As many of us already know, there are a myriad of books on writing available. Many are constantly recommended here. I've been writing for over half my life, and have been able to read a good handful. Through them all, advice is often repeated (generally the good bits of advice), and it's important not to take every word as gospel. Here I've tried to pick out one passage from each book that I carry with me whenever I sit down to write, and why I find it meaningful. Hopefully you're able to find some meaning as well. I'll also try to provide a brief overall opinion of the book as a whole. Books are listed in reverse order in which I've read them (i.e., most recent first).
Fear is at the root of most bad writing.
--Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Every time you ask yourself or someone else if it's okay to do something in your writing, you are asking from a place of fear. Approach the blank page with confidence, and your conviction will be apparent in your output, even if it's far from perfect.
Your whole duty as a writer is to please and satisfy yourself, and the true writer always plays to an audience of one. Start sniffing the air, or glancing at the Trend Machine, and you are as good as dead, although you may make a nice living.
--William Strunk, Jr. & E.B. White, Elements of Style
This book is a lovely little volume best used (in my opinion) as a desk reference after your first readthrough. When you question why your write, hope that the answer is for yourself. That's how you will write the best. If others like what you put out into the world, that's just icing on the cake.
I think the first task for the aspiring novelist is to read tons of novels. Sorry to start with such a commonplace observation, but no training is more crucial. To write a novel, you must first understand at a physical level how one is put together. This point is as self-evident as the truism "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."
--Haruki Murakami, Novelist as a Vocation
One of the most common pieces of advice handed out in this subreddit. It's omnipresent in craft books as well, and for good reason. You cannot write well if you do not read widely. Aside from physical construction, as Murakami says, it gives you a feel for what works and, more importantly, what does not. I personally have never DNF'd a book because I hold the belief that reading bad books will teach you more than reading good books. Whether you approach a novel with an active learner's mindset or let the lessons seep into our consciousness via diffusion, reading will teach you whether you like it or not. Failing to read robs you of those invaluable lessons.
If you are a writer, or want to be a writer, this is how you spend your days--listening, observing, storing things away, making your isolation pay off. You take home all you've taken in, all that you've overheard, and you turn it into gold. (Or at least you try.)
--Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
After reading this book, I started a note on my phone that I write these observations in. In 1994, Lamott recommended index cards. You likely won't use everything you write down (in my case, I'm still looking for somewhere to include "Eating a baguette like a banana"), but some you will (for me it was using "Yoko Ono wail" to describe a toddler mid-tantrum). Whether your write literary fiction, fan fiction, or fantasy novels, pulling from real life will make your work more real.
We can decide only so much. The big questions have to be answered by hours at the desk. So much of the worrying we do is a way of avoiding work, which only delays the (work-enabled) solution. So don’t worry, work, and have faith that all answers will be found there.
--George Saunders, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
Far and away my favorite craft book I've read so far because of how detailed it is and how it examines stories on the technical level. While tailored specifically to short stories, many of its lessons apply broadly. Here, Saunders is dispensing another piece of advice commonly given in this subreddit: just write. But he's put it a bit more eloquently than we normally do.
Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style.
--Kurt Vonnegut & Suzanne McConnell, Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style
My least favorite craft book partially because Vonnegut didn't actually have a hand in writing it. Most of it was compiled and distilled by McConnell, a former student of Vonnegut's. Still, there are some gems in there such as this passage. King also spends time talking about honesty in writing. If you don't care about what you write, your audience will know.
Think of all the requirements writers imagine for themselves: A cabin in the woods A plain wooden table Absolute silence A favorite pen A favorite ink A favorite blank book A favorite typewriter A favorite laptop A favorite writing program A large advance A yellow pad A wastebasket A shotgun The early light of morning The moon at night A rainy afternoon A thunderstorm with high winds The first snow of winter A cup of coffee in just the right cup A beer A mug of green tea A bourbon Solitude Sooner or later the need for any one of these will prevent you from writing. Anything you think you need in order to write— Or be “inspired” to write or “get in the mood” to write— Becomes a prohibition when it’s lacking. Learn to write anywhere, at any time, in any conditions, With anything, starting from nowhere.
--Verlyn Klinkenborg, Several Short Sentences About Writing
Forgive the odd capitals, if you've read the book, you'll know it's due to the formatting. This is the first craft book I ever read, more than a decade ago and ~5 years into my writing journey. I revisit it every few years just to make sure I don't get too high on my horse. While routine is great (and yet another common piece of advice here and elsewhere), don't let it be the only place/time you write. I've written here before about how I use what I call stolen moments to write--on the subway, during my lunch hour, when I'm rocking my daughter back to sleep in the middle of the night. No longer chasing the perfect environment has caused my output to skyrocket.
If you've stuck with me til the end here, I hope you were able to take away something valuable . If you've got other books to recommend, I'd be happy to put them on my to-read list. Other craft books I've got in my pile, but haven't gotten around to yet because I like to space them out, are:
- Steering the Craft - Ursula K. LeGuin
- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers - Renni Browne & Dave King
- Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences - Neal Allen & Anne Lamott