Best Books on Writing - The new classics

Did you know Aristotle wrote one of the first books on writing? His book Poetics discusses the necessary ingredients for a good tragedy. Even then plot and character were in play. Over the last two decades how-to-write books, workshops, conferences, organizations, and even MFA programs have grown at an accelerated rate. In the old days writers studied the work of other writers and it was in that conversation with the text that they gained their insights and instruction. Not so today.

I swear, there's a how-to-write stand on every corner. Niche magazines such as The Writer and Writer's Digest land in mailboxes across the country. Conferences and writer's retreats are pretty much available every month here in the United States and in most parts of the world. The sheer number of how-to books published is staggering. I confess I don't have an exact figure but from the look of my sagging eighteen bookshelves it's pretty high. But over time there have been a few books that have risen to the top. These books are often cited by authors for their value, their instruction, their inspiration. They have proven their worth time and time again. Here are several that immediately come to mind for a variety of reasons.

Writing the Breakout Novel

The book is a detailed analysis of what it takes to create a bestseller. How many writers talk about the value of reading published works to see what others have done? How many have actually done it? Of those, how many have spent the time to dissect 100 novels? Donald Maass has and his book is the result of that reading.

Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook

Stein On Writing:

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

Sometimes it's best to just let the author explain their work: As Sol Stein says, "This is a not a book of theory. It is a book of usable solutions; how to fix writing that is flawed, how to improve writing that is good, how to create interesting writing in the first place."

Bird by Bird:

Some Instructions on Writing and Life

"All good writers write them. This is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts."

Writing Down the Bones:

Freeing the Writer Within

(Shambhala Library)

Telling Lies for Fun & Profit:

A Manual for Fiction Writers

This edition of Telling Lies for Fun & Profit" has an introduction by Sue Grafton and is a collection of the columns he wrote way back when. Block has such an easy, casual style. You just know he's talking directly to you. And when it comes to his subject, there's not much about writing that he doesn't address. He's been a popular, bestselling writer for decades and his books on the craft of writing have been worn thin from use by many now-famous writers. In fact, bestselling writer Harlan Coben has been known to cite Lawrence Block as one of his major inspirations and Sue Grafton says that "Telling Lies for Fun & Profit should be a permanent part of every writer's library."

On Writing:

10th Anniversary Edition:

A Memoir of the Craft

What's it like to be Stephen King? If you want to get into his heart and mind, then this memoir is for you. Stephen King lets you peer into the workings of his mind as he discusses his writing life, his craft, and his books. Where does he get his ideas? Read his book to find out.

The Successful Novelist

The Successful Novelist is the new edition of his previously published and highly popular book on writing, Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing: A Novelist Looks at his Craft. This volume has an additional chapter on marketing but otherwise is the same book.

Morrell doesn't pull any punches and he's quite at home talking about all the various genres. Still not sure who Morrell is? Think Rambo. Morrell talks from deep personal experience with the craft of writing. He's definitely mastered the butt-in-chair method and offers solid advice and insights into writing good fiction that draws a wide audience.

Zen in the Art of Writing:

Essays on Creativity

"Great writers are children of the gods," writes Bradbury in his famous essay. "Think of Shakespeare and Melville and you think of thunder, lightning, wind." These writers lived their work, they had fun, knew joy. "When was the last time you dared release a cherished prejudice so it slammed the page like lightning bolt?" he yells. "This afternoon burn down the house. Tomorrow pour cold critical water upon the simmering coals. But today - explode - fly apart - disintegrate!"

Bradbury demands writers to write with passion. Easy enough for him, his loves are visible. They saturate his being and illuminate his soul. He doesn't tap into his passions - they explode from within and scatter across the page. He loves life. His ardor knows no bounds. Writing about his passions is second nature; he cannot help but do so. His exuberance for life and his unexcused love for writing is a siren's song. "Find your twins," he urges, no matter where in life they reside. Where do your passions intersect? That's the point where the spark will fire and illuminate your soul.

Bradbury unabashedly scrolls across the genres from playwright to screenwriter, storyteller to short story writer, essayist to novelist. Writing is his playground. Like a joyful Johnny Appleseed, the age-old Bradbury skips across cultural landscapes planting seeds within the fertile grounds of his essays and shorts stories and moves on. He trusts good fruit will follow. Every day Ray Bradbury pushes me to unabashedly grab my pen or pull the keyboard forward excited, even trembling, ready to create the next story, essay, or novel. I must embrace work that moves and invigorates me.