or you realise it makes you see something in a new way. Again, stop, and re-read the poem to see why this has happened. Doing this consistently will help you learn and take cues from what other seasoned writers do to achieve such amazing effects, and you can be like them.

What to do? Re-read a short story or novel that you have read before. It should not be one you read a long time before because you likely would have forgotten most of its details; neither should you choose one that you remember so completely all its parts. Rather, choose a book that you remember only pointedly and how it ends. Why is it necessary to take this approach? Thing is, when you first read a book, you often gulp it straight down just to find out what happens; however, the second time you don't do that because you already know.

Already knowing what's going to happen can help you to see how the writer prepared for it, how they slipped in hints or how they concealed something important to keep you guessing. This kind of re-reading works because it helps you learn how a narrative works. In other words, read, read, and read! Don't stop reading! Whether you choose newspaper articles, magazines, advertising slogans on the back of cereal packets, classic novels, fact books, or letters and journals, just keep reading widely - and importantly, think about what you are reading and the effect the words have on you.

As you read to write, you find that there are obstacles you have to overcome. Many distractions lurk around. For example, you become aware of all the chattering that goes on in your head and the long lists of things to do that you feel you should do before you can justify the time spent writing. Another obstacle may come in the way of you becoming uncomfortably aware of having to do your writing by yourself, all alone, without anyone making suggestions and inputs at that point. Yet another hurdle exists when you eventually sit to write but discover you do not know what to say or how to express what you have in mind. So, what can you do to overcome these and other kinds of obstacles?

First, you need to silence your inner critic that makes you feel you are writing rubbish. Never ever listen to that voice in your head that tells you your work is no good and nobody would love to read it. This feeling is real! Oftentimes, it feels to some like they're not a real writer; they're only playing at it; some have their inner critic telling them that they haven't got any talent. Some hear a voice asking them why they want to start when they could never get finished with the project; others are told to go do something more worthwhile with their time. Yet others hear the voice say to them that they're embarking on a self-indulgent and selfish course by writing. And many more thoughts are projected by this inner critic! The list is indeed endless.

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To attend to this critic, you need to understand why this inner critic reigns supreme in your mind and heart. Of course, this can be traced back to you hearing parents, teachers, friends, or colleagues tell you how you could have done better at something or how your output isn't good enough. You may also have been part of an educational system so obsessed with results and tests, where every piece of work was marked and graded (what can we even do about this kind of educational system? It's a subject for another day). These experiences could have contributed to deeply ingraining in your mindset a spirit of comparison with others. Please know that a critical voice never goes away. Ask seasoned and successful writers, and they'll tell you how they have both experienced and silenced their inner critic.

Read the original article on Vanguard .

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creative writing books for beginners

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