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6 Books to Help You Become a Better Writer (+ a Few to Inspire)

March 12, 2018March 12, 2018 Crystal // Dreams, etc. 23 comments
6 Books to Help You Become a Better Writer (+ a Few to Inspire)

Happy Monday! Who else is struggling a bit this morning after Daylight Savings Time? 🙋🏻 Springing ahead is always one of those days that makes me think we should just keep winter around permanently. I mean, it’s not so bad and we can do things to make it survivable, right? 😉 I don’t think I’m the only one who’s still adjusting to our lost hour, so I thought I’d start the week off slow and steady with one of my favorite topics: books. This time it’s writing books. Last month I attended VoxCon, a communications conference in New York, and got to hear some amazing communicators speak. I walked away with quite a few book recommendations, so I thought I’d share them with you. I’ve found that even when you study writing that’s outside of what you typically do, it will still enhance your writing. Studying poetry helped my fiction, and studying creative non-fiction helped my poetry. So even if you’re wondering whether or not a book on storytelling will provide any input for you and your writing, I encourage you to look into it. You never know what you might pick up from it. I shared my notes on writing stories for children from a picture book author with a pastor and realized there were so many gems that could be helpful for sermon writing.

Along with books on writing, there are a few books that should be more inspirational, as well as some books about the Christian faith. I separated this list between books that were recommended at he conference/are actually about writing, and books by people who spoke at the conference that I have an interest in.

If you’re interested, the people with books listed below who also spoke at the conference are: Donald Miller, Mary Karr, Sally Lloyd-Jones, Jonathan Merritt, and David Taylor.

Note – The links used in this post are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through one of them I will make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

6 books to help you become a better a better writer + communicate your message better. // dreams-etc.com

Writing Books

On Writing Well by Henry Zipzer // If you write anything, this will give you the fundamental principles to write well. If you write, I think it’s always helpful to brush up on how to write well.

The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories by Christopher Booker // Booker discusses themes that occur in every type of storytelling and the purpose storytelling plays in our lives. This kind of stuff really speaks to me, and I think it could speak to anyone who writes, even if you’re not necessarily going to sit down and write a novel or a short story.

Save the Cat by Blake Snyder // All about screenwriting. This might appeal more to the novelists/screenwriters, but I think any writer can learn from books about writing. There are always things you can take away.

In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki // An essay on aesthetics. This came up in a discussion about how we shouldn’t hide the darkness in our stories. It’s through the darkness that we find hope. It’s also the first one that went into my cart, after I preordered one of the books listed below.

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message so Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller // How to use story structure to connect with your audience. His talk was so helpful and I’m excited to read the book.

The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr // Karr shares her process and takes a close look at memoir. It’s compared to other craft books like On Writing by Stephen King (which I still haven’t read) and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (chapter four is my lifeline when I start to get too critical of my own writing) so I’m sure it’ll be good!

 

Other Books by the Speakers

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller // Miller’s journey coming back to a “culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.” I have heard so many good things about this from the people who have read it. I already have a copy–I had hoped to read it before the conference, but that didn’t happen–so I’m excited to dig in!

Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words Are Vanishing — And How We Can Revive Them by Jonathan Merritt // There are some sacred words that have started to lose their meaning, or are words that scare people. This is Merritt’s response to that. This book will be released in August. Since I haven’t read it yet, I can’t say for sure, but I think this one might helpful for bloggers who write about Christian topics.

A Faith of Our Own: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture Wars by Jonathan Merritt // Merritt takes a look at a new generation that’s engaging the world with a faith that’s focused on Christ and politics that aren’t polarized. I’ve heard Merritt is a controversial writer. Since this deals with faith and politics, my guess is this book might ruffle some feathers. I’ll have to read it to find out. I already have a copy of it, so I’m excited to read it!

For the Beauty of the Church: Casting a Vision for the Arts by David Taylor // How the church can create a better vision for the use of the arts. This is something I’ve thought about quite a bit, since the church and the arts used to be more closely linked.

Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing by Sally Lloyd-Jones // A picture book that looks at spiritual truths to point people toward a God who loves with a “Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.” My friend picked this up at the conference and highly recommends it. It sounds like a beautiful book. Also, I read How to Be a Baby… by Me, the Big Sister when I ordered a copy for my friend’s daughter after she had another baby and I loved it.

[Tweet “We can always improve on our craft! Here are 6 books to help you become a better writer.”]

What writing books do you recommend?

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Hi! I'm Crystal, a millennial learning how to live slowly and sustainably, while still seeking adventure and following my dreams, etc.

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23 comments

  1. Blushy Darling says:
    March 12, 2018 at 12:53 pm

    Picking up some of these, always looking for the best tips to become a better writer

    Reply
  2. Katie Arnold says:
    March 12, 2018 at 1:23 pm

    I’m definitely going to have to check some of these out. I’m always looking to improve my writing!

    Reply
  3. shootingstarsmag says:
    March 12, 2018 at 2:11 pm

    I was gifted Bird by Bird years ago and I still need to read it. I really want to get back into my own personal writing (by that, I mean fictional writing) so maybe I should give that a go finally!

    -Lauren
    http://www.shootingstarsmag.net

    Reply
  4. Charlotte says:
    March 12, 2018 at 2:22 pm

    Thanks so much for sharing, Crystal!! I’ve read the Ann Lamott and Steven King books on writing so will have to pick up the Mary Kerr book, and the Building a Story Brand sounds amazing, too! Glad to hear that was such a fruitful conference you attended in NYC!

    Reply
  5. Tami says:
    March 12, 2018 at 2:40 pm

    I just recently read “Building a StoryBrand” and it was great! I also really love “On Writing” by Stephen King. I’ll have to check out the rest of these though! Thank you for sharing this. šŸ™‚

    Reply
  6. Cristina says:
    March 12, 2018 at 2:42 pm

    I don’t think I’ve ever read a writing book but I do like to take notes of descriptions or sentences I like when I read novels.

    http://www.memoriesofthepacific.com

    Reply
  7. Vanessa K says:
    March 12, 2018 at 3:09 pm

    “On Writing Well” is an EXCELLENT resource! It was my “textbook” for my nonfiction narrative class I took my Senior Year of College. I still have it and refer to it often <3

    Reply
  8. Beth_Daily_Dog_Tag says:
    March 12, 2018 at 3:47 pm

    These sound like great books. I’m not a writer, but I need to improve my writing. I have read parts of Bird by Bird and it is very helpful.

    Reply
  9. Felicia Renee says:
    March 12, 2018 at 3:52 pm

    On Writing Well sounds like a great book, I’m definitely adding it to my Goodreads account!

    Reply
  10. Sara says:
    March 12, 2018 at 7:38 pm

    I expected to find a book or two that I’d already read on writing but those six were all new to me. I definitely want to check out the shadows book. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  11. Lecy | A Simpler Grace says:
    March 12, 2018 at 8:05 pm

    Ooh, what great finds! I’ve read a few of these, but many of them I’ve not heard of. Adding them to my list!

    Reply
  12. Raina Reddecliff says:
    March 12, 2018 at 10:32 pm

    THanks for sharing these! It never hurts to refresh your writing skills and find some inspiration. I’ll be picking up a few!

    Reply
  13. Jenn Salsich says:
    March 13, 2018 at 11:13 am

    This is a lovely collection of reads. I have quite a few here I have never read and should do so based on your thoughts!

    Reply
  14. Brooke Bolen says:
    March 13, 2018 at 11:45 am

    This is a great list of books! I will have to try some out.

    Reply
  15. Emily Michelle Fata says:
    March 13, 2018 at 12:06 pm

    I love these!! As a writer myself, I can’t wait to start on these books and read them all for myself. šŸ™‚

    Reply
  16. Brandi Michel says:
    March 13, 2018 at 12:23 pm

    This is a timeless list of writing resources. On Writing by Stephen King is wonderful and I recently read Blue Like Jazz and loved it!

    Reply
  17. Carmen Edelson says:
    March 13, 2018 at 2:46 pm

    So many great suggestions! I’m going to check a lot of these out, thanks for sharing šŸ™‚

    Reply
  18. Divya @ Eat. Teach. Blog. says:
    March 13, 2018 at 4:12 pm

    Thanks for these recommendations. I feel like everyone has their own unique writing style, but there is always room for improvement!

    Reply
  19. Perfecting Truth says:
    March 13, 2018 at 6:50 pm

    One can never have enough information when it comes to writing improvement. The more you learn the better you get. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  20. Alyssa says:
    March 13, 2018 at 7:37 pm

    I’ve been looking for good books on writing so this is perfect! I’ll have to try to find these at my library. šŸ™‚ Thanks for this!

    Reply
  21. Indya S says:
    March 14, 2018 at 5:01 pm

    I’d definitely be interested in reading about how to write a memoir. I’ve known since I was younger that I would have to tell my story, but I know I could use help on how to tell it, and which parts to tell first!

    Reply
  22. Amanda Dover says:
    March 14, 2018 at 7:57 pm

    Great suggestions! I also love bird by bird, by Ann Lamont (sp?)

    Reply
  23. Bryant Nancy says:
    March 17, 2018 at 10:28 pm

    Wonderful suggestions! Good to see On Writing Well among the list. I’m always on the look to improve my writing and these are very helpful recommendations! Thank you.

    Reply

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hi!

I'm Crystal, the storyteller behind Dreams, etc. I'm all about learning how to live slowly & sustainably, while also seeking adventure as we follow our dreams, etc.

Hello, friends! šŸ‘‹šŸ¼ Swipe through for a few g Hello, friends! šŸ‘‹šŸ¼ Swipe through for a few glimpses from January. As 2022 came to an end I had this feeling that I was preparing to hibernate and I guess, in a way, I have. I’ve been slowly easing into the new year, focused on getting back into a few routines after Iceland and the holidays. And it’s been a great month. I can’t believe it’s almost over. What have your favorite moments of January been?
2022. Looking back on this year it was the year of 2022. Looking back on this year it was the year of so many dreams experiences. Whales. Cape Cod/Nantucket. Iceland. I saw musicals that have I’ve been dreaming of with Moulin Rouge, Wicked, and Six. 

It wasn’t without its stresses and rough moments but I’m grateful for the good that can be found, even when it’s hard.
Let’s journey back to November for the second we Let’s journey back to November for the second weekly dam walk of the month. My dad joined me for this one and we made it somewhat fast because it was a chilly day. ā€œThe water looks cold,ā€ I said when we back to the car.

Between Iceland and the below zero, windy, and snowy weather we had last week (which came with requests from my parents not to go) it’s been a few weeks since I’ve been to the dam and I miss it!
Years ago I celebrated Christmas and New Years in Years ago I celebrated Christmas and New Years in Vienna and it still lives in my memory today as such a special time. I know December in Reykjavik will be the same—and not just because I came home with a little over $100 worth of ornaments of all 13 Yule Lads AND their mom AND the Christmas cat. (There was a little bit of miscommunication between my mom and me on that shopping trip. šŸ˜‚)

It might have been cold (and when that wind hits you don’t want to be outside or by the harbour…I speak from windswept, breath-stolen experience and will forever be grateful for the library we eventually found respite in) and we only saw the sun a few hours each day, but seeing this already charming city decked out in Christmas lights with a skating rink and the prettiest tree secured it’s place in my heart.

Reykjavik, I hope to see you again one day. Soon. Probably not in December, but I’m glad I got to see you in December once.
Last year my niece and I visited New York at Chris Last year my niece and I visited New York at Christmastime and it was fun to see the city decked out in lights. I can also now say that I’ve seen the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and skating rink and the Saks Christmas lights, but I’ve also seen the crowds they draw.

It was completely different in Reykjavik this year. You actually had a chance to skate on the ice rink if you wanted (and I never did the conversation, but I think it’s cheaper) and you could actually walk up to the Christmas tree. Two very different Christmas in the city experiences.
Iceland, Day 2, Part 2. We ended the Golden Circle Iceland, Day 2, Part 2. We ended the Golden Circle tour with a stop at Thingvellir National Park. My fingers froze as I took these photos but it was worth it to capture this view. šŸ˜ PS - the last photo is from a lake we stopped at on our way from Geysir to Thingvellir.
Iceland, Day 2, Part 1. We went on a rather unvent Iceland, Day 2, Part 1. We went on a rather unventful Northern Lights tour the night before and slipped in a few hours of sleep before meeting our bus for the Golden Circle tour. Our tour guide was @busdriver_annie and she was amazing! Pictured: Faxi (the small waterfall) Gullfoss (the big waterfall), a wool market where we also saw some animals, and Geysir (the hot springs area). Geysir is actually the most famous geyser in the world but it doesn’t erupt anymore. However, Strokkur erupts every 5 - 10 minutes. I’ll share more photos from the tour soon!
Iceland, Day 1. We landed bright and early at 6:30 Iceland, Day 1. We landed bright and early at 6:30 am, dropped off our bags at the hotel, and went exploring. We saw HallgrĆ­mskirkja, the amazing view from the bell tower, the rainbow street, and walked down Laugavegur. Swipe to the end to see the view from our apartment!
Scenes from November, which were mostly at the dam Scenes from November, which were mostly at the dam apparently.
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