Three Books That Can Improve Your Writing

People ask me which books I would recommend to writers. I suppose because I write full-time as a ghostwriter, and I’ve had the honour of having my short stories published several times, that my opinion might matter to some people.

This by no means makes me an expert. I’ve never published a full-length novel, and I’m always striving to improve my writing skills.

The truth is that I’ve read multiple books on writing, and most of them offered very little advice that I didn’t already know. I’ve only found three books that were invaluable, and I’ve read a few more that were helpful. This blog post is going to deal with the three books that were invaluable. If you’re a writer, I strongly recommend that you pick up one or two of these books.

On Writing

Stephen King’s book titled, On Writing is an amazing book. I’ve read it twice, and while it’s full of treasure for the average writer, it’s written in such a way that it tells a story of sorts, which makes it a very interesting read.

And let’s face it, who better to learn from than the world’s most successful horror writer!
I keep this book in my reference library. That way it’s always within reach. For fiction writers, there is no better book in my opinion.

The Novel Writers Toolkit

The Novel Writer’s Toolkit is written by bestselling author, Bob Mayer. It was the first book I ever read on writing, and I’m glad I did.

The Novel Writer’s Toolkit will educate you about almost everything a serious novel writer needs to know. For example, Bob tells us about how important a writers surroundings are, how to grasp an idea and flesh it out, how to plot your story and how to submit the final draft to a publisher.

Secrets of a Freelance Writer: How to Make $85,000 a Year

Robert Bly is one of the most successful freelance writer’s in the world. I read Secrets of a Freelance Writer in just one day, and while some of his claims about making extravagant amounts of money for his writing seem unreal, the book is chalk full of good advice.

Most of us will never earn the type of fees that Mr. Bly describes in his book. However, it did fill me with hope, and it’s full of good advice, especially if you’re a freelance writer or ghostwriter. Robert has written a number of other books on freelance writing, but I haven’t read them to date.

If you’ve read any of his other books, I’d appreciate it if you left a comment. Whether you liked it or hated it, your opinion matters.

Keep an eye on this blog. I’ll post a few more writing books that I found helpful in the near future. Again, all comments are welcome and appreciated, even if you don’t agree with my assessment of the books mentioned above.