Books for Writers

Inspiring and practical resources for writers of all stripes

Updated June 16, 2026
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Greater Victoria Public Library Greater Victoria Public Library
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Books for Writers

Inspiring and practical resources for writers of all stripes

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1000 words : a writer's guide to staying creative, focused, and productive all year round
Attenberg, Jami.
Paper Book
National Bestseller Inspired by Jami Attenberg's wildly popular literary movement #1000WordsofSummer, this "encouraging handbook" (Publishers Weekly) features essays on creativity, productivity, and writing from acclaimed authors including Roxane Gay, Lauren Groff,...
The art of memoir
Karr, Mary.
Paper Book
Bestselling author and renowned professor Mary Karr offers a master class in the essential elements of great memoir--delivered with her signature wit, insight, and candor. Credited with sparking the current memoir explosion, Mary Karr's The Liars' Club spent more than a year at the top of...
Bird by bird : some instructions on writing and life
Lamott, Anne.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . An essential volume for generations of writers young and old. The twenty-fifth anniversary edition of this modern classic will continue to spark creative minds for years to come. Anne Lamott is "a warm, generous, and hilarious guide through the writer's world...
The book of alchemy : a creative practice for an inspired life
Jaouad, Suleika
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A guide to the art of journaling--and a meditation on the central questions of life--by the bestselling author of Between Two Kingdoms, with contributions from Hanif Abdurraqib, Jon Batiste, Salman Rushdie, Gloria Steinem, George Saunders, and many more<...
Craft in the real world : rethinking fiction writing and workshopping
Salesses, Matthew
Paper Book
The traditional writing workshop was established with white male writers in mind; what we call craft is informed by their cultural values. In this bold and original examination of elements of writing - including plot, character, conflict, structure, and believability - Matthew Salesses asks...
Dear writer : pep talks & practical advice for the creative life
Smith, Maggie
Paper Book
INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER New York Times bestselling author and poet Maggie Smith distills creativity and the craft of writing with a practical guide perfect for fans of Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic and Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. Drawing from...
Dreyer's English : an utterly correct guide to clarity and style
Dreyer, Benjamin
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A sharp, funny grammar guide they'll actually want to read, from Random House's longtime copy chief and one of Twitter's leading language gurus   NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY O: The Oprah Magazine<...
Elements of fiction
Mosley, Walter
Paper Book
Following his essential writing guide, This Year You Write Your Novel, award-winning author Walter Mosley delivers an eloquent treatise on the craft of fiction writing--part writing guide, part study of the mechanics of the genre. In his essential writing guide, This Year...
The elements of style
Strunk, William
Paper Book
You know the authors' names. You recognize the title. You've probably used this book yourself. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. A new Foreword by Roger Angell reminds readers that the advice of Strunk & White is as valuable today as when it was...
Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences
Allen, Neal
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 36 ways to improve your writing Two writers show you how to turn a worthy sentence into a memorable one. Starting where The Elements of Style leaves off, Good Writing can improve your book, your essay, your memo,...
How to write a mystery : a handbook from Mystery Writers of America
Child, Lee
Paper Book
From 70 of the most successful mystery writers in the business, an invaluable guide to crafting mysteries--from character development and plot to procedurals and thrillers--"this is a writing guide that readers and writers will turn to again and again" (Booklist, starred review). ...
How to write an autobiographical novel : essays
Chee, Alexander
Paper Book
Named a Best Book of 2018 by New York Magazine, the Washington Post, Publisher's Weekly, NPR, and Time, among many others, this essay collection from the author of The Queen of the Night explores how we form identities in life and in art. As a...
Meander, spiral, explode : design and pattern in narrative
Alison, Jane
Ebook
"How lovely to discover a book on the craft of writing that is also fun to read . . . Alison asserts that the best stories follow patterns in nature, and by defining these new styles she offers writers the freedom to explore but with enough guidance to thrive." ―Vulture
On writing : a memoir of the craft
King, Stephen
Paper Book
"If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write."In 1999, Stephen King began to write about his craft -- and his life. By midyear, a widely reported accident jeopardized the survival of both. And in his months of recovery, the link between writing and living became...
Refuse to be done : how to write and rewrite a novel in three drafts
Bell, Matt
Paper Book
Refuse to Be Done is an encouraging and intensely practical guide, focusing on specific rewriting tasks, techniques, and activities to guide you through the first page of the first draft of your novel through to the finished book. You won't find bromides here about the 'the writing Muse.' Instead,...
Rules for the dance : a handbook for writing and reading metrical verse
Oliver, Mary
Paper Book
Pulitzer-prize winning poet and National Book Award winner, Mary Oliver, provides a graceful manual on the mechanics of poetical composition. "True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, / As those move easiest who have learned to dance," wrote Alexander Pope. "The dance," in the...
Self-publishing
Rich, Jason
Paper Book
Get your books into the hands of readers with this simple how-to guide Self-Publishing For Dummies takes you through the entire process of publishing your own books, starting with the writing and editing process and moving through cover design, printing options, distribution...
Singing school : learning to write (and read) poetry by studying with the masters
Pinsky, Robert.
Paper Book
A bold new approach to writing (and reading) poetry based on great poetry of the past. Quick, joyful, and playfully astringent, with surprising comparisons and examples, this collection takes an unconventional approach to the art of poetry. Instead of rules, theories, or recipes,...
Steering the craft : a twenty-first century guide to sailing the sea of story
Le Guin, Ursula K.
Ebook
From the celebrated Ursula K. Le Guin, "a writer of enormous intelligence and wit, a master storyteller" (Boston Globe), the revised and updated edition of her classic guide to the essentials of a writer's craft. Completely revised and rewritten to address...
Storyville! an illustrated guide to writing fiction
Dufresne, John.
Paper Book
A smart and funny guide to writing fiction, with engaging infographics that bring storytelling techniques to life. Whether you are daunted by a blinking cursor or frustrated trying to get the people in your head onto the page, writing stories can be intimidating. It takes passion,...
Take it from me an agent's guide to building a nonfiction writing career from scratch.
Habib, Alia Hanna.
Paper Book
From the literary agent behind some of today's most successful authors comes a narrative guide geared specifically to the needs of aspiring and working nonfiction writers, demystifying the world of publishing and offering a practical roadmap to getting your book published. "An...
Writing Creativity and Soul
Kidd, Sue Monk.
Paper Book
INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER * From the bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Book of Longings: an intimate work on the mysteries, frustrations, and triumphs of being a writer, and an instructive guide to awakening the soul. When Sue Monk Kidd...
Writing on empty : a guide to finding your voice
Goldberg, Natalie
Paper Book
Bestselling author and teacher Natalie Goldberg shares her inspiring personal journey out of a devastating period of writer's block and back into a life of growth, creativity, and healing. Natalie Goldberg has been writing for the past fifty years. But at the beginning of the...
Zine making & bookbinding a beginner's guide in 25 projects.
Berke, Lauren Simkin.
Paper Book
Learn to create zines and books with this approachable guide featuring illustrated, step-by-step lessons on making many different book formats. The possibilities are endless!Channel your passions into zines, create your own notebooks and calendars, and try your hand at impressive pop-up and...
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