Never too many moon pictures…
1. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. It’s just the best.
2. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. You know how sometimes when you want to clean out your house you read a book on cleaning. It’s not that you need that particular method; you just need a book to inspire you to clean, maybe some tips and fresh ideas. Writing Down the Bones is kind of like that. Truthfully it’s full of fantastic advice for writers, but even more than that, just reading it inspires you to write.
3. Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway. Basic good advice laid out in an easy-to-read approachable way.
4. On Writing by Stephen King. I don’t know why I liked this one so much–partly because the first half is King’s memoir and it’s fantastic. As far as the art of writing–Stephen King just made it incredibly approachable and basic. Also, he addresses the idea of writing for genres or for the mass market, but still writing well (often when we talk about writing, we discuss it in an esoteric, artsy-fartsy sort of way; King doesn’t do that, and we can all appreciate that).
5. Publish Your Book: Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author by Patricia Fry. Not exactly the craft of writing, but the craft of getting your books sold. Which is part of why we write. I appreciate that she has advice that can be useful to both traditionally published and self-published writers.
