The 10 best books on writingEveryone writes, few write well

Reading about writing

WHO needs to read about writing?You do. Thanks to the internet good writing has never been as important a skill for so many people as today.

WHY if I can already write?We think that we are experts at it because we can compose emails. But according to the Dunning-Kruger effect this isn’t true.

WHAT books then?These books are a selection of all disciplines, for inspiration on creativity, to writing a script, novel or essay.

The best books on writing and storytelling, courtesy of Considered WordsClick on the pictures to find out more or to buy the books at Amazon

Story – Robert McKeeThe granddaddy of modern storytelling books, Robert McKee is loved by many for his direct style combined with his real love of writing and desire for others to tell stories well. He sets out his principles (don’t ever call them rules) of writing in a clear style that he follows up with several examples from Hollywood.

The Seven Basic Plots – Christopher Booker

Christopher Booker was the Daily Telegraph‘s theatre correspondent for many years and he’s used his critiques of hundreds of plays, operas and books to infer seven basic plots.

The Screenwriter’s Bible – David Trottier

As the title suggests, this is aimed at screenwriters but all writers can learn from his approach, for the book does not just focus on the mechanics of formatting a script but also looks at how to make your writing effective and vigourous.

The Elements of Style –Strunk & White

Written by US university professor Strunk, journalist (and Strunk’s former student) White updated it in 1956. It has eight rules of usage, ten principles of composition, matters of form and a list of words and expressions commonly misused along with words often misspelled.

Save the Cat! – Blake Snyder

Blake Snyder wrote Stop! Or my Mom will shoot, but don’t hold that against him. Snyder’s book is aimed at screenwriters but with lessons for all writers, particularly his focus on on two key ideas – good structure and showing the hero is someone worth rooting for.

Confessions of an Advertising Man – David Ogilvy

This book isn’t about writing, it’s an autobiography, so what’s it doing in here? Well Ogilvy made his fortune in advertising and for him that was built on effective use of powerful words.

Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach – Paul Joseph

GulinoAnother screenwriting book in the list. Why? Because screenwriting is such a stripped down form of storytelling that the writing has nowhere to hide – it has to be top class.

Essays – George OrwellConcise, barely using a word more than necessary, but with good examples and arguments as to the importance of writing, word choice and style, these essays are as relevant now as they were when written. After reading this you can never look at a corporate blog or email with their meaningless buzzwords in the same way again.

The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook

It won’t teach you how to write, or how to come up with ideas, but this annually updated volume is essential for anyone who wants to make a living from writing. The yearbook lists agents, publishers, magazines and others associated with the writing industry.

How Not to Write a Novel - Newman &

MittelmarkSometimes the easiest way to illustrate something is to show the opposite. This is Newman and Mittelmark’s approach in How Not to Write a Novel. It has good examples of what to avoid, and – despite the title – does give a few hints on how to write a good novel.

Find out more on writing and storytelling

Want to find out more about these books? See the original post on the Best Books on Writing at Considered Words.

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