Books Every Budding Writer Needs on Their Shelf!
Updated and expanded - August 2026
So I know as a writer I should love reading all sorts of books on writing. But I don't. As you know I'm a slow reader, and I generally try to listen to audio books. But listening to non-fiction on audio is difficult, I am easily distracted and I find I need to highlight, underline, tag etc. when reading non-fiction for content. So here are my top 10 books for writers to read or have on their shelf!
Yes you really need to read these!
1. "On Writing" by Stephen King
Yep tied for top of my list.
No you don't need to like horror, or even his writing in particular, to really enjoy and learn from this book. It is good. It is necessary. It will help.
If you are daunted by a 300 plus page non-fiction book (the twentieth anniversary edition) don't be. The first 100 or so are forwards and his memoir. However I suggest reading them, his memoir helps you to understand his perspective, his experience and his voice (if any of them are unfamiliar to you). The next is his "toolbox"-- I found this to be extremely helpful and I liked how it laid out the groundwork for the next section, "On writing".
Again, I am not a writer or storyteller by training or education. But my scientific background greatly appreciates, bullet points, synopses, and logic models. His organization followed suit.
"But Why? I'm still scarred from my high school critiques?"
I think many of us are. Mr. King gives credence and explanation as well as examples to many of the edits and critiques you may get. One of my favorite quotes, "Practice the art, always reminding yourself that your job is to say what you see, and then to get on with your story."
We will include more in a later post - someday. But for now, I hope you believe us and buy the paperback. Read it. Love it. Mark it up. Make artistic notes of quotes you love.
2. "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamont
Her self-deprecating humor hooked me early on. Add to that, all the chapters are short. That meant I could easily set a goal of one chapter a day, learn something, highlight something and close the book feeling satisfied, laughing and relieved that my darker thoughts were not isolated. (Seriously some chapters are 5 or 6 pages.)
Also if you are wondering what it is about, what knowledge does it impart? Just read the back cover, where she kindly and quickly explains the title, Bird by Bird was advice her father imparted on her brother for a last minute project. He just had to take his research topic 'bird by bird'.
If you are feeling overwhelmed and are not up to reading a whole book (although I heartily suggest it), you can also skip to "Jealousy" or "Someone to Read Your Drafts" chapters. Those both grabbed me through humor, personal fears, and my own dark thoughts. They immediately made me feel less alone.
3. "Master Lists for Writers" by Bryn Donovan
First don't worry, this is reference material, you don't actually have to read it all, at least not in one go. Bryn Donovan has a slew of amazing books, blogs, links etc. on her website. All of which are incredibly helpful for those moments where you lack inspiration, are mired in self doubt, can't find that word, that emotion, that gesture, or the like. There are even lists of names appropriate to certain time periods!
4. "No Plot? No Problem" by Chris Baty
Okay even though NaNoWriMo is no more after scandals and ultimately a poorly worded letter about their full acceptance of AI in all its forms to write - we still liked this book.
NaNoWriMo's Founder Chris Baty produced a book full of tips, tricks, and tonics for the budding author. From how to help your family understand your temporary absence and insanity to how to prepare with everything from snacks to timers for writing. This is another humorous guide to help you on your writing quest. Whether you are needing inspiration, stalled or needing a kick in the pants with a formatted excel sheet, this book can help.
(PS the reason it isn't included in the picture is because I lent to a friend:)
5. "The Heroine's Journey" by Gail Carriger
(Initial disclaimer, I'm a huge fan of her work. I love her witty steampunk - Parasol Protectorate series - there are so many more of her books to love, but we will start there).
If you want to learn about the Hero's Journey and it's juxtaposed Heroine's journey and its origins using pop culture references - this is the book for you. As a GenXer I was immediately in love when she was using Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey in the initial Star Wars trilogy to kick things off. Also as a budding romance and fantasy author learning more about the underpinnings of contemporary storytelling, their mythical constructs and inspirations, and the modern criticism that is connected to them, was immensely interesting and useful.
Bonus: If you want the original book on The Heroine's Journey by Maureen Murdock and Christine Downing click here.
6. "Drake's Brutal Writing Advice" by Maxwell Alexander Drake (3 books)
Lena and Adriana attended a session by Mr. Drake at San Diego Comic-Con and we loved it! He is great at explaining things, and there were so many times, (especially in The Ultimate Guide to Show Don't Tell book) where we were like OHHHHHHH! He made lots of things click and clarified things we struggled with. (Please note these links are to Amazon.com and are affiliate links in which may garner us a small compensation. If you happen to note a different way to buy the book - please let us know).
7. Anna Vaught, “The Alchemy - a guide to gentle productivity for writers”
Adriana was lucky enough to have Anna as her writing mentor in the UK's Jericho Writers Ultimate Novel Writing Course. Anna's understanding of neurodivergence and empathy flow through every part of this book. It was like a breath of fresh air to finally have someone recognize a different way of doing things, (it wasn't all about routine or how to be productive - but how to honor your own creative process). Please note - there are pirated versions on Amazon.com which steal her work - so please order through your local library, bookstore or the UK publisher.
8. Vonnegut & McConnell, “Pity the Reader”
Adriana loved reading Vonnegut growing up (pretty much everything except Slaughterhouse 5- weird). She preferred the sci-fi, satire and best of all-his short stories (especially Bagombo Snuff Box).This book is a thick read, but there are pictures, passages, and memoirs included. Written by one of his students at the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop - Vonnegut's humor, advice and inspiration are passed on through these pages. Probably easier to digest in snippets with lots of tabs and notes:)
9. Jessica Brody, “Save the Cat! Writes a Novel”
"Save the Cat" is a well-known method originally developed for screenwriters by Blake Snyder who produced several books and workbooks to teach writer's how to plot, plan, write and "save the cat". Jessica Brody converts this method to novel writing with full breakdowns and examples, to help "demystify" storytelling. Even if you don't choose to use this method it is good to know and explore. It will help your plotting immensely and help you know what you like and what you don't.
10. "Revising Fiction" by Kirt Hickman
This book was recommended to Adriana by Author, Editor and Teacher Kirsten Bakis (whom Adriana hired for a developmental edit of her WIP and then as a writing coach on Reedsy.com). This book breaks down how to self edit your novel through all the different layers. There are lots of examples and it is breaks everything down so well. This is a great resource.
I urge you to get your own copies and enjoy! Happy reading and learning!