Writing About Writing About Writing

Books that spark joy (and mania)

Last time: I shared some personal grief-related publishing news (behind the paywall).

Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash

"A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe."— Madeleine L’Engle

I have a love/hate relationship with books about writing, those tenacious craft books that I devour but still leave me hungry. So many writers (maybe all writers?) have a list of favorite craft books. I’ll list a few below because I’d hate for you to miss out on someone mentioning Stephen King’s On Writing one more time.

I’ve read a few craft guides lately that nearly wrecked me, and not in a good way. I’m thinking of popular books that are so prescriptive, I end up feeling like I’m the oddball for not writing or thinking in the same way as the author.

It causes me all sorts of grief to read a book and admire the writer’s process but know it won’t work for me and my brain. In the past, this kind of overly prescriptive “write a novel in 12 hours” kind of book created nifty little writing blocks, too.

Outlines, note cards, character sketches, vision boards—I don’t do any of that. Well, I dabble in the world of outlines, but let’s just say I don’t outline an entire novel before I write it.

Either way, I’m going to continue collecting books on writing, highlighting the hell out of them, and deciding what advice fits for me and what doesn’t. I have enough experience and instruction under my belt now to know I don’t have to swallow everyone’s writing “rules.”

Here are three of my favorite books on creativity and writing, one that I just read this year. I left off a few of the big ones, but I have a full list on Bookshop that I’ll keep updating. Leave your personal favorites in the comments. Please and thank you.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

I know that Bird by Bird is on almost every list of favorite craft guides, but it really did change my outlook on writing completely. I read Bird by Bird in graduate school and nearly lost my mind at the idea of “shitty first drafts.” How come no one told me that I was allowed to write a messy draft? I honestly had never been given that advice before.

Bird by Bird informs how I teach writing and how I approach my own work, even now, so many years later. Lamott’s generosity and humor is a joy.

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

Even though I’m not a fan of prescriptive writing guides, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is the exception. Based on the popular Blake Snyder screenwriting book called Save the Cat, the novel-writing version by Jessica Brody makes so much sense to me.

This may or may not surprise you, but MFA programs and other writing classes rarely have the time or scope to teach students how to write (or publish) a novel. The focus is often on short fiction. Brody’s book is like a DIY novel-writing class. It’s never far from my reach.

Refuse to be Done by Matt Bell

Matt Bell’s delightful Refuse to be Done is new but it has become a favorite already. Unlike other craft guides that focus on drafting and plotting, Bell helps with revision. And rewriting. His ideas and examples are instructive without being heavy-handed. And there are no percentages or “rules” about making note cards.

As a pantser (flying by the seat of my pants as I write), Refuse to be Done is the book I didn’t know I needed. It’s on backorder everywhere I’ve looked, but if you want a copy, go ahead and order now.

Note: I’m an affiliate of Bookshop.org and earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

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This is where my Teacher and Bookworm selves come out to play. At the bottom of every new post, I’ll share what I’m currently reading and offer up a writing prompt if you feel so inclined.

Currently reading:

• Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

• “You Can’t Have Creativity Without Boredom” by Aaron Angello on Lithub

Writing prompt:

Since I mentioned Matt Bell above, I’m going to share his monthly Substack newsletter with writing exercises. The link below is one I plan to use with students the next time I teach creative writing.

Bell writes, “For your exercise this month, write a story or a flash fiction (or even a chapter inside your novel-in-progress) in a communal first-person plural voice, narrating from the point of view of a specific community.”

Exercise #29: The First-Person Plural

Enjoy!