When it comes to learning something new, I prefer to understand the mechanics of how and why things work rather than follow step-by-step guidance. For example, when cooking, I’d rather know the rationale for using different ingredients rather than follow recipes (which has led to some interesting experiments in the kitchen – just ask my wife!)
The same process applied to my learning to be an author. I came to fiction with near 15 years of medical writing experience. Writing books for me was a natural next step after scientific manuscripts and medical content. I thought it would be easy. How wrong I was! The learning curve has been steep. I learned my craft through on-the-job training (writing and feedback) and self-guided learning. The latter, meaning working my way through fiction classics and reading all the books on craft that I could lay my hands on. The books that made the greatest impact helped me to understand the how and why of writing, without necessarily giving me a roadmap on how to get from a to b. The five books below are the ones I think can help you learn to be a better writer.
1. Damn Fine Story by Chuck Wendig
A great book for beginners, Damn Fine Story explains the key elements of good storytelling. Wendig’s voice is funny and informative throughout. He draws on examples from film and literature and covers a lot of ground in terms of the subject matter. Refreshingly, he sounds nothing like a textbook and explains many key literary and storytelling concepts with humour and enthusiasm.
2. Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story by KM Weiland
I have a soft spot for this one as it’s the first book on craft that I read on my journey. Structure was a component of novels that I hadn’t fully appreciated when I started writing fiction. This book explains the core elements of a novel extremely well: multi-act structure, character, pacing, inciting event, crisis, and climax. It also appealed to my outlining approach (something I’ve posted about before) and preference to understand the mechanics of what makes great novels.
3. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
The go-to craft book for so many new writers, On Writing, is split into two parts. The first tells the story of what made Stephen King a writer. This part is a tale of grit as he explains the extensive number of rejections he needed to overcome before he started gaining some traction. The second part provides more direct guidance on how to be a better writer. It beautifully explains the role of narrative, character, dialogue, and sentence and paragraph structure to enable the writer to effectively assemble a clear and engaging story.
4. The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human, and How to Tell Them Better by Will Storr
This is my favourite of the pile. It draws on the latest research in neuroscience and psychology to explain the meaning of story in terms of how the brain works. The brain must interpret external information to craft an ongoing narrative of what is happening around us. Our job as storytellers is to mimic these neurological processes by bringing to life made-up characters and putting them through their paces by plotting challenges and barriers that lead them to change. It collates many ideas and concepts into a single evidence-based narrative. What I like the most is that it packages up the thinking into a practical framework called the ‘sacred flaw’ approach, which enables the writer to build a story and map out the plot according to the characters’ core attributes and beliefs. I have this book in audio format and to date have listened to it a whole three times.
5. Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence by Lisa Cron
This book takes a similar approach to The Science of Storytelling. It explains that stories are like simulations of the real world, which have meaning and purpose (where the purpose is to provide life lessons). Its premise is that if we tap into the evolutionary purpose of story, we can engage readers more effectively by driving their curiosity. Without their investment in the story, even the most perfect prose won’t hold anyone’s interest. It builds the discussion based on the latest neuroscience research, but crucially, it turns the science into practical tips that can be applied to your storytelling right now.
If you’re new to writing and learning the craft or even if you’re a seasoned writer looking to bolster your styles and skills, there’s something here for you in this list. They certainly helped me to better understand the craft and recognize how key ingredients may be brought together to create a story that really works.
