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Oct 24
2011
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The Best Books on Writing Ever! (Picks from TED's Staff)Posted by: Andrea Every on Oct 24, 2011 Tagged in: books on writing
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Sure, there are lots of great books on writing out there. But for those who don't have time to read them all (and who does, really?) we've put together some information about a handful of our very favorite books on writing craft and process here at The Editorial Department and what's most useful, informative, or inspiring about them.
Stein on Writing, by Sol Stein. More than any other writer I know, Sol Stein teaches the invaluable art of writing to satisfy the reader. He does it with wit and panache, so that the lessons go down easily and won't be forgotten.
On Writing, by Stephen King. I know what you’re thinking—"Of course the horror editor would chose that book." But, truly it’s a fantastic collection of thoughts and reflections upon a career and life-long love affair with the written word. The lessons in the book are often cautionary and come from a place of learned experience, and it pulls no punches. It’s not a book that will teach you how to write, it’s a book that will make you want to write.
Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maass.There is a science to writing a hit novel, and this book delves into what makes a story "un-put-down-able." Written by one of the industry's most experienced literary agents (and author of 17 novels), this book separates good writing from good storytelling, and illustrates why commercially successful stories may or may not be well-written, but they are always well-told. I found it a valuable resource for writing tighter, more readable prose. This book is also very useful for comfortable mid-list authors looking to jolt their writing to the next level.
On Writing Well, by William Zinsser. Mostly for nonfiction, but full of great advice.
Robert McKee’s Story, a book version of his famous seminars, is aimed specifically at screenwriting but has a terrific amount of very specific and useful information applicable to any storytelling medium. It concentrates on structure and character rather than on the niceties of writing.
The Reader over your Shoulder, Robert Graves and Alan Hodge. Reminiscent of Strunk and White but with much more information.
Three books that are far from how-to but have plenty of food for thought:
Milan Kundera’s The Art of the Novel and The Curtain, and James Wood’s How Fiction Works.
For those never-ending questions about the conventions of punctuation, italics/quotes, plurals/possessives, citations, and so on, every writer needs something like the cheap, unassuming, and well indexed Merriam-Webster’s Guide to Punctuation and Style. Yes, there’s always the Chicago Manual of Style, but it’s far more detailed than most writers will ever need.
How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid them – A Mis-Step by Mis-Step Guide by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman. Each chapter provides classic mistakes and hilarious examples of what not to do, which is similar to a first-day activity I use when I teach fiction workshops. For example, “Now with 20% More Homily: Where the author tells us what he’s just spent 300 pages telling us” or “Hamlet at the Deli: Wherein the character’s thoughts are transcribed to no purpose.” I laughed over and over reading this book, and I laughed hardest when something hit home (such as “The Crepitating Parasol: Wherein the author trips over his own cleverness”). No matter how good you are, you’ll see your own flaws in here somewhere, and because the examples are so charming, you won’t even mind being called out for them.
The First Five Pages, by Noah Lukeman. Lukeman is a literary agent who takes a pragmatic approach to the craft of writing, helping writers identify and fix the common mistakes that sink a book before it even starts. "There are no rules to ensure great writing," he says, "but there are ways to avoid bad writing." And he points them out in straightforward, tough love prose that also opens a window or two on the business of book publishing.
The Save The Cat! books, by Blake Snyder. These are my favorite takes on writing for the screen. Don't get me wrong, William Goldman and Robert McKee started the business of how-to for screenwriters, but Blake Snyder adds a contemporary use of "development" language that helps when speaking to executives in the film business. They refer to his tricks of the trade regularly and if you miss a reference to Save the Cat! you are exposed as an outsider. These are worth the read, not only to be an "insider" but to truly absorb excellent practical methods and tips for writing a salable screenplay.
Every Page Perfect, by Mary Lynn. I know there's nothing sexy or glamorous or even really fun about formatting for most people, but with thousands of manuscripts sitting in slush piles, wouldn't you hate for a stupid thing like incorrect indents to be the red flag that screams "amateur!" and gets your manuscript unceremoniously dumped in the trash? This is a simple, no-nonsense guide to making sure your queries, synopses, manuscripts and other materials look professional on the page.
Edit Yourself: A Manual for Everyone Who Works with Words, by Bruce Ross-Larson. Because it explains why and how editors change commonly used but inappropriate or incorrect word choices. The most common errors and the recommended (correct) choices are even arranged alphabetically. The book is particularly useful for writers striving for clarity and distinction.
Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L’Engle. It’s not, technically speaking, a book about writing. It’s a book about thinking, about experiencing the world, about finding the connections between what we do and who we are. It’s a glimpse into the mind and imagination of a remarkable writer, a book that will encourage you, inspire you, challenge you and perhaps (as it did for me) help you find your philosophical and spiritual center as a writer.
The Scene Book, by Sandra Scofield. If you read this book while you're working on writing a piece of fiction, you'll dogear more pages than you don't. Scofield's pointers for bringing writing to life are the most practical, easy-to-grasp advice I've come across.
The Fiction Editor, the Novel, and the Novelist, by Thomas McCormack. This one introduced me to the concept of a "master effect," which, if you keep it at the front of your head as you're writing, will make it pretty tough for you to lose your way. And it's a pleasure--and reassuring--to hear McCormack dress down the idea of pursuing a "theme" in the writing of a work of fiction. He says theme forcibly thrusts on the student "a concept that is fuzzy, arbitrary, trivializing, irrelevant, distracting and ultimately deadening." Thank God someone finally said it. Now if only word would get around.
The Elements of Style, by William Strunk and E.B. White. A letter its co-author, E. B. White, wrote me sums up why I encourage everyone to become familiar with this little book: "There are very few thoughts or concepts that can't be put into plain English, provided anyone truly wants to do it. But for everyone who strives for clarity and simplicity there are three who prefer to draw the clouds across the sky--for one reason or another."
The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lernber. An invaluable resource in general to the writing process. The concept of honesty in writing is particularly strong and reminds writers that anything contrived is nothing good.
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Just as the title hints, this book is about taking the writing process step by step, which includes allowing room for bad first drafts. It's a rather beautiful account of the grueling process of writing a book.
On Writing, by Stephen King. You won't find a simpler explanation of the writer's toolbox than Stephen King's On Writing, not to mention it's a great peek into the writing process of one of the most successful authors of our times. And really, how could I not recommend a book whose best piece of advice is to read more books?
image courtesy of flickr user photosteve101