One of the greatest ways to learn to write is to read. The more you read, the more you are exposed to. You can see firsthand how different authors develop their characters, set up their scenes, and analyze their structural and stylistic choices. Reading across all different genres and all different types of authors is extremely helpful- especially to a new author who hasn’t quite found their footing and place in the writing world yet.
Just as helpful as it is to immerse yourself into the books of mysteries, romances, thrillers, histories, and sciences it is also tantamount to have a few reliable technical writing books up your sleeve. I believe that most writing is simply a natural experience but there are some rules, methods, and techniques that we all need to faithfully practice. Being able to refer back to these reminders is an opportunity we should all give ourselves.
Gregory Ciotti, from The Huffington Post book blog, put together a list of five technical writing books that help you improve your writing skills. I found the list particularly helpful. If you haven’t found your “writing bible” yet, you might want to check these out:
1. REVISING PROSE by Richard Lanham
2. 100 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING by Gary Provost
3. BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott
4. ON WRITING by Stephen King
5. THE SENSE OF STYLE by Steven Pinker
New or experienced- we can all benefit from brushing up on our writing skills from time to time. But, finding the right writing book for our individual style and work habits could prove tricky. Give these a try if you are still on the search, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Write On.