A Few Books About Writing
There are so many great books about writing that I feel awkward about contributing another to the pack. Here are just a few that have delighted me over the years.
Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen, by Mary Norris, offers a peek inside the mental workings of an expert and passionate copyeditor. This book will give you a better appreciation of the copy editor’s burdens and joys.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne is a much-loved guide to writing. The title story alone is worth the book.
The Business of Being a Writer (2nd edition) by Jane Friedman is invaluable for anyone who hopes or plans to make a living through writing.
Everybody Writes: Your New Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content, 2nd edition, by Ann Handley, offers terrific guidance on revising, particularly in the business context.
Exploratory Writing: Everyday Magic for Life and Work by Alison Jones, is one of the best guides on applied freewriting that I have found.
Joke Farming: How to Write Comedy and Other Nonsense, by Elliott Kalan. If you’re interested in comedy writing, this book is a gem.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King, is a wonderful work on the craft and life of writing.
The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin. Seth often knows exactly the thing to say to get me past some block, and I quote him regularly.
Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors, by Sarah Stodola, is a rich source of information about the lives and quirks of famous authors.
Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World by Maryanne Wolf. This book helped me understand what’s going on with our readers, and my own reading mind.
Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World, by Anne-Laure Le Cunff. Although not strictly a writing book, I find its advice quite helpful for writing.
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield. This classic is much loved by many writers. If you’re feeling blocked, pick it up.
Working Days: The Journals of The Grapes of Wrath, edited by Robert Demott, details John Steinbeck’s journals during the time he wrote The Grapes of Wrath. You hear the voice of the author, pleading with himself to stay on track, agonizing over setbacks, and plotting the path to completion. It makes for compelling reading.
Writing to Deadline: The Journalist at Work by Don Murray offers an excellent description of the writing process, and is the source of the “layering” advice.
Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark is exactly as advertised—wonderful writing advice!
Books about Creativity, Inspiration, Flow, and Cognitive Science
These are books that influenced The Writer’s Process, along with a few of my other favorites.
Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, describes the five key phases of the creative process.
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is the definitive source on flow.
Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, by Daniel Goleman, assembles a terrific breadth and depth of research on the topic of attention and presents it all in an inspiring and accessible way.
Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, by Nir Eyal, offers guidance of navigating a distraction-ridden world.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck, describes the power of the growth mindset.
The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How Innovative Companies and People Generate Great Ideas, by David Burkus, busts common misconceptions about creativity, particularly in the organizational context.
The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload, by Daniel Levitin, discusses the challenges of managing our attention in an information-dense world.
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, by Dan Ariely, debunks the myth of the rational self while demonstrating the consistency of the automatic systems.
Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age, by Sherry Turkle, offers insight into the impact of modern technology on solitude.
Shut Your Monkey: How to Control Your Inner Critic and Get More Done, by Danny Gregory, offers an inspiring and irreverent look at dealing with the inner critic.
Sparking Greatness: Harnessing the Power of Inspiration to Lead Boldly and Live Fully, by Danielle B. Baldwin, offers science-based suggestions for making inspiration part of your daily life and business leadership.
Thinking Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman, is a treasure trove of insight into the multitude of mysterious ways we make decisions.
