The Top Ten Books Every Fiction Writer Should Own

Search Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble and you'll find hundreds of books about how to write fiction and how to sell what you've written. I've scanned many over the years, even bought a bunch, but there are very few that I find myself going back to again and again. Here's a cross section of what I've found to be among the best.

1. The Art of Fiction by John Gardner

This book, while meant for beginning writers, contains insights that even experienced ones may find helpful. Among other valuable tidbits, Gardner offers good insight into plot structure and fictional time versus real time. Although it was written some thirty years ago, the advice is still current.

2. Bird By Bird by Anne LaMott

Every time I feel stuck, I pull out this little book. Anne LaMott, telling the story of how she came to writing, is human, funny, and most of all, gives me a good kick in the pants to stop taking myself so seriously and simply get writing.

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

This memoir is about how Stephen King got started writing, how he nearly quit writing, and how he got over his drug problems and kept writing. For instance, did you know that King was so high at the time that he doesn't remember writing Cujo?" Many writers have written books about how to write and this one, as well as LaMott's, are real standouts.

4. An Exceptionally Good Dictionary

And no, the on-line versions, for me at least, don't cut it. There's something visceral and writerly about taking down a weighty tome and flipping through the pages. Plus, as you might have already discovered, it's dangerous to rely simply on your word processor's spelling and grammar check. They're notoriously negligent.

5. Portrait of The Artist As A Young Man by James Joyce

It's been said that the best education for a writer is to read the best, and this is one of the best. When I finished this classic, I wanted to applaud. I write mostly literary and commercial fiction, so this is in my library, as well as Nabokov's Lolita, Voltaire's Candide, and a couple of Faulkner and Joyce Carol Oates's best, but what would be essential reading for you will vary with your taste and your genre. Pick the best of the best and read it at least twice. Once for sheer joy and the second time as a textbook. For instance, if you write science fiction, you might want to read Asimov's Foundation or Heinlein or a "contemporary classic" like Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game

6. The Elements of Style by Strunk and White

This manual that took you from essays in high school through term papers in college is still a valuable asset for any questions about word usage and grammar.

7. Any Major News Organization's Style Book

I prefer the Associated Press's version (I've had my dog-eared copy since Journalism 101), although the Chicago Manual of Style is also good. Newspapers have to get it right, as their credibility is on the line. Misplaced punctuation or an incorrectly used title could be embarrassing at best and politically disastrous at least. This book answers pretty much any punctuation, usage and picky little grammar conundrum you might have. And again, don't trust your word processor's grammar-check program. Also, newspaper style manuals often have material on media law, which can come in handy if you write for the web or for television.

8. Any Comprehensive Baby-Naming Book

Whether fumbling for a character's name or curious about the meaning of the ones you've chosen, keep this one on your bookshelf. A good volume covers names from different cultures. Some writers also like to thumb through the phone book for interesting names.

9. Writing The Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

This is for the Marketing segment of your education as a writer. And what better teacher about the creation of marketable novels then a top-flight (and very articulate) agent. Even if you're an organic writer, (meaning that you don't outline and let the characters tell you where they're going) there's something to learn from Maass's years of experience.

10. Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents 2007 by Jeff Herman.
Yes, when it comes time to sell one's work, nearly everyone gets a copy of "Writer's Market." Or "Guide to Literary Agents." But this book (by another prominent agent) gives so much more detail about what agents are looking for, how to approach them (and how not to approach them), and their interests.

Happy reading, good writing, and successful marketing to all.