People who want to understand the secrets of the writing profession are not limited to novice writers, copywriters, journalists, scientists, or bloggers. Social networks have created a greater demand than ever for the ability to write. After all, being a good storyteller is a generous bonus for leadership, personal growth, and a reputation as an exciting and educated person.
The proposed interesting books contain guides to writing skills in the following formats:
- books with exercises and tips on creating successful texts,
- books that introduce the intricacies of the theory,
- personal success stories of outstanding and famous authors give us a tour behind the writing scenes.
Suppose you love storytelling and want to learn how to do it better, breathe life into each of them, build dialogues so that passion grows in them, and the words strung in sentences turn your readers into accomplices in the story. In that case, this good literature will come in handy.
Stephen King “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft”
This book is worth reading because it was written by “King of Horrors.” But, if that’s not an argument for you, King is an author whose books have sold almost 350 million copies.
Memoirs of the craft tell the story of Stephen King’s life dramas, his childhood, and his illness. And at some point, it seems that he is immersed in memories, forgetting why he is writing this book, but it is short-lived. He returns and advises novice writers. Ironic and sarcastic.
King shares stories about creative confidence, demanding and discipline, and purposefulness. But he considers grammar and vocabulary richness of paramount importance for future authors. He also asks the authors not to complicate their writing with complex verbal constructions. And gives the most crucial advice: “Read a lot and write a lot.”
Also, don’t forget that you may not become a first-rate writer after reading one book about writing. This is normal. Education is a long process. You can ask any university or college student about this, and they will confirm it. Even final year students sometimes ask for help with essay. Therefore, it would be a good idea to read essay samples in addition to reading books but how to write a story. For example, you can check multiple essay samples at Writingbros. They will help to understand the concept of the topic which should be explored and will facilitate the writing process.
Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way”
No one is eternal. Nothing is eternal. And also not new. Julia Cameron does the almost impossible. She tells you about yourself. Many people read this book and said, “Oh, she told me about me.”
Julia talks about the artist’s creative path. And she does it at the request of her friends, to whom her advice has already come in handy. The Artist’s Path is a practical 12-week course, and every lesson is for creative individuals. This book has helped many people, above all, to find themselves, break out of stereotypes, doubts, and expectations and start creating. The book discusses the basic principles of creativity and the obstacles that artists encounter in the way of their creative race.
The mini-course is aimed at daily creative activities. These morning pages work with criticism, force, spirituality, skepticism, and fear. This book is a guide for those who do not know if he should continue to create. The cycle of classes and recordings aims to discover your monsters and creative needs.
Interestingly, it is better to read this book in a group and do the same tasks. This approach will motivate you to reach the end and give you a circle of like-minded people who will understand what is happening to you and what kind of synchronicity it is.
Julia Cameron warns that your skeptic is likely to fight you and call it all child’s play. But the adventure that this book invites you to embark on is worth fighting with dozens of skeptics.
Robert Mackie «Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen»
It’s hard to imagine a person who can tell more and better about the art of dialogue, monologue, and stage construction than Robert McKee, a teacher of screenwriting in Hollywood. His previous book, A Story in a Million, sold millions and is now selling well. But “History” is designed more for filmmakers, while “Dialogues” is for a wider area of those who want to write.
This book contains information about the role of dialogue in a work of art, the functions of the monologue, and the artistic expressiveness of what is said. By reading it, you will be able to learn what opportunities a well-constructed dialogue offers and how the language you give to your characters can reveal their motives and even experienced dramas.
Robert McKee leads his reader through different dialogues: talking to himself, another person, and the viewer. You will learn how dialogue conveys intentions and desires, how to act with words, and get acquainted with verbal expressiveness. Separately, the author draws attention to the peculiarities of the story in the first, second and third person, mentioning in parallel what specific tools of dialogue give opportunities.
Meredith Maran “Why we write”
The book’s author, Meredith Maran, has collected the stories of 20 successful contemporary writers. Each tells about the search for inspiration and secrets of writing skills and gives valuable advice. Some stories are funny. Others are a little sad. And thanks to such revelations, the book is easy to read.
Anne Lamott “Bird by Bird”
The book was written by a very successful author, practitioner, and a man who went through all the stages of becoming a writer. Anne Lamott writes mostly non-fiction books and also conducts master classes in writing. In her books, and this one, she talks about her career, family, depression, and creativity.
“Bird after bird” is not a manual nor a book from the series “10 rules of correct text”. Instead, it is a novel where the author speaks to the reader, talking about the most candid things and people. Anne Lamott talks about what it’s like to be a writer, avoid mistakes, and go through “creative stagnation quickly.” Of course, the book also contains valuable advice, which is viewed through the prism of stories from her life.
“The only way to start writing is to sketch a weak, useless first draft.”
Conclusion
No matter for what reason, you want to improve your writing skills. It may be necessary to write coursework in an academic style. Maybe you want to write a book about your hero. You can be sure that you can start to write better after reading these books. You even can find some of these books in the school library.