Last minute gifts for writers

Or: give yourself the gift of learning about writing by reading

First of all, sorry this is coming your way a day late. I’ve been traveling to be with my family for the holidays, and just couldn’t get this out to you on Friday as usual!

Christmas and Hanukkah are just a few days away. If you have a writer on your list (or maybe want to gift yourself), here are a few books that I would highly recommend. And Happy Holidays to all of you lovely readers and writers!

Last week, I wrote:

Writing is a skill. Writing a book is harder than crafting, say, an email. Like any skill, writing takes practice. But not just practicing badly. There are specific skills to learn, in order to do it well. But good news: you can learn those skills. A great way to begin learning about good writing (for free!) is by reading good books. If you are not a reader, you should likely not waste your time trying to become a writer.

To help you to follow that advice, I wanted to offer a few suggested titles. Most of these are classics that have been around for a long time.

There’s plenty of books on writing out there. This list on Goodreads includes 99 fan favorites. But again—reading about writing is an important part of building a writing life.

I know you’re busy this time of year, so I’ll just share a few books and why I recommend them. Whether you buy one of these for yourself or for another writer in your life, these make great last minute gifts.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

by Anne Lamott

Anne Lamott is funny, irreverent and wise, and her advice has been guiding writers for more than 25 years. She offers memorable advice including telling writers to tackle “short assignments” and to write “shitty first drafts.” This book will encourage you and offer practical advice.

The Forest for the Trees: An Editor’s Advice to Writers

By Betsy Lerner

A super helpful book for writers who want to harness their creativity and also seek publication. A perennial bestseller, this book has recently been updated to include information about the quickly changing publishing industry.

Making a Literary Life: Advice for Writers and Other Dreamers

By Carolyn See

From the amazon description: Partly the nuts and bolts of writing (plot, point of view, character, voice) and partly an inspirational guide to living the life you dream of, Making a Literary Life takes you from the decision to “become” a writer to three months after the publication of your first book.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

By Stephen King

Prolific bestseller Stephen King offers his wise advice, told through the lens of his 50 year career as a writer. From the amazon description: Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have.

If you are writing memoir, you must read:

The Art of Memoir

by Mary Karr

Karr, author of bestselling The Liars’ Club, Cherry and Lit, draws on both writing experience and years of teaching writing in this compelling book. If you aspire to write memoir or personal story, this is the book Cheryl Strayed (author of Wild) called “the definitive book on reading and writing memoir.”

If you’re hoping to make a career of writing, I highly recommend:

The Business of Being a Writer

By Jane Friedman

Publishing is a business, and successful writers accept and embrace that being an author or freelance writer means you are in business. That fact sometimes feels intimidating to new writers, but this book is a goldmine of information and encouragement.

One of the best parts of being a writer is that you get to read a lot—it’s part of the writing life. Reading about writing is a great way to grow as a writer, to make progress toward your goal of publication, and to simply be inspired. My holiday wish for all of you is that all three of those things will happen for you in the coming year!

P.S. I have room for one additional coaching client to start in January. If you’re ready to take the next step toward publishing, contact me using the button below. (Learn more about the process in last week’s newsletter.)

P.P.S. What books on writing do you recommend? Leave a comment below and tell us about it!