Many New Year’s Resolutions are health-centric—a promise to eat healthier, exercise more, or finally quit smoking. But for writers, caring for your creativity is just as central to your wellbeing.
To give you some extra motivation, we’ve rounded up books on writing that are filled with new ways of approaching the craft and practical advice from well-known authors. Whether you’re looking to start a new writing practice or finally get to work on the novel idea you’ve been chewing on for the past few months, these books will give you the inspiration you need to begin.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
With more than 70 books under his belt, Stephen King is a pop culture icon. On Writing is a memoir of his writing career, beginning with his childhood in Maine, where he would submit short stories to science fiction and horror magazines; to publishing his first novel, Carrie; to surviving a car accident that nearly killed him.
But On Writing is also filled with straightforward, actionable advice for writers. (For example: “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”) You don’t need to be a horror fan to find inspiration.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
Anne Lamott ends her introduction of Bird by Bird by saying, “As of today, here is almost every single thing I know about writing.” And that’s just what the book is. Lamott fills the pages with tips on creating characters, the benefits of short writing exercises, guidance on how to craft dialog that sounds natural, and inspiration to help you just get words to paper without being bogged down by perfectionism. It’s heartfelt, funny, and wide-ranging.
1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round by Jami Attenberg
In 2018, author Jami Attenberg and her friend came up with a challenge: to write 1,000 words every day for two weeks. In the years since, this challenge became a literary movement, with more than 30,000 participants (and counting!) writing in unison for two weeks of the year. 1000 Words is a collection of Attenberg’s new and previously published affirmations and motivations to writers. And nestled between Attenberg’s pages are letters of advice from more than 50 writers, including Roxane Gay, Celeste Ng, and Maris Kreizman.
Writing Past Dark: Envy, Fear, Distraction, and Other Dilemmas in the Writer’s Life by Bonnie Friedman
Yes, writing can bring joy. But it can also bring guilt, jealousy, fear, and a slew of other anxiety-inducing emotions. This book is a much-needed pep talk to writers facing common emotional blockers like procrastination and imposter syndrome. Pull it down from your bookshelf whenever self-doubt creeps in.
Big Magic: Creative Living Without Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert’s book isn’t focused on the craft of writing. Rather, it’s a how-to guide to embracing all forms of creativity in your life. With a playful but direct attitude, Gilbert argues that you can live your best creative life not through quitting your job and applying to an MFA program, but through little actions you take every day.
Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel by Lisa Cron
Author Lisa Cron dismisses the longstanding writing dichotomy of “pantsers” and “planners.” Instead, she proposes that writing requires tapping into the science of how our brain works—and how it craves stories. Her book Story Genius argues that no matter how great your idea or how flowery your prose, your writing will get nowhere if you don’t have a solid understanding of what a reader’s brain responds to.
The Forest for the Trees: An Editor’s Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner
Written from an editor’s perspective, The Forest for the Trees isn’t an instructional on writing. It’s instead part pep-talk for writers standing in their own way of starting or finishing their work, part runthrough of how the publishing industry works. It’s an empathetic, informative, and essential guide.
13 Ways of Looking at the Novel by Jane Smiley
But what, exactly, makes a novel? Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley sets out to answer this with an in-depth look at the history and mechanics of novels. She does this by diving deep into famous works, from classics like Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird to more modern tales such as Ian McEwan’s Atonement. After looking at what makes each novel a success, Smiley uses the second half of the book to give tips on writing your own.
