A few months back, I was drinking coffee and hanging out with two emerging writers.  We were, of course, talking about all things publishing.

I asked about the last book Emerging Writer #1 had purchased, she quickly said, “Oh, I never buy books.”

Emerging Writer #2 and I stared, horrorstruck, gob smacked and totally stupefied.  “Or read them?” questioned #2.

#1 spoke slowly, as if talking with two dunderheads, “Why?  I’m writing my own. Although I’ve been fighting writer’s block for the last year.”

“Back the truck up,” I shouted loud enough to panic the other Starbuck’s customers. Okay, not really, but asked, “So you don’t buy books, even ones to help you with your craft?  You don’t even read in your genre?”

#1 nodded.

“What if others never bought books?  Who would buy your novel when you’ve finished it?” I politely inquired.

Ever see a cartoon where there’s a light bulb that clicks on above a character’s head.  Yep, that’s what it looked like as #1 gulped. “I never thought of that. I guess I need to make time to study writing techniques, too, right?  Do you have a list of books for writers you’d recommend?”

This blog is dedicated to Emerging Writer #1.  And you might want to check out the list too.

The following are a few titles that have helped me and other working writers.  You don’t have to buy lots of books but pleased make sure you’re supporting the “industry” you want to enter or are correctly working with.  By the way, libraries are some of my favorite places on the earth and yes, they buy books for us to borrow.

Please share this blog with writing friends.  

“Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear,” Elizabeth Gilbert, Riverhead Books; 2016.

Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

“The Best Punctuation Book, Period: A Comprehensive Guide for Every Writer, Editor, Student, and Businessperson,” June Casagrande. Ten Speed Press; 2014.

Confused about punctuation? There’s a reason. Everywhere you turn, publications seem to follow different rules on everything from possessive apostrophes to hyphens to serial commas. Then there are all the gray areas of punctuation—situations the rule books gloss over or never mention at all. At last, help has arrived.
 
This complete reference guide from grammar columnist June Casagrande covers the basic rules of punctuation plus the finer points not addressed anywhere else, offering clear answers to perplexing questions about semicolons, quotation marks, periods, apostrophes, and more. Better yet, this is the only guide that uses handy icons to show how punctuation rules differ for book, news, academic, and science styles—so you can boldly switch between essays, online newsletters, reports, fiction, and magazine and news articles.

“The Courage to Write,” Ralph Keyes.  Holt Paperbacks, 2003.

Katherine Anne Porter called courage “the first essential” for a writer. “I have to talk myself into bravery with every sentence,” agreed Cynthia Ozick, “sometimes every syllable.” E. B. White said he admired anyone who “has the guts to write anything at all. “An author who has taught writing for more than thirty years,

Ralph Keyes (rhymes with eyes) has taught writing for more than thirty years, assures us that anxiety is felt by writers at every level, especially when they dare to do their best. He describes the sequence of “courage points” through which all writers must pass, from the challenge of identifying a worthwhile project to the mixture of pride and panic they feel when examining a newly published book or article.

Keyes also offers specifics on how to root out fears of judgment from family and friends, make the best use of writers’ workshops and conferences, and handle criticism of works in progress. Throughout, he includes the comments of many accomplished writers — Pat Conroy, Amy Tan, Rita Dove, Isabel Allende, and others — on how they transcended their own fears to produce great works.

“The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers,” Christopher Vogler.  Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.

A must read and the first book on story arc and characterization that made sense to me. “The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers” is a popular screenwriting textbook focuses on the theory that most stories can be boiled down to a series of narrative structures and character archetypes, described through mythological allegory. Vogler based this work upon the writings of mythologist Joseph Campbell and “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” it shows that all successful films and most novels innately adhere to its principles.  It’s a must read for all writers including nonfiction writers.

Now some other books I like:

• Browne, Rennie and Dave King, “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers”  
• Cameron, Julia, “The Artist’s Way”
• Chiarella, Tom, “Writing Dialogue”
• Flanagan, Kerrie, “Writer’s Digest Guide to Magazine Article Writing”
• George, Elizabeth, “Write Away: One Novelist’s Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life”
• Keyes, Ralph, “The Writer’s Book of Hope”
• Lamott, Anne, “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life”
• Tan, Amy, “Where the Past Begins”
• Zinsser, William, “On Writing Well”

Enlighten yourself and open more books, besides:  “Outside of a dog, a book is a person’s best friend.  Inside of a dog it’s dark,” Groucho Marx (American comedian, writer, stage, film, radio, and television star. A master of quick wit, he is widely considered one of America’s greatest comedians).
©Eva Shaw, Ph.D., www.evashaw.com, 2019