Young Writers Society

Hey. Rachelle here. I am taking the advice of a published author and I am looking for books to read on writing techniques. Are there any you would recommend? Are they even helpful? Any suggestions would be amazing. Thanks.

Stephen King wrote a book on writing. I can't remember what it was called.

@OliverWilliams I believe it was called On Writing.

I have a book on my own shelf that I've meant to read, called The Story: Behind the Story, but I don't know if it's any good. (Well, I've never read it.) I can take a glance through and see if it has any useful information, though.

Personally, I take books on writing the same way as I take writing advice—if it works, great, but if it doesn't, I won't hesitate to drop it. I don't think they're a necessity at all for learning how to write well, and for many people, they could actually hinder natural progression of skill. So, you know, take it at your own pace and don't be afraid to say "this isn't working for me".

There's a thread that's dedicated just to posting books on writing that other YWSers found! (You can find it here- Any Exceptional Books About Writing?)

As for personally, I find Spilling Ink By Ann Mazer and Ellen Potter to be absolutely exceptional for young writers. I've read it so many times I've lost count, and still to this day I discover new things inside.
Books for writing should be taken with a grain of salt, just like other writing advice. Yes, it might be good advice, but when you're following it you have to remember-- this is not the only right way to do something, it's just one person's opinion on how to do that one thing.

If you take one person's advice as gospel, you're going to be sorely disappointed with your writing progress! This goes for reviews/advice from peers as well! Be knowledgeable, yes, but don't be afraid to deviate and experiment from what the books you've read said. Sometimes their ways just don't work for the way you write. And that's totally okay!

But all in all, I'd say yes, books on writing are helpful. If only because they might teach you a different way to do something, or teach you something new!

For me, anything by Nancy Kress (Namely these two) are fantastic writing resources.

There is also The Writers Complete Fantasy Reference, which is an absolute godsend if you're writing anything relating to fantasy or historical fiction. It's primarily a sampling of basically everything, from magic systems to Europe to around the world cultures. You can get a bucketload of information in a small sampling (as the reviews point out, it is broad), which is a great starting point if you're writing fantasy.

I personally haven't read any great books on writing, though I have heard Orson Scott Card wrote a great book about writing. I have used other means such as this podcast and this lecture series. I hope this helps!

I'd recommend going to the high end book stores and checking out the titles there. There are hundreds of books on the market written by people who don't have the knowledge to call themselves experts but believe themselves to be so anyway. The higher end stores filter out the smush for you.

Also, try university presses. They're usually written by a selection of people who have spent a long time researching and teaching their craft, and know how to nurture beyond the normal 'top ten tips' books.

The likes of 'writers digest' also do some pretty good lists of books and summaries so you can find what you need.