Even the most seasoned writers need to read some books on writing skills on occasion. Published writers still need practice, and these books are great ways to get it.
NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products.
I know as a writer, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about the big picture stuff of writing. And to be sure, mindset and structuring novels are important things, but what about the nuts and bolts of doing the writing?
Sometimes you need a refresher.
Sometimes you need to ground yourself in the task at hand.
Sometimes you need to stop thinking such big picture and just sit back and do the work.
Check out these books on writing skills! Click To TweetSo, with that in mind, I’m sharing these books on writing skills today so we can all get a little back to basics.
Books on Writing Skills: Speed
2K to 10K: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More by Rachel Aaron
If you already feel like a pretty fast writer, I say you should start with Rachel Aaron’s 2K to 10K. I love how she outlines her method for learning to write faster and how she shows the logs she kept of her sprints. She also details how she wrote a novel in like 11 days in this book. So, if you feel this is impossible, don’t start with this book. It’s just going to be demoralizing. But, if you’re like me, this book got you really jazzed up to get faster at writing.
5,000 Words Per Hour: Write Faster, Write Smarter by Chris Fox
Now, if you feel like Aaron’s book makes fast writing seem impossible, then you need to check out Chris Fox’s book. One good thing about this book is he outlines how he got his head in the right place to think positively and tackle a writing career. And the best part? You can watch Chris Fox’s videos on YouTube and watch him lay out how he does his marketing.
Books on Writing Skills: Style
Write Tight: Say Exactly What You Mean with Precision and Power by William Brohaugh
As a writing teacher, I think I spend a lot of time trying to break bad habits from writing papers in high school. We all learned to fluff up our writing to meet page counts, and I think this has bled over into our writing thought process. So, if you feel like your writing could do with some tightening up or a bit of diet, then I would recommend this book to you. Afraid your prose will get too tight? Don’t worry. This book can help you with that too.
It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A writer’s Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences by June Casagrande
Talk about nuts and bolts — this book lays out how to craft a good sentence, and it also shows you why some sentences are great, and others straight up suck. And while you may feel like this is an unnecessary book, clunky sentences can stop a reader right in their tracks. And it goes without saying that an agent probably isn’t interested in a book that readers won’t finish. And the cool thing about this book is that the advice can work for fiction writers or nonfiction writers or bloggers or even journalists.
The Kick-Ass Writer: 1001 Ways to Write Great Fiction, Get Published, and Earn Your Audience by Chuck Wendig
I love Chuck Wendig’s blog, and if you haven’t checked it out, make sure you head over there. I think he gives some really good advice that is both functional and inspiring. And it’s a bonus that he’s super funny. His books on writing are just as fun. The thing about this books is that it covers a lot of the nuts and bolts — not just fiction writing, but query letters and author platform building too. So, if you’re in the market for a one-stop-shop manual, this book is what I recommend.
Want to get better at the nuts and bolts of writing? it's time to brush up on those writing skills. Click To TweetWhat Are Your Favorite Writing Skills Books?
Got a resource that’s great for writers who want to learn to write faster? Which books have helped you with your writing style? Looking for other books on writing? Make sure to check out these posts:
