Technique

Becoming a better writer: read a craft book

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This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Becoming a better writer

I. Love. Books. I assume most writers do! I especially love to read books on the craft of writing. Studying these books always helps to up my craft, even if the specifics aren’t geared toward me, and there are lots of amazing books out there on screenwriting, storytelling, the life of a writer, and more, as well as specific aspects to hone your craft.

Here are some of the great craft books that I’ve read (affiliate links):

Story Engineering by Larry Brooks Elements of Fiction Writing – Scene & Structure by Jack Bickham
How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling by James N. Frey How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II: Advanced Techniques For Dramatic Storytelling by James N. Frey
Save the Cat by Blake Snyder 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love by Rachel Aaron
Write Great Fiction – Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

You could also try or . . . just sayin’.

This year, I’m reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and rereading Writing Screenplays That Sell by Michael Hauge on my Kindle, and hopefully finding those awesome writing books that were somewhere in my TBR before I moved . . . hm….

What do you think? What are your favorite writing craft or writing life books? What will you read this year?

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4 thoughts on “Becoming a better writer: read a craft book”

  1. I totally agree. I have to put down my craft books so that I can write! My favorites I’ve read lately are “Wired for Story” and “The Plot Whisperer.” They were incredibly helpful in my last novel. I am about to read “GMC: Goal, Motivation, Conflict.”
    I’m planning on reviewing it on my blog.

    1. Ooh. I haven’t read any of those, but I’ve heard really, really good things!

  2. I love Save the Cat and enjoyed Rachel Aaron and Donald Maas. I’ve also taken valuable advice from Story Engineering, but found Brooks’ voice bordering on the condescending sometimes, which tended to get annoying at times. Really enjoyed Ingerman’s Writing Fiction for Dummies.

    1. There’s a lot of good stuff in Story Engineering, but I did want the noise to signal ratio to be better.

      I haven’t read Writing Fiction for Dummies but I do like Randy Ingermanson’s site (even if the Snowflake Method isn’t my thing)!

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