Here we are at the beginning of a new year, and if you’re like me, you’re planning your year, setting goals, and diving into projects with new enthusiasm. One common goal for writers each year is to look for additional training, for ways to elevate your craft of writing, and to find the best books on writing. Practicing every day is the core part of improving, but well-qualified instruction can help us break through barriers to the next level. That instruction might come from writing seminars, books, mentors, etc.
Here’s my list of a few things that have helped me, as well as a link to a great list of some of the best books on writing, compiled by Penguin Random House. I like their list, so I’m sharing it so you can check it out too.
For me, one of the major milestones in my writing life came when I took a week-long training class from famed author and teacher David Farland. That experience literally changed my life as a writer. David Farland still teaches, and many of his workshops are online. Find out all about the many ways to learn from one of the very best in the business at: https://mystorydoctor.com/
Then there’s books on writing. I’ve read several, and I’ve learned something from all of them. One of the most useful for me has been Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. Larry is known as a writing coach, and this book clarified some concepts about story structure that I had struggled with for a long time and helped me break through another of those barriers to success. I highly recommend Story Engineering. And now Larry has a new book out – Great Stories Don’t Write Themselves. It’s the next evolution in his story coaching, so I’m sure it’s well worth studying.
One of the best books on writing characters that I’ve studied is Characters & Viewpoints by Orson Scott Card.
I have some other favorites, but most of them are included in this great article by Penguin Random House. So Here’s the link. Check it out, and let me know which one works best for you, or if you feel there should be other ones on the list that never made it.
https://medium.com/@penguinrandomus/write-on-27-of-the-best-books-on-writing-b47a84609448
Now, back to writing.
