Ever read a great book and thought, “Wow! I wish I could write like that?”

Yeah, me too.

Here is a hint. I bet that person that wrote that amazing, awesome book practiced…a lot.

Here is another hint, I bet they read a lot. And studied a lot. And then did it all over again.

In the beginning of my career, and even still to this day, I read, listen and reread a lot of self help books on writing and craft. And it never fails, with each new project my brain freezes and it’s like I have no idea how to write a book again. Between every project and sometimes during, I pick up a book to guide me, yet again, on how to write a novel.

So if you’ve ever thought about writing, or want to get better at your craft, here is a list of books I think are necessary to have in your arsenal.

 

LIST OF BOOKS EVERY WRITER NEEDS TO READ:

(Affiliate Links Are Used…What can I say? A girl’s gotta make a living.)

1.) Got High Concept by Lori Wilde

2.) Dear Writer, You Need to Quit by Becca Syme (and I wish everyone would take her advice!)

3.) On Writing: A Memoir of The Craft by Stephen King

4.) Save the Cat by Blake Snyder (I highly enjoyed listening to his voice on audio format.)

5.) How To Make A Living As A Writer by James Scott Bell

6.) The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman

-These ladies have a six book series, and I highly encourage you to buy all of them. I use these books with each and EVERY single book I write. If you are serious about your writing career, these are a MUST HAVE!

The other titles include:

7.) The Negative Trait Thesaurus

8.) The Positive Trait Thesaurus 

9.) The Rural Setting Thesaurus

10.) The Urban Setting Thesaurus 

11.) The Emotional Wound Thesaurus 

There you have it. My list of top 11 books you must have right now to make a go of your writing career. I am sure there are other amazing books out there, and as I read them, I will update this list.

Happy reading and happy writing!

XOXO,

Erin