Books on the Art & Craft of Writing

I read a lot of books, especially books about writing and storytelling.

As a frequent library writer, I made it a habit to check out the writing section on every visit. I’d pick up the latest acquisitions and check out whatever looked most interesting. That way I always had at least one book on writing near my desk.

I’ve kept a list of all the books that helped me, along with notes, quotes, and excerpts. Since I get asked for it a lot, I figured I’d save a little time by dumping them all into one spot. Here are the titles, in no particular order. The ones in Bold are books that were particularly helpful to me when I read them. That doesn’t mean that they’ll be helpful to you, but I like to give credit to all the smart people who influence me.

Remember, most of these books say the same things — it’s just a matter of hearing them repeated until it clicks with you at that moment in your life.

Note: I’m gonna drop some affiliate links in here, so I’ll get some kickback if you buy them.

• The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield

• Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maas

• Writing the Blockbuster Novel, by Albert Zuckerman

• Art & Fear, by David Bayles & Ted Orland

• Characters & Viewpoint, by Orson Scott Card

• Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg

• Don't Sabotage Your Submission, by Chris Roerden

• Advertising Secrets of the Written Word, by Joseph Sugarman

• Danse Macabre, by Stephen King

• On Writing, by Stephen King

• Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamont,

• The Story Grid, by Shawn Coyne

• On Writing Horror, ed by Mort Castle

• Daily Meditations: Writer Tips for 100 Days, by David Farland

• Million Dollar Outlines, by David Farland

• Starve Better, by Nick Mamatas

• Shooting Yourself in the Head for Fun and Profit, by Lucy Snyder

• How to Write a Damn Good Thriller, by James Frey

• Story, by Robert McKee

• Zen in the Art of Writing, by Ray Bradbury

• Wired for Story, by Lisa Cron

• You're not Fooling Anyone When you Take Your Laptop to the Coffee Shop, John Scalzi

• Beginnings, Middles, and Ends, by Nancy Kress

• Dynamic Characters, by Nancy Kress

• Poetics, by Aristotle

• Conflict and Suspense, James Scott Bell

• The Writing Warrior, by Laraine Herring

• The Writer's Journey, by Christopher Vogler

• Nobody Wants to Read Your Shit!, by Steven Pressfield

• Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder

• Hooked, by Les Edgerton

• From 2 to 10 K, by Rachel Aaron

• Write to Market, by Chris Fox

• Writing the Fiction Series by Karen S. Wiesner

• The Art of Time in Fiction, by Joan Silber

• Story Engineering, Larry Brooks

• Story Trumps Structure, by Steven James

• The First 50 Pages, by Jeff Gerke

• Wonderbook, by Jeff VanderMeer

• Steering the Craft, by Ursula K. LeGuin

• The Emotional Craft of Writing, by Donald Maas

• Story Genius, by Lisa Cron

• On Writing Romance, by Leigh Michaels

• Save the Cat Strikes Back! by Blake Snyder

• Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

• Comics Experience Guide to Writing Comics, by Andy Schmidt

• DIY MFA, by Gabriela Pereira

• Writing & Selling Your Mystery Novel, by Hallie Ephron

• Romancing the Beat, by Gwen Hayes

• The Emotion Thesaurus, by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman

• Making Comics, by Scott McCloud

• Making Comics, by Linda Barry

• Comics & Sequential Art, by Will Eisner

• Graphic Storytelling, by Will Eisner

• The Art of Game Design, by Jesse Schell

• Slay the Dragon, by Robert Denton Bryant & Keith Gigilo

• Acting for Animators, by Ed Hooks

• The Advanced Game Narrative Toolbox, ed by Tobias Heussner

• Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer, by J. Michael Staczynski

• Impro - Improvisation and the Theatre, by Keith Johnstone

Amazing New Bookplates Available!

I mean, just look at these things!

The artwork is by the amazing Carlos Trigo. As you can see, it hits on a few of my favorite themes.

I’m making these available at cost to anyone who wants one — so if you want to grab one of these beauties, hop over to my Ko-fi shop. They’re available with signature only or with a personalized message.

And yeah... it's the only thing at that shop, but someday I'll get more stuff in there!

(Again, thanks to Carlos and Bookplate Ink!)

Book releases!

I’m so happy to see the latest Carter Archives novel off into the world.

TITAN SONG released in hardcover and ebook on April 6th, along with the paperback re-release of TITAN’S DAY.

As always, I’m grateful to everyone who has read, commented, and helped to spread the word.

(And if you’d like to help more, please rate, review, & recommend these books online and in person!!)

Hey Kids! Comics!

I absolutely love comic books.

I have a long history as a reader, cataloger (at the Ohio State Billy Ireland Cartoon Library), and creator (waaay back in the 90s).

Anyway, I’ve been lucky enough to work on a short project with the incredibly talented artist, Carlos Trigo. We adapted and expanded one of my short stories (Ghosts, Bigfoot, & Free Lunches) and I loved every minute of it.

We’re not quite ready to share it with the wider world, but I couldn’t help but give a little teaser here.

Honestly, it’s a story that hits all my sweet spots. I’m very hopeful that we can share more of it sometime soon!

Titan Song Cover Reveal!

I’m so happy to share this amazing cover for book three in The Carter Archives, TITAN SONG.

The illustration is by Chris McGrath, and cover design by Katie Anderson and the team at DAW.

TITAN SONG releases in hard cover and ebook April 6th, 2021.

And hey! If you’re interested, you can pre-order from your favorite bookseller or direct from the publisher.

Writer Igniter SFF Summit!!

Hey look at me with all these awesome people!

I’m hugely excited to be featured in the Writer Igniter Sci-Fi / Fantasy Summit from DIY MFA, and you should check it out! It is totally free, and you’ll hear 9 bestselling and award-winning authors share knowledge about the craft and business of writing, and well as 1 little bald guy yammer on about fantasy detectives and writing sequels.

Seriously, this event is chock full of awesome. You’ll discover tools and techniques to help you improve your writing, and you’ll hear how our own careers have led us to where we are now. You’ll leave this summit not only with a better understanding of the craft, but also with new energy and motivation for your own writing. Go to https://writer-igniter-sff-summit.heysummit.com/ and sign up with your email for access to this FREE event.

Interviews air from November 30 to December 5 (mine goes up Dec 2nd) but all will remain open for a full week so you’ll have plenty of time to tune in.

Dog Photos

You know, it’s been a while since I foisted dog photos upon the readership of this blog.

THAT CHANGES TODAY!!

Say hello to our newest pup.

Unboxing the JeanBookNerd Storyteller's BOX Sci-Fi Collection

Check out my unboxing video for the Jean Book Nerd Storyteller's BOX!

The Sci-Fi Collection is available through October 15th, and offers a selection of books, including TITAN'S DAY. (And oh yeah, I have a YouTube Channel now. More on that in the weeks to come.)

If you've been dying to see me nerd out over a box of book swag, then today's your lucky day!

It’s at this link: https://youtu.be/oiGogiiA6dw Or simply watch below.

A Bit of Wiki Love

I just found out that I was featured in this round-up of “Acclaimed Genre Fiction” which makes me blush more than a little bit.

It’s a fun video wiki, and I’m pleased to be included along some truly great authors, including William Gibson and Sarah Pinsker.

Check it out here: Six Authors of Acclaimed Genre Fiction!

Ohioana Speculative Fiction Panel Video!

I had a great time joining the Speculative Fiction panel for this year's Ohioana Book Festival!

We may have been remote, but we still had a great discussion. And the biggest benefit of a virtual panel is that it was recorded and available for YouTube!

Check out this conversation with Matt Betts, Lucy Snyder, Leanna Renee Heiber, and myself.

In the panel, I mention my time working on the Honda assembly line. For more on how I apply that work structure to my writing, see my write-up Lessons from the Line.

Want to support Ohioana? Want more mandibles on your bookshelf? Consider buying one of my books through this link to The Book Loft.