Books for Writers

Inspiring and practical resources for writers of all stripes

Updated June 12, 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...
The Associated Press stylebook and libel manual : with appendixes on photo captions, filing the wire
Paper Book
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...
Body work : the radical power of personal narrative
Febos, Melissa
Paper Book
In this bold and exhilarating mix of memoir and master class, Melissa Febos tackles the emotional, psychological, and physical work of writing intimately while offering an utterly fresh examination of the storyteller's life and the questions which run through it.
The book bible : how to sell your manuscript - no matter what genre - without going broke or insane
Shapiro, Susan
Paper Book
A Brilliant, Buoyant Guide to Publishing Your Book Hundreds of thousands of books come out every year worldwide. So why not yours? In The Book Bible, New York Times bestseller and wildly popular Manhattan writing professor Susan Shapiro reveals the best and fastest...
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<...
The Canadian guide to creative writing & publishing
Westerhof, Patricia
Paper Book
The essential guide for Canadian writers seeking to have their work published today.How do you get your writing published in Canada? What are the industry standards for publishable work and how do you reach them? This lively, practical guide shows you how to think more creatively, cultivate a...
Craft in the real world : rethinking fiction writing and workshopping
Salesses, Matthew
Paper Book
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER "A significant contribution to discussions of the art of fiction and a necessary challenge to received views about whose stories are told, how they are told and for whom they are intended" (The New York Times Book Review) The traditional...
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 Indigenous style : a guide for writing by and about Indigenous peoples
Younging, Gregory.
Paper Book
Elements of Indigenous Style offers Indigenous writers and editors--and everyone creating works about Indigenous Peoples--the first published guide to common questions and issues of style and process. Everyone working in words or other media needs to read this important new reference, and...
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). ...
Making comics
Barry, Lynda
Paper Book
The bestselling, idiosyncratic curriculum from a 2019 MacArthur Fellow will teach you how to draw and write your story "The self-help book of the year."--The New York Times Hello students, meet Professor Skeletor. Be on time, don't miss class, and...
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
Novelist as a vocation
Murakami, Haruki
Paper Book
A charmingly idiosyncratic look at writing, creativity, and the author's own novels, from the beloved and best-selling author of1Q84 and Norwegian Wood. In this engaging book, the internationallybest-selling author and famously private writer Haruki Murakami shares...
The ode less travelled unlocking the poet within.
Fry, Stephen.
Paper Book
Stephen Fry'S The Ode Less Travelled provides us with a witty and entertaining guide to the mysteries of writing poetry. Stephen Fry has always had a secret passion for poetry and he reveals this in this book about how to write poetry. This book will give everybody the tools to...
On writing : a memoir of the craft
King, Stephen
Paper Book
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF WRITING with fresh testimonials from fellow writers about why they love Stephen King and On Writing--and a few new words on the joy of writing from King himself. *ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S TOP 100 NONFICTION BOOKS OF ALL TIME*
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...
Steering the craft : a 21st-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...
Story genius : how to use brain science to go beyond outlining and write a riveting novel (before you waste three years writing 327 pages that go nowhere)
Cron, Lisa
Paper Book
Following on the heels of Lisa Cron's breakout first book, Wired for Story, this writing guide reveals how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a scene-by-scene blueprint for a riveting story. It's every novelist's greatest fear- pouring their blood, sweat,...
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
From the bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Book of Longings, a book about the wellsprings of the inner life and the creative genius that lies in the unconscious: an inspiring and unforgettable guide to awakening the soul. Part memoir, part...
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