Books and Resources
Scroll down for helpful books and websites on writing craft.
General
Prose/Fiction
Nonfiction
Poetry
Screenwriting and Playwriting
Academic
- The Elements of Style by Strunk & White: popular style guide with concise chapters on best writing practices.
- Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott: step-by-step guide on writing and on living a life as a writer.
- Poets & Writers (PW): a one-stop resource for writers, including commentary, learning resources, and resources for publishing such as directory of literary agents and literary magazines.
- On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King: a memoir that also serves as a how-to on the craft of writing by the bestselling fiction author.
Prose/Fiction
- Elements of Fiction by Walter Mosley: the author shares instructions on the craft of fiction.
- The Emotion Thesaurus: a Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman: a thesaurus with entries on how to express emotion.
- Wonderbook: an Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VanderMeer: a collection of essays to assist writers in science fiction or fantasy genres from the writer.
Nonfiction
- On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zissner: a clear guide on the fundamentals of writing nonfiction
- The Art of the Personal Essay: an Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present by Philip Lopate: a collection of essays and commentary on writing essays
- The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr: a guide on writing memoirs from the bestselling memoirist.
Poetry
- The Sounds of Poetry by Robert Pinsky: a book by the former Poet Laureate of the United States on how to write and experience sound in poetry
- Poetry Foundation: a website with contemporary and classic poetry as well as learning materials for aspiring poets of all ages
- Poetry Unbound by Pádraig Ó Tuama: a podcast with brief episodes breaking down contemporary poems
Screenwriting and Playwriting
- Dialogue by Robert McKee: an in-depth exploration of writing dialogue and its uses
- Writing Movies for Fun and Profit!: How We Made a Billion Dollars at the Box Office and You Can, Too! by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon: a humorous and insightful guide for screenwriting craft and the industry
- Script Notes: a podcast about screenwriting and screenwriters from John August and Craig Mazin
Academic
- Purdue OWL Research and Citation Resources: a one-stop online resource on how to format papers, as well as use and cite resources in academic writing
- The University of North Carolina Writing Center’s Tips and Tools: a web resource of different tips for all stages of academic writing from brainstorming to completion