By Lisa Rabey
Is there value in books on writing? In a recent issue of my pen name’s newsletter, I mentioned that I discovered I own nearly two dozen books on the topic. The problem is I haven’t read a single one to completion.
How did this happen?
It’s simple: I’m easily influenced by others. If a writer I admire recommends a specific book, I’ll buy it or borrow it from the library thinking it will give me the same magic it gives them. However, what usually occurs is that the book gets lost in the depths of my Kindle, buried in some pile or eventually returned to the library unread.
It feels like graduate school all over again!
While there is some value in the recommended books, Stephen King’s *On Writing* is widely recommended (dull), and Anne Lamontt’s *Bird by Bird* also gets a lot of praise (uninspiring and drags). I haven’t really found any that inspires me.
I dug through my pile and skimmed a few titles. There were several I knew I would actually read but did forget I owned (Zoe York’s series on the romance genre and Chuck Wendig’s books as well), but I could do without the rest. I researched the authors of the titles I skimmed. Who are they? Are they doing what they preach? If an author sells marketing ideas, does their efforts reflect their expertise? (The answer is mostly “no.”) A book on reader magnets, which I was hoping to give me ideas, actually was a switcheroo of the author selling their services and giving bad advice.
Regarding the topic of writing itself, I would rather throw things against the wall, see what sticks, and figure out problems later. Is this a good method of learning? Probably not, but it’s what works for me. (See above comment about graduate school!)
The other issue with craft books is that many believe theirs is the one true way. This thinking is problematic because each writer’s path is wholly different from another writer’s. I’ve joined enough writer’s groups as a paid member and as a participant to understand there literally is no one true path. Yet, many, many craft books would have you think otherwise.
Are craft books worth it? I think that’s up to the writer to decide. The best course of action is to start the book and if is not resonating with you, donate it, return it to the library, or even recycle it. You should not be beholden to what another auther says on how to write!
(The one true way to write is to sit down,shut up, and write.)
What do you think? Are craft books worth it? Do you have any that really helped you? Post in the comments
Lisa Rabey (she/they) is a GenXer about town and contains multitudes. Lisa watches a lot of trashy TV and reads heaving bosom books. Her work is published in Backward Trajectory, tiny wren lit, 50-Word Stories, the drabble, and others. She lives in the Midwest with her persnickety pug and her husband who she sometimes likes. Her favorite Elizabeth Bennet is Keira Knightly.
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5 Responses
THANK YOU! I thought it was just me
Agree about SK’s book, though I did force myself to finish it. I agree that too many authors of ‘helpful how to write books’ have no experience and I find it hard to take them seriously.
There are only two books that I finished and managed to put some of the ideas to use.
Shut Up and Write the Book by Jenna Moreci, I found it useful and insightful.
Secrets to Writing a Series by K. Stanley & L. Cooke, helped me make decisions on how to structure my series.
Hi Bobbie!
Of course I looked for those books! Shut Up and Write is available via interlibrary loan and I requested it and I’ve bookmarked the Secrets to Writing a Series for future preview!
I found some of the more general ones useful in the beginning when I was still learning to make myself write and needed inspiration. And I found some of the craft-specific ones useful when I was first learning about craft but quickly noticed diminishing returns: each one began to seem like a lot of repeat information. I kept going and would glean 1-2 useful bits or ideas from each new book, but eventually I stopped. I was also bothered by the “one true way to write” mentality.
I guess I would say, read one or two if you’re just starting out and feel inclined to, to see if they help you, but don’t stockpile them in advance, thinking you need to read all of them. Or, take a class on craft and learn the same material, if that method of learning works better for you.
I wholeheartedly agree that not every writing how to book is helpful and too many are narrowly focused or entertainment pieces or the promotions of a biased author. I’ve read more than 400 how-to-books over the course of three decades but only kept 40. Those 40 books helped me understand story and the techniques and devices of the craft that make for a good read. I’m not a trial-and-error writer. I write with purpose and a goal of finishing a story. So, I need to know the rules of my genre and why the rules became rules so I can bend them for a marketable story. The information I gleaned from those how-to books worked for the stories I sold–and without receiving rejections.
PS-As to those 400 books, I kept a record of book titles after I discovered I’d bought the same books twice and the only difference between the books was the cover. Yeah, the publishers would periodically change the covers and tweak the titles.
Like Catherine, I’ve been reading for a long time.
But I learned the hard way to sample books before I buy them.
For me, the two worst purchases were Robert McKee’s Story (pretentious, precriptive) and Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel (and I even bought the companion workbook).
The best was Save the Cat. I got it when it first came out, and it changed my life, because even though it was a screen writing manual I could see how the structure (simple, with descriptive names for each arc point) could apply to middle grade and genre fiction of all kinds. I own all the sequels, too.