Below is a list of my favorite books about writing.

These books aren’t about spelling or grammar or dialogue or scenes or tactics of persuasion or point of view or paragraph structure. They’re about writing as process, rather than product, and they are for anyone who is interesting in thinking about that process, whether as a beginner, as an amateur, or as a professional. I love them all and have spent many hours in their company.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

It might sound hippy-dippy and new age but oh my goodness it really works. If I believed in Writer’s Block, I’d say the exercises in this book were a cure for. If you don’t want to read the whole book, at least look up Morning Pages and do some tomorrow.

Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott

An incredible book about the artistic process. Smart, funny, spiritual, and energizing.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

If you’re feeling blocked or unsure of yourself, this book will help.

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard

This is the book I come back to more than any other. There are no better descriptions of the process of creation and revision than Annie Dillard’s here.

The Tools by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels

Read this weird and wonderful New Yorker essay about blocked screenwriters and the therapist who helps them, with somewhat unorthodox methods. This is his book, which uses Jungian archetypes to make sense of the artistic process.

Syllabus by Lynda Barry

This comic is ostensibly about visual art and teaching but it has a lot to say about creativity and play and the process of gradual improvement.

Imaginative Writing by Janet Burroway

This is the only book on my list that is actually a 'how-to’ book about writing. It’s the best, and the only one you need. It teaches the craft of creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and drama, and is a great place to begin if you want lessons and specific prompts about craft elements like image, voice, character, setting, and story