The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition
by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
If you could have only one book on how to write, this is it. In less than 100 pages, it offers enough substance to
keep you going for a lifetime. Strunk’s seven rules of usage and eleven principles of composition, combined with E.
B. White’s delicious final chapter on style, make the book a usable, practical, true gem.
You can read this inspiring little book in a few hours, but you will never forget it. Bradbury
takes you back to why you wanted to write in the first place, and he passes on some of the techniques that have worked best
for him, with examples from his own work. I first read this book more than 20 years ago, but I've never forgotten Bradbury's
advice of "Don't think! Write! Relax!", which he says can be followed in any order.
I have used this superb book since it first came out in 1993.
I have also recommended it to novelists whose books I was editing and now to writing students. Professional editors Browne
and King explore the range of techniques essential to a fiction writer, with sample passages that give you practice in editing.
Named one of "six indispensable books for writers" by the L.A. Times.
Though aimed
at writers of nonfiction, this book will improve your writing even if all you write are business letters. With wit, clarity,
and brio, Zinsser zeroes in on what’s wrong with “bad” writing and then shows you how to make it clear,
crisp, and clean. “There's no sentence
that's too short in the eyes of God,” says Zinsser. How
to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling
by James Frey
Entertaining and concise, this book is as valuable
to those who have been writing for years as it is for beginners. From the basics of good writing to masterful tips
on developing a compelling premise and bringing the story to a climax, novelist and teacher James Frey offers down-to-earth
principles and hard-hitting suggestions.
Author Jerry Cleaver insists that anyone can be a successful
writer with the right tools. Founder of the venerable Writers' Loft in Chicago, in this book he presents those tools one by
one, including writing exercises that let you practice as you read. Cleaver is both motivating and clear about makes good
fiction “tick”. You can’t go wrong following his advice.
Writing the Breakout Novel
by Donald Maass
When this book came out, I first heard
about it from many successful, working writers. That alone recommends it. An agent whose clients include Anne Perry and James
Patterson, Donald Maass delves into what it takes for a novel to become a best-seller. Using examples
from his own chart-topping clients, Maass provides real-world, insider examples on how to make your novel rise above the pack.
How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
Now available
in paperback, this classic on the art and craft of writing science fiction and fantasy isn’t
so much a how-to book as a discussion of the elements that define these genres. Topics include inventing a world, creating
alien societies, the rules of magic, and how to use the MICE (milieu, idea, character, event) quotient to structure a successful
story. A SF/fantasy master, Card has won both Hugo and Nebula awards for his novels.
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within (Shambhala Library)
by Natalie Goldberg
First published in 1986, this book is as fresh as the day it appeared. I have reread
it often, and also given it to friends who aspire to write. A writing teacher and practitioner of Zen, Goldberg isn’t
so concerned with technique or how-to’s as she is with each person finding his or her own groove. Once you start reading,
you can’t put it down, but you’ll have to because Goldberg gets you so fired up and eager to do your own writing.
© Copyright
2007 by Donna Ippolito
by Ray Bradbury 
by William Zinsser