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Books pile up. Collect. Gather. Grow. Overflow. Mine hang out on shelves, counters, mantles, desks, pedestals, ledges and tables. Some huddle in crannies and cupboards. Others lean and loaf around beds and bureaus, couches and chairs, sofas and sideboards. Let’s say, I have an ample supply. Today I sort, order, straighten, shuffle, tidy ~ clear the decks, so to speak.
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WWWW is always on the hunt for a book that we can read together. One that will nudge us along as we write novels, articles, poems, ad copy, blogs and yes, even, emails. We’re pretty fussy, though. Not any book will do. It has to surprise us, have personality, be a little edgy and totally engaging. We aren’t looking for the writing-as-usual, dead-on-arrival guidebook. It’s got to have umami-like deliciousness. Art Plotnik’s books make us smile, set us free and leave us begging for more. We want frank, fun writing ~ not writing exercises. That means the book needs to be a punchy and irreverent read, rooted in object lessons that energize and liberate our words.
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….still waiting…
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We like books that offer practical advice, like Jane Yolen’s book for writers. She says to learn to write, not with blood and fear, but with Joy. She is so smart. Please yourself, then get ready for the happy accident of your own writing – be illuminated, changed and charged by what you discover.
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And then there’s Ralph Fletcher, a writer/teacher for kids of all ages. An ordinary guy who likes to write. And he reveals The Secret of Writing. It’s this ~ there is no secret. Surprised? I thought not. But there is a process, definite steps that help shape the work. Write one word. Then another.
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So here’s a list of my books about writing by writers that I own, read, recommend, lend and get a charge out of. What’s your on your shelf? Tell us. It’s good to share.
Books about Writing by Writers
Before We Get Started: A Practical Memoir of the Writer’s Life by Bret Lott
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
A Dangerous Profession: A Book About the Writing Life by Frederick Busch
Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True by Elizabeth Berg
The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art by Joyce Carol Oates
Herself: Reflections on a Writing Life by Madeleine L’Engle
How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author by Janet Evanovich
The Joy of Writing: A Guide for Writers, Disguised as a Literary Memoir by Pierre Berton
Like Shaking Hands With God: A Conversation About Writing with Kurt Vonnegut & Lee Stringer
Making a Literary Life: Advice for Writers and Other Dreamers by Carolyn See
Negotiating With the Dead: A Writer on Writing by Margaret Atwood
On Writing by Stephen King
One Writer’s Beginnings by Eudora Welty
Remembered Rapture: The Writer at Work by Bell Hooks
Seldom Disappointed: A Memoir by Tony Hillerman
Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life by Terry Brooks
The Spirit of Writing: Classic and Contemporary Essays Celebrating the Writing Life edited by Mark Robert Waldman
The Spooky Art: Some Thoughts on Writing by Norman Mailer
Surviving a Writer’s Life by Suzanne Lipsett
Voice Lessons: On Becoming a (Woman) Writer by Nancy Mairs
Why I Write: Thoughts on the Craft of Fiction edited by Will Blythe
Women of Words: A Personal Introduction to 35 Important Writers edited by Janet Bukovinsky
Words Still Count With Me: A Chronicle of Literary Conversations by Herbert Mitgang
Write Away: One Novelist’s Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life by Elizabeth George
Writers Dreaming; Writers Talk About Their Dreams and the Creative Process by Naomi Epel
The Writer’s Home Companion: An Anthology of the World’s Best Writing Advice, from Keats to Kunitz edited by Joan Bolker, Ed.D.
The Writer’s Mentor: Secrets of Success from the World’s Greatest Writers edited by Ian Jackman
Writing Alone and With Others by Pat Schneider
Writing From the Heart: Tapping the Power of Your Inner Voice by Nancy Slonim Aronie
The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
Writing Lives: Conversations Between Women Writers edited by Mary Chamberlain
Writing Was Everything by Alfred Kazin
Zen and the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbur
Next time ~ Books About Writing Well
