When you’re trying to begin writing seriously, either in long form or short, you may find yourself looking at craft books – books that teach you the technical approaches to writing in your desired format. You will also come across empathetic books that show craft with emotion, a kind of peek into the realities of writer life. Two books show up on every list of suggestions: On Writing by Stephen King and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.

The titular story is how her brother had a report to write about birds and procrastinated until the night before to write it. He threw up his hands to give up when their father told him to take it one bird at a time, to write the paper bird by bird. And so should we write our novels, our stories.

I didn’t devour this book like I did On Writing. It may have been the religiosity interwoven with the advice that turned me off, or perhaps the fact that the focus seemed to be on shorter pieces and non-fiction as opposed to longer works. But I finished it and took several tips away that I plan to come back to.

Write Letters: I have encountered this suggestion several times now, to write a letter in the voice of a character. Have them tell a story about their life outside of the story you are writing in an effort to unearth something about them that should be used to enhance their presence in the story you are trying to write.

Write 300 Words Every Day: Everyone says to do this and I really need to find a way to work this into my daily routine. I’m thinking I’ll try to do it right before bed after I brush my teeth.

Write Things NOT Related To Your Current Project: I am a very task-oriented person. Efficiency is the name of my game and I don’t like to waste time or resources. But the act of writing improves future efforts, and everything I write doesn’t have to be my novel, and writing about other things might inspire something I would want to include.

Find A Writing Group/Close Reader Friends: This is the first time I’ve seen sending a book out to agents too early as “burning bridges” but it makes sense. Once I get through a couple more drafts I will need to try to find people to collaborate with so I can learn how to critique a work in progress and receive feedback on my own work.

Write Out of Vengeance, Nicely: There are many aspects of my writing that are too close to home, too easily recognized. Something writer-helpers talk about as writing about myself as the heroine instead of creating a character who is the heroine. I get that and am slowly wringing that tendency out of my writing each time I sit down. But I have stories. Stories I want to tell through fiction. Stories I think that other people will be able to relate to. Lamott tells us to change all the details about these stories except the most important points, and then give the guy a tiny penis so he’ll never come forward to complain even if he sees himself in your story. Avoid that libel, advice I haven’t seen much elsewhere but is easy to hear and apply to your work.

Publishing Does Not Equal Insta-Fame: I know this, my friends have told me this, I read about this all the time, but every time I hear it I’m glad to hear it, if only to temper my expectations.

The book did its job and I feel motivated to continue writing. You’ll want to add it to your queue as well if writing is something you like/want to do.

On Writing by Stephen King

Story Genius by Lisa Cron

I’m a music educator turned math educator who almost became an accountant. I’m 35 years old but I feel 85 if you factor in how done I am with everything. I start over more than I continue and I can’t seem to find a place where I am happy.

But last November I started thinking about what makes me happy, and I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo 2017. I discovered I had a story that could be a series that could be something I actually would enjoy making out of my brain hole. I have read so many books that I figured I could put some of what I’ve read to use in framing my own story.

Problem is that it’s intimidating out here for a bitch without an MFA. I have writing skills that have seen me through a bachelors, masters, and two years of a doctorate, but the Master of Fine Arts is not part of my experience. So dipping my toe into the same Twitter as Stephen King and Chuck Wendig sometimes creates a situation when I feel like a 100% imposter. These people are in the game, they define the game, and I’m just armchair quarterbacking the game.

That’s not stopping me though. I’m writing a goddamn book. And the longer I dabble in writer Twitter, the more I see that people of all shapes, sizes, and professions are writing books. There’s self-publishing and traditional publishing and small press publishing and everything in between – there’s something that’s right for everyone.

Still, I’m starting at ground level, so I can’t necessarily think about the publication step of things, I have to take things one step at a time. And the first step is to finish this damn first draft. Part of this is understanding the kind of book I’m writing and keeping to as many of the norms as I can muster. Reading craft books about outlining and structure and building character arcs will help me with that, especially in the editing and revising stages. I’m a good learner. So I’m always open to learning structure and procedure and I love reading so I’m just going to absorb everything.

Yet, with all the professional and procedural advice I’ve received and read, I still need to hear that any Joe Schmo with a story and a dream can write a book. This explains why I responded so well to On Writing, and just recently to Chuck Wendig’s Damn Fine Story.

There’s writing advice sure, but the bulk of these books exists to give you a picture of normal people telling stories that other people might like. These books exist to give permission to writers to be writers if they want to be. I don’t mean that we have to approach these authors to receive permission, it’s that reading these books will make your imposter syndrome disappear. They will make you feel as though you can join the club of writers. You may wear the jacket, sit in that area of the plane, be seated in the nice part of the steak restaurant.

Chuck’s writing is quirky, brash, and will keep you on your toes. You will immediately love him like a fun uncle (funcle?) who teaches you to swear. He’s engaging and makes you want to join in and immediately start writing something! Anything! This is cool, I can do this!

This craft book is inspirational, down to earth, and reminds us all that storytelling is as old as the human race. It’s programmed into our DNA, we are programmed for story. So why not try to tell one yourself? You might be surprised what comes out. If you’re currently writing a book or considering writing one, you should make Wendig’s “how to” one of the first books you buy. Go get you some.

In the process of writing my book I have been working my way through several craft books a.k.a. How-To books meant to help you outline, structure, and write your characters, plot, and overall novel. Stephen King’s On Writing was the first one I read, and it spurred me on to begin what is now 61,000 words strong. The next book I opened was Lisa Cron’s Story Genius, and while very different from King’s how-to, it has been just as useful in helping me craft my story.

Cron focuses on what she calls a third rail – the central idea of the book which is the main character’s big problem or misunderstanding of life. This is the why behind all of his or her actions, and should spark all decisions leading up to the major aha! moment, which is when he or she sees past her misbelief and sees clearly for the first time. Every scene included in the book, Cron writes, should touch this misbelief/resolution in some way to make sure the reader has a clear connection to why everything is happening.

A common complaint I have with the books that I ultimately set aside is that I stopped caring about the outcome. You’ll read a review later this week of a book that I set aside not because I was bored, but because I just didn’t care how it ended. Cron explains that a book should not just be a run down of what’s happening, it should also always be evident why those events are important, from something as simple as going to the grocery store to something as complex as a huge multi-army battle. This really spoke to me so I ate up all her advice about making sure I constantly ask why something is happening.

In partnership with the why is the how you communicate the why to the reader. It seems really simple, but something should happen, which causes the character to act, and that action causes something else to happen, which sparks yet another action. Everything should be connected, and if everything is connected then everything will speak back to the why behind the main character’s story. Just because something is well-written doesn’t mean it should be in the book. The reader isn’t reading for beautiful writing, they are reading for a good story that helps their mind escape.

The part of the book that I read quickly through but plan to come back to later were the last 3-4 chapters covering her organizational method for outlining, planning, and keeping track of the internal workings of individual scenes and the novel as a whole. Folders and scene cards and character cards – if I had read this book before I started writing I probably would have gotten caught up in the organization of it all and written very little. I probably would have gotten very frustrated with myself and maybe not have written anything at all, convinced that I’m not smart enough or whatever.

Once this first draft is done, though, this system will be very helpful in revising and rewriting. I can fill these scene cards and character info pages and world rules lists as I reread through my manuscript, and then I can rearrange those details as I need to. I am glad I wrote from my mind first and will organize second. This book will be right next to me once I’m ready (hopefully Halloween, fingers crossed!).

For someone who is just starting out and excited, I’m not sure if I would recommend this book as one of the first ones to read. It’s pretty full of “you musts” and “if you want to write a good story you have tos” and I found that a little…I don’t know, aggressive and discouraging? I mean, if a person hasn’t done a lot of writing in other areas I might, just to make sure they understand how to structure a novel. But if you read a lot and write a lot, you’re probably okay getting started and coming back to this book when you need some motivation or guidance when you get stuck.

It’s got a lot of great advice though, and so as long as you listen to all of it and take what you need, it’s a great book to have on your shelf if you’re plugging away at your own book! Go get you some.