The art of writing has never been as accessible as in the time we’re living in. Every person is capable of writing and publishing their work. But for writers to be able to reach the heights of success, it’s important for them to have a good grasp of what writing craft is. A writer must also be well aware of all the important rules so that they can break them artistically. Below is a selection of books to snatch up if you’re determined to improve your writing skills.
The Anatomy of Prose by Sacha Black / Buy on Amazon US / Buy on Amazon UK
This quirky book focuses on the enhancement of prose. It will teach you how to deepen your reader’s experience through the power of expression. The book covers strategic word choice, rhythm and flow, differentiating characters in dialogue and embodying your character’s personality through words. What makes this a great book is that the author’s personality shines through vibrantly. Reading for improvement can sometimes feel dry and grating, but this book is a pleasure to read.
Show Don’t Tell by Sandra Gerth / Amazon US / Amazon UK
Show, Don’t Tell is one of the most important pieces of advice given to writers in the creative field. And many writers misinterpret or misuse this advice every day. That’s why Sandra Gerth’s book that focuses entirely on this piece of advice is essential. This book breaks down all of the nuances behind this advice and shows how it’s all a matter of balance. You have to learn as a writer when and where to apply this advice, and how it should be done. This book has an easy-to-understand example formula, which presents an example of Telling, followed by an example of Showing. These examples help you to digest each lesson in a way that’s easy to process.
Story Trumps Structure by Steven James / Amazon US / Amazon UK
Throughout my writing career, I’ve taught myself to outline everything. But the restrictive outlining process isn’t for every writer. For some, it limits their creativity. There are writers out there who thrive off of the uncanny feeling of not knowing where their words will take them next. For many, writing is an exploration. The problem is that this freeing approach leaves a lot of cleanup work to do after a first draft is completed. Well, this book, Story Trumps Structure, provides an excellent middle ground for those writers. It’s essentially a book for “pantsers”, writers who plan very little. It teaches you to do the basics that will keep your story in check, while also giving you the freedom to explore the depths of your creative mind. It teaches you to set up promises for readers and deliver on them, and it talks about the ways in which you can set up incredible twists in your writing.
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. / Amazon US / Amazon UK
This one is really for beginner writers who are still developing a style framework. Originally published in 1918, The Elements of Style may have a few laws that are slightly outdated for the modern time. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to learn here. The book will give you fundamental lessons on how to structure sentences and paragraphs. And it’s important to understand these fundamental rules so you can later learn how and when to break them in fiction. If writing craft is something you’re just beginning to explore then I’d start with this book.
The Write Structure by Joe Bunting / Amazon US / Amazon UK
The problem with a lot of writing craft advice online is that it’s very broad and general. Sometimes, the advice writers find is also meant more for editors than creative writers. The Write Structure acknowledges this and aims to give you practical ideas that you can use to begin your project. This book will give some commentary and evaluation on the writing advice you’ve likely heard before, but the author Joe Bunting adds some useful perspective to the advice. Because who is better to learn from than a bestselling author? If you’re someone who has been struggling to bring one of your manuscripts to life, giving this book a read may help you understand the changes you need to make to move forward with your masterpiece.
–featured image from Aaron Burden, Unsplash
