Best Books for Writers

The Education of a Young Poet is poet and nonfiction author David Biespiel’s coming-of-age story of the writer’s awakening to the creative impulse—how that impulse both shaped and was shaped by his family ancestry, and from a childhood in Houston to young adulthood in Boston. Woven throughout the memoir are inspiring anecdotes about leading a literary life, including insights into the craft of writing and the power of language in everyday life and in literature.

“Don’t be afraid of tiny ideas or half-formed ideas. Have faith. If ideas are meant to create stories, given time and focus they will grow and complete themselves.” In Story Sparks, author Denise Jaden moves away from the notion of inspiration as a visitation from the muse and demonstrates that the growth of ideas, of any size or shape, into stories is a process. The four-part book offers steps on how to develop creative habits for writers working at all levels and appendixes to help when feeling stuck.

“Inspiration is the unforeseen quantity, the muse that assails at the hidden hour. The arrows fly and one is unaware of being struck....” Devotion, part of the Why I Write series based on Yale University’s Windham-Campbell Lectures, offers an intimate and poetic glimpse into Patti Smith’s personal history and creative experiences as a musician, author, and visual artist. Smith explores the mysteries and intricacies that connect artist, inspiration, and audience, and shares insightful musings on craft and the creative process.

“The art of writing for change is about setting out on a journey.” In Writing for Bliss, Diana Raab thoroughly details her seven steps to writing personal narrative as a means of self-transformation. Chock-full of inspiring techniques and expressive and embodied writing exercises, the book demonstrates to readers the healing potential of therapeutic storytelling and how sharing deeply personal and life-changing experiences with others can be freeing.

For each of the acclaimed classics collected in this poetry anthology, W. D. Snodgrass has rewritten an accompanying “wrong” version to illustrate the various ways elements of craft and artistry combine to create remarkable verse. By viewing Snodgrass’s often humorous reimaginings side by side with the originals by poets such as William Blake, e. e. cummings, Emily Dickinson, William Shakespeare, Wallace Stevens, and W. B. Yeats, readers and writers gain valuable insight into the inner workings of great poetry.

​“It’s a choice, writing is. One that belongs to you and me. We get to choose it (or not) every single day,” writes Jeff Goins in the first chapter of You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One). Goins helps readers overcome doubt and hesitation in order to gain the confidence and discipline needed to choose writing everyday and move forward with projects. Also included in the book are strategies for self-branding, publicizing, networking, and social media.

“Writing: a way of leaving no space for death, of pushing back forgetfulness, of never letting oneself be surprised by the abyss.” In this collection of six essays edited by Deborah Jenson, Hélène Cixous takes readers on a meandering journey through the complex and intricate relationships between writing, language, poetry, painting, music, gender and sexuality, and feminism. Writers of all levels will find inspiration in the playfulness and lyricism of Cixous’s prose as she explores the work of Clarice Lispector and examines the urgency of the artistic impulse to create.

From this book’s first chapter on story openings to its last chapter on closings, author, editor, and writing instructor Douglas Bauer covers the most essential elements of a complete work of fiction, guiding readers through the process of writing dialogue, characters, and dramatic events. In this revised and enlarged edition, Bauer emphasizes the attentive engagement and consistent work that all writers must commit to in order to strengthen their storytelling and craft skills.

This collection is “intended for the reader who loves poems and likes to think about them,” writes Tony Hoagland in the foreword. In each of the conversational essays exploring poets such as Guillaume Apollinaire, Matthea Harvey, Galway Kinnell, Yusef Komunyakaa, Harryette Mullen, and Sharon Olds, Hoagland ruminates and thinks through craft elements like diction, metaphor, tone, and composition with an enthusiasm and practical curiosity that will inspire readers and writers of all levels.

This collection of essays and reviews features critic and columnist David Orr’s​ incisive investigations of poetry’s role in contemporary culture​. Readers and writers alike will ​find inspiration and insight in Orr’s explorations, which cover a broad range of poets, books, celebrities, and poetry-related subjects​ including Oprah Winfrey, beach poems, translation, Louise Glück, Matthea Harvey, James Franco, Mary Jo Bang, and Robert Frost.

“All you need is a word,” write Jodi and Owen Egerton at the beginning of This Word Now, emphasizing the importance of getting the first word or idea down on the page. Chock-full of essays, anecdotes, lists, and exercises, the book is designed to help readers warm up and stay engaged through the various stages of the creative process, and to approach and access the imagination while both having fun and being challenged.

“I wrote this book because I want writers, including myself, to cheer up. I want us to swap out the all-too-common mindsets and practices that do not serve us for ones that feed our creativity, our productivity, and our souls.” Author and instructor Joni B. Cole guides readers through the steps of actively attending to the joyful aspects of creativity, while steering clear of unproductive attitudes, habits, and perceptions. With engaging honesty and humor, Cole shares anecdotes, examples, and exercises designed to jumpstart the discovery of happiness and inspiration throughout the entire writing process.