The Top Ten Best Books on Writing

I wish I could say that it's because of these ten books that I'm now a hugely successful writer, but I'll swallow my pride and admit that my sole qualification for authoring this list is simply that I read mounds of books on writing just to avoid writing. (FYI: If you ever hear a writer, published or not, claim that he's never avoided writing - that's like someone claiming he's never once in his life picked his nose.)

Let's start with the classic yet inevitable:

The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White

First published in 1959, this book is for every type of writer: the New York Times journalist, the memo writer, the blogger, the love letter writer, the high school English student, the doctoral graduate.

White, the beloved author of "Charlotte's Web," covers everything from basic grammar and commonly misused expressions to simple but insightful reminders on style (place yourself in the background, do not construct awkward adverbs, use figures of speech sparingly).

Writing with Style by John R. Trimble

Another oldie but goodie. I bought this book on a whim over five years ago at a college bookstore blowout sale. I had never heard of it but Trimble's promise on the back cover intrigued me: "Books on writing tend to be windy [yes], boring [true], and impractical [agreed]. I intend this one to be different - short, fun, and genuinely useful."

From Page 1 (or, technically, Page V) I was prepared to be disappointed. Now, after moving 23 times since the first read (4 of them across states), this book has never seen the gaping jaws of the Goodwill box. I actually read this book for leisure; I even brought it on a European backpacking trip once in case I got bored while I was there.

Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain

Swain is the William Faulkner of self-help writing books, hence, this book should be chewed in small bites. But I don't want to scare you away. The reward is worth it.

On Writing Well by William Zinsser

The fourth and last of the golden oldies. I ignored this book for quite awhile because of its subtitle, "The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction" (I prefer fiction-oriented books). I finally got around to it when my hoard of writing books started running low and I was desperate to avoid the glare of a blank Word document.

This is another writing book for the masses. I especially wish that the writers of the 1,990-page healthcare bill would read the section on simplicity: "Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon." I frequently recall pages 10 and 11 when I'm revising my own writing. (Yes, I'm going to leave you hanging on that - I'm evil.)

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

Publishing agents frequently say that the top reason for rejecting a manuscript is that it lacks "flow" - it's sluggish, weighed down, however you want to call it - essentially, the writer doesn't know how to edit herself. This book covers the typical stuff (point of view, dialogue mechanics, voice) but in an easily accessible way.

I particularly like that the authors frequently turn to renowned writers and books to illustrate their point. The best way to explain that a writing technique works: prove that it's gotten somebody else published and famous.

Your First Novel by Ann Rittenberg and Laura Whitcomb

Another book with a deceiving title. It's not just for first-timers. This book offers the unique perspective of both a published author, Laura Whitcomb, and her agent, Ann Rittenberg.

I especially appreciated Rittenberg's section; what aspiring author doesn't want to know what happens behind that mysterious green curtain when she submits her manuscript to the Great Oz's of publishing? Her chapter titles should be enticing enough. Here's a few to whet your palate: "What a Literary Agent Does - And Why," "Before You Submit Your Manuscript," "The View from the Other Side of the Desk," and "Getting to Yes."

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

This book (and it's accompanying $1,000+ workshop) has been marketed as the be-all end-all of the self-help writing world. Although I don't consider it the Lost Ark of writing books, I think it's good enough to land in my top ten. I've carefully read it twice and both times it has inspired a much-needed revision in what I was writing at the time.

Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell

The best book on plot I've stumbled across. I don't know if it's a conspiracy to keep aspiring writers at bay but most authors explain plot like it's trying to catch a leprechaun at the end of a rainbow: some get lucky but even the lucky few don't know how it happened. Bell breaks down the components of the supposedly ethereal plot in a surprisingly clear and concise way - throw in the fact that he has an engaging writing style and you've got a winner.

Getting into Character by Brandilyn Collins

The subtitle of this book is "Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn from Actors." I'm no thespian and I typically choose reasoned approaches as opposed to the explore-your-feelings stuff, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Here Collins draws on the Method acting theory to help authors bring their characters to life (you know, Method acting, like Christian Bale losing a third of his body weight to be The Machinist or Robert DeNiro paying a dentist $20,000 to ruin his teeth for his role as Max Cady in Cape Fear).

Collins doesn't advocate, for example, living in the mountains and eating only wild berries for a year if you're writing about a fur trader from 1789, but she does offer original and enlightening ways to create complex characters beyond the typical and rather bland advice of "write a journal as if you were them" or "interview your character as if you were a journalist." Kudos to Collins for thinking outside the box and inviting me to as well.

The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner

"An Editor's Advice to Writers," says the subtitle.

The first half of this book has you questioning what kind of neurotic writer you happen to be (because all writers are neurotic - it's just a matter of what kind you are). Are you the Ambivalent Writer? The Natural? The Self-Promoter? The Wicked Child?

The second half of the book explains what the heck is going on inside editors' heads (since most writers must not know considering the extraordinarily high number of rejected manuscripts). As Lerner wrote, "No one suffers as much as the rejected writer." I can't promise that this book will transform you into a successful writer but, at the very least, you'll now be an informed rejected writer.

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Any more writing books that I should throw on my reading pile? It's getting dangerously low and I can feel the blank pages of my unfinished novel glaring over the top at me.