The Camper’s Library: 8 Books to Help You Meet Writing Goals

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We’re gearing up for Camp NaNo, so we’re asking the community to share their Camp experiences and tips. Today, writer and editor Katta Hules shares a few books that have helped her become a better writer:

I’m a lifelong bookworm. Whenever I start a new project, or just need a boost in writing an old one, I always like having a reliable selection of books to turn to. Camp NaNo is no different. Some books are specialized for certain types of storytelling, but can be applied across mediums. Here are some books that have helped me in my writing journey so far, and will hopefully help you!

Pre-Writing

These books are helpful for prewriting and outlining for plotters; or, if you’re a pantser, for internalizing a basic story structure.

Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need  by Blake Snyder: A classic for breaking down plot structure and story beats. It tends strongly towards a commercial bent, but Snyder’s concepts are clear and solid.

Backwards and Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays by David Allen Ball: A short handbook that gives the reader a clear understanding of what drives the plot, how to convey it successfully, and gives examples to illustrate each idea concretely.

Tips & Tricks

I love a good tips and tricks guide! These two are fun, informative, and can be dipped in and out of for inspiration.

The Kick-Ass Writer: 1001 Ways to Write Great Fiction, Get Published, and Earn Your Audience by Chuck Wendig: Wendig doesn’t pull his punches or censor his language. Among the many, many tips in this book, you’ll find really creative swearing, odd and somewhat gross imagery, and funny but sound advice.

Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon: This fantastic illustrated book on creativity is one of my favorite books of all time. It’s full of quotes, advice and common sense ideas that blew my teenage mind when I first picked it up. I recommend it to all my creative friends, and by that I mean I press it into their hands whether they want it or not.

Pick-Me-Ups

We all get blocked sometimes and it sucks. Here are a couple books I like to dip into when the going gets rough.

Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul: Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit of Writers by Bud Gardner, Jack Canfield, and Mark Victor Hansen: A collection of essays from writers about all stages of the writer’s life. The essays are short but comforting all the same.

Quotes for Nasty Women: Empowering Wisdom from Women Who Break the Rules Ed. by Linda Picone: The quotes in this book make me happy both as a woman and as a creative person. Every page has an empowering quote from a woman who went out and did something amazing, even though it was hard. An especially good read for Women’s History Month!

Staying in the Habit

These are great for keeping up your word count during Camp and keeping your momentum going afterward — remember, the end of April doesn’t mean the end of your project!

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport: One of the best ‘work smarter, not harder’ books I’ve read lately. Newport emphasizes focused sessions set aside for work, which allow you to enjoy the rest of your day. He makes good points about connectivity and productivity, but his methods may not be for everyone.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King: King’s memoir is a classic for a good reason. It’s a well-written, compelling page-turner full of tough love advice and a glimpse into the life of one of the most successful writers out there. 

There are many more wonderful craft books out there. I hope this list helps you find books that inspire and help you along your writing path!

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Katta Hules is a writer and an editor at TUBE. Magazine and author of The Bookworm Is In newsletter. Her fiction has appeared in several publications including Fantasia Divinity, Visual Verse, 200 CCs, and the Realities Perceived anthology from Left Hand Publishers. She has also written several Twitter-based serials for the new story app Everyst. She can be found lurking around Twitter, Facebook, and her website.

Top image licensed under Creative Commons from Nathan O’Nions on Flickr.

Mar. 16 2018
#writing #amwriting #inspiration #writing-tips #nanowrimo #camp nanowrimo #by nano guest #katta hules
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