The Writing Books We Actually Return To

Whether you’re writing a novel, memoir, screenplay, or nonfiction book, the right craft book can accelerate your growth faster than years of trial and error. Our editors at The Editorial Department have worked with traditionally published authors, debut writers, and career novelists for decades, and these are the writing books we return to again and again—for story structure, prose style, revision, characterization, dialogue, and publishing insight.

Best General Books on Writing Craft

These are the foundational books we recommend most often to developing writers regardless of genre or experience level.

Stein on Writing, by Sol Stein 

More than any other writer we know, 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.

Best for: fiction writers at any level
Especially useful for: readability, scene writing, revision

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 we not recommend a book whose best piece of advice is to read more books?

Best for: beginners and emerging writers
Especially useful for: writing habits, mindset, clarity

If You Want to Write, by Brenda Euland

An inspiring, integrated take on life as a writer. When you’re sick of rules and need to remember what brought you to write in the first place, read this book.

Best for: blocked or discouraged writers
Especially useful for: creative renewal, confidence

Best Books on Fiction Writing

These books focus specifically on the mechanics and artistic challenges of writing fiction.

The Art of Fiction, by John Gardner

An opinionated man, Gardner had some stark views on craft. Here you’ll find right and wrong, black and white. Yet the author frames his arguments with the opening caveat, “Whatever works is good.” Read this book to familiarize yourself with writing fundamentals. Read it to discover what your values are. Above all, read it critically. Gardner would expect nothing less.

Best for: serious fiction writers
Especially useful for: narrative technique, literary craft

How Fiction Works by James Wood

Part literary criticism, part craft study, this book examines how great fiction creates psychological depth, narrative authority, and style. Best read slowly and thoughtfully.

Best for: literary fiction writers
Especially useful for: voice, narration, characterization

The Fiction Editor, the Novel, and the Novelist: A Book for Writers, Teachers, Publishers, and Anyone Else Devoted to Fiction, by Thomas McCormack

This one introduced us 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!

Best for: intermediate and advanced novelists
Especially useful for: revision, focus, structural cohesion

Best Books on Story Structure and Plot

For writers struggling with pacing, escalation, scene construction, or narrative momentum.

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 “unputdownable.” Written by one of the industry’s most experienced literary agents (and author of 14 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. We find 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.

Best for: commercial and genre novelists
Especially useful for: pacing, stakes, plot escalation

Beginnings, Middles, and Ends, by Nancy Kress

Science fiction author Nancy Kress identifies what promises we make to our readers and how to keep them. Kress addresses questions like: What’s a through line? How can I structure my character’s arc? How does one cure the act 2 blues? A must-read for the writer interested in story structure.

Best for: writers struggling with unfinished manuscripts
Especially useful for: structure, character arcs

Story, by Robert McKee

A book version of his famous seminars, this title 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.

Best for: writers interested in dramatic storytelling
Especially useful for: scene construction, momentum, conflict

The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field

Okay, so it’s about screenwriting, but the principles of great storytelling rise above medium, and this book is one of the best in terms of breaking down a seemingly overwhelming venture into a very accessible process. 99%+ of stories follow the exact same structure, so it’s essential for every fiction writer to know it through and through.

Best for: plot-driven writers
Especially useful for: outlining, pacing

Best Books on Revision and Self-Editing

Writing well often means rewriting well.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Browne and Dave King

Yeah, we’re biased because our founder wrote it. But it’s nonetheless an easy-to-follow, fun-to-read guide on how to fix some of the most common manuscript problems. If you’re an aspiring writer who’s never read a book on craft before, this book is a great place to start.

Best for: beginning and intermediate fiction writers
Especially useful for: line editing, tightening prose

The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile, 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.

Best for: writers preparing submissions
Especially useful for: openings, polish, professionalism

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

If you’re like us, you often learn better with a bit of mockery. This book will make you laugh ruefully as you recognize your foibles, but it’ll also help you remember what NOT to do. For example, “When there is a plan, things cannot go according to it.”

Best for: newer fiction writers
Especially useful for: avoiding clichés and amateur habits

Best Books on Style, Language, and Prose

These books focus on sentence-level writing, clarity, rhythm, and communication.

On Writing Well, by William Zinsser

Mostly for nonfiction, but this is a true classic full of great advice.

Best for: nonfiction writers
Especially useful for: clarity, concision, readability

The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century, by Steven Pinker

It’s easy to poke fun at terrible nonfiction writing. It’s harder to write good nonfiction, even when we have every intention of being clear and concise. Pinker explains why we produce bloated, confusing prose. He also shows us how to do better, describing the principles behind good writing instead of insisting upon arbitrary rules that apply to every situation.

Best for: analytical and nonfiction writers
Especially useful for: sentence clarity, modern prose style

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.”

Best for: writers developing foundational prose skills
Especially useful for: grammar, simplicity, style basics

The Reader Over Your Shoulder, by Robert Graves and Alan Hodge

Reminiscent of Strunk and White but with much more information.

Best for: detail-oriented writers
Especially useful for: sentence construction, stylistic control

Best Books on Dialogue, Psychology, and Reader Engagement

These books help writers understand how readers process story, language, and emotional information.

Wordplay: What Happens When People Talk, by Peter Farb

Not a book for writers, but it’s an enlightening study of language that’s a gold mine for dialogue-conscious novelists. (Read our own Ross Browne’s full review here.)

Best for: dialogue-focused writers
Especially useful for: realism, subtext, characterization

Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence, by Lisa Cron

Rather than simply telling you what you should do to engage readers, which involves a great deal of trust that the person giving you the advice knows what they’re talking about, the author delves into the psychology and neuroscience behind reader expectations. So while Cron talks about all the usual subjects like showing vs telling and shifting POV, she also explains why those things are so critical, from an objectively scientific view. Fascinating in its own right, but also a fantastic exercise in craft (with exercises!).

Best for: writers struggling to hold reader attention
Especially useful for: stakes, emotional investment, POV

Best Books for Memoir and Creative Nonfiction Writers

The Situation and the Story: The Art of Personal Narrative, by Vivian Gornick

While targeted at creative nonfiction writers, this text also applies to writers of fiction. Essayists and memoirists need to find the right persona for each piece, whereas the fiction writer must pinpoint the best narrative distance/s for a given story. Gornick shows how point of view, style, and voice coalesce in some great literary works.

Best for: memoir and literary nonfiction writers
Especially useful for: voice, perspective, personal narrative

Best Books on Adapting Stories for Film

Make Your Story a Movie: Adapting Your Book or Idea for Hollywood, by John Robert Marlow

Another title from one of our own, because there’s nothing else like it; the films of the authors, screenwriters, producers, and directors quoted in the book have made over $50 billion. There’s no better source of real-world advice on what it takes to get a story on the screen.

Best for: novelists interested in adaptation
Especially useful for: screen adaptation, cinematic storytelling

Recommended Reference Books for Writers

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.

And finally, let’s not forget Milan Kundera’s The Art of the Novel and The Curtain. Two books that are far from how-to but have plenty of food for thought.