Best Books for Writers

This revised and expanded edition, with a foreword by novelist Dennis Lehane, is a thorough and practical how-to guide for writing a first novel divided into two parts. The first section, written by young adult novelist Laura Whitcomb, provides guidance through the writing process from initial ideas and preparations, to fleshing out the plot and going through revisions. The second section, written by literary agent Ann Rittenberg, goes through the steps of acquiring and working with an agent to the publication of a first book. Interspersed are writing exercises, tips, and firsthand accounts from authors sharing their experiences in publishing.

From the author of the memoir, A Life in Stitches (Chronicle Books, 2011), this guidebook goes through the entire process of drafting a memoir: from preliminary conception of ideas and direction, to organizing and outlining narrative structure and themes, planning character arc, revising, and getting published. With a humorous tone and a straightforward style, Herron provides experienced advice on managing friends and family, overcoming worries and other obstacles, and practicing self-care.

Literature Class is a collection of eight lectures delivered by renowned Argentine author Julio Cortázar while visiting the University of California in Berkeley in 1980, translated from the Spanish by Katherine Silver and edited by Carles Álvarez Garriga. In these talks, which are occasionally directed or rerouted by students’ questions and interjections, Cortázar shares insights into his personal experiences dealing with the challenges of writing short stories and novels. His inquisitive discussions on elements such as time, fate, realism, musicality, humor, and eroticism will provide new approaches to language and storytelling, and a refreshed perspective for writers seeking inspiration.

Write Smart, Write Happy is a book for managing the ups and downs of the writing life, which often includes obstacles such as writer’s block, rejection, procrastination, and general self-doubt. Readers and writers will appreciate Cheryl St. John’s straightforward and practical guide divided into seven parts and covering career planning, setting goals and priorities, maintaining interpersonal relationships, honing time management skills, and defining success.

In FLASH!, John Dufresne provides an introductory examination of flash fiction, exploring the elements that distinguish very brief fiction from longer stories, and how this literary form is particularly suitable for the twenty-first century. The book contains dozens of writing prompts and exercises, as well as samples of short short stories that demonstrate an expansive range of styles and techniques.

In A Broken Thing, contemporary poets, including Kazim Ali, Kathy Fagan, Alice Fulton, Kimiko Hahn, Ben Lerner, Carl Phillips, and Paisley Rekdal, offer short essays and reflections on the nature of the poetic line. The seventy essays included offer a practical discussion on how to use lineation to achieve certain effects, and present—as Vander Zee notes in his introduction—a range of perspectives on how “the line has become an aesthetic, sociopolitical, and, at times, metaphysical variable even as it remains deeply invested in the formal minutiae of rhythm and metrics.”

“There’s a lot that needs making in fiction but creating a space for mystery requires a certain amount of unmaking.” In the fourteenth volume of Graywolf’s “Art of” series, Maud Casey examines the employment of mystery as an element in literary fiction that provides compelling tension with uncertainty and unknowing. Casey presents in-depth discussions on creating mystery by constructing a sense of innocence, the use of haunted presences, and imbuing the unknown into characterization, imagery, and story structure.

“Be patient and methodical, like a seamstress or a boat builder. You are over the hurdle of wondering if you have a story at all. You have pages you can handle.” Sandra Scofield’s The Last Draft provides motivation and inspiration for writers who are ready to transform and refine the pages of their first-draft manuscripts into finished novels. Scofield thoroughly reviews the narrative elements integral when considering a novel’s structure, then guides readers step-by-step through the process of revision, from planning to polishing.

Either as an introduction or as a refresher, A Writer’s Craft serves as a straightforward guide to the broad world of creative writing. Many craft elements applicable across genres are discussed in chapters such as “The Writing Process,” “Language, Rhythm, and Sound,” “Character and Voice,” and “Perspective and Point of View.” The book presents an in-depth exploration of the specific forms of creative nonfiction, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama, and provides lists of further recommended reading, a glossary of literary terms, guidelines for workshops, and advice on how to be a good literary citizen.

“The devices work the magic in poetry, and a glossary gives names to those devices.” Edward Hirsch’s book is a focused selection of his comprehensive 2014 volume, A Poet’s Glossary, and unpacks the most essential poetic devices, terms, and movements that have informed international verse. From “abecedarian” to “Zen poetry,” the insightful entries will inspire readers and writers to experience and create poetry with a newfound understanding of its integral components.

The executive director of National Novel Writing Month, cofounder of 100 Word Story, and frequent contributor to Poets & Writers Magazine gathers a wide range of observations and advice for writers, addressing challenges such as starting a new project, going deeper and taking risks, nourishing the muse, and overcoming creative doubts. “We become the things we do,” Faulkner writes in this inspiring handbook, “and I can promise you, if you excavate your life to make room for your imagination, if you open up time to keep writing, you won’t just finish your novel, pen the poem in your head, or submit a short story you’ve worked so hard on, you’ll change, because once you realize yourself as a creator, you create worlds on and off the page.”

In this guide, writer and artist coach Gigi Rosenberg leads readers through the process of grant writing and navigating resources to fund artistic projects. With chapters covering topics such as deciphering applications, writing proposals and artist statements, selecting work samples, and constructing a budget, the book includes advice, anecdotes, and interviews with grant writers, recipients, panel members, and decision makers, as well as useful appendices indispensable to both professional and aspiring writers.