A Writing Guide Primer
Thinking of writing a short story? The next great American novel? Here are five books praised by novices and prize-winning authors alike.
THE ART OF FICTION: NOTES ON CRAFT FOR YOUNG WRITERS (1984), BY JOHN GARDNER
This is probably the one book about writing that most published authors have read or keep on their shelves. Published posthumously, it’s based on John Gardner’s lectures and seminars—his students included Raymond Carver and Charles Johnson—that covered both theory and the technical skills of fiction writing.
WRITING DOWN THE BONES: FREEING THE WRITER WITHIN (1986), BY NATALIE GOLDBERG
In this 40-year-old blockbuster, Natalie Goldberg proposes that writing is available to be produced by all, not just a select few. By means of short essays, she fuses Zen meditation techniques with different techniques and methods, such as timed exercises, to reshape writing itself into a kind of spiritual practice.
BIRD BY BIRD: SOME INSTRUCTIONS ON WRITING AND LIFE (1994), BY ANNE LAMOTT
This wise, memoiristic classic advises readers to come to the page to write, to overcome perfectionism, and to move forward in small steps, “one bird at a time.” The lessons build from more general instruction on getting a first or “child’s” draft down—and not worrying about expressing oneself accurately until revision—to insights into developing and discovering characters. “Writing is about telling the truth,” Anne Lamott asserts.
THIS YEAR YOU WRITE YOUR NOVEL (2007), BY WALTER MOSLEY
Think of this guide as an antidote to online communities like the former NaNoWriMo, which until last year spurred aspiring novelists to write 50,000 words each November. Walter Mosley eschews frenzied activity, instead offering 12 months of calm, step-by-step instructions on process, voice, plot, and revisions.
A SWIM IN A POND IN THE RAIN: IN WHICH FOUR RUSSIANS GIVE A MASTER CLASS ON WRITING, READING, AND LIFE (2021), BY GEORGE SAUNDERS
George Saunders interleaves Russian short stories with insightful essays about them that also address big questions such as, What is the actual process of making art? Reading differently, he suggests—not for literary elements like plot and theme but instead for what expectations are being set up—can make a writer better.
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