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A list of great books on the craft of writing.
Score
A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
| 1 |
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The Elements of Style
by
4.18 avg rating — 86,843 ratings
score: 398,
and
4 people voted
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| 2 |
|
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
by
Stephen King (Goodreads Author)
4.34 avg rating — 315,777 ratings
score: 199,
and
2 people voted
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| 3 |
|
On Becoming a Novelist
by
4.10 avg rating — 3,115 ratings
score: 198,
and
2 people voted
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| 4 |
|
Plot Fiction like the Masters
by
Terry Richard Bazes (Goodreads Author)
4.16 avg rating — 32 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 4 |
|
Writing Course: Teaching the Time-Efficient Principles of Planning and Writing a Book
by
Hayley Paige (Goodreads Author)
4.70 avg rating — 10 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 4 |
|
The Elements of Active Prose
by
Tahlia Newland (Goodreads Author)
4.41 avg rating — 32 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 4 |
|
Bandersnatch: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings
by
Diana Pavlac Glyer (Goodreads Author)
4.28 avg rating — 1,348 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 4 |
|
How to Write Fiction: Tools and Techniques
by
E.E. Doc Murdock (Goodreads Author)
3.88 avg rating — 8 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 4 |
|
Author for Life or for a Living?: How to Stay Sane & Alive when Everything & Everyone Brings you Down: Manifesto for Real Writers
by
Cristina G. (Goodreads Author)
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 7 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 4 |
|
Title to Come
by
Kevin E. Spall (Goodreads Author)
4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 4 |
|
The Influential Author: How and Why to Write, Publish, and Sell Nonfiction Books That Matter (2nd Edition)
by
Gregory V. Diehl (Goodreads Author)
4.59 avg rating — 108 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 4 |
|
The Ten Steps to Journaling: How to Start a Journal or Diary
by
A.C. Zito (Goodreads Author)
4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 4 |
|
The Science of Storytelling
by
4.05 avg rating — 7,947 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 4 |
|
The Cosmic Playbook for Writers: 30 Vital Mini Meditations to Boost Your Creativity, Resilience & Passion
by
P.K. Davies (Goodreads Author)
4.88 avg rating — 8 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 4 |
|
Inspired Guide to Writing the Short Story: Lessons and Workbook for Students and Educators
by
it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 4 |
|
How to Write Funny Characters
by
Scott Dikkers (Goodreads Author)
4.29 avg rating — 100 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 4 |
|
Write for Life: Creative Tools for Every Writer
by
3.97 avg rating — 1,060 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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| 4 |
|
Into the Woods: A Five Act Journey Into Story
by
4.19 avg rating — 4,440 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 19 |
|
The Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed
by
4.10 avg rating — 1,546 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 19 |
|
The Grammar Daily: 365 Quick Tips for Successful Writing from Grammar Girl
by
Mignon Fogarty (Goodreads Author)
4.71 avg rating — 49 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 19 |
|
Story and Structure: A complete guide
by
Leon Conrad (Goodreads Author)
4.96 avg rating — 112 ratings
score: 99,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 22 |
|
"I Give You My Body . . .": How I Write Sex Scenes
by
Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author)
4.15 avg rating — 1,823 ratings
score: 98,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 22 |
|
Million Dollar Outlines
by
David Farland (Goodreads Author)
4.16 avg rating — 839 ratings
score: 98,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 24 |
|
Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose
by
Constance Hale (Goodreads Author)
3.94 avg rating — 2,352 ratings
score: 97,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 24 |
|
Style is the Rocket: and Other Essays on Writing
by
4.33 avg rating — 15 ratings
score: 97,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 26 |
|
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print
by
4.25 avg rating — 7,086 ratings
score: 96,
and
1 person voted
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| 26 |
|
Death Carries a Camcorder: Essays on fantasy writing
by
4.33 avg rating — 18 ratings
score: 96,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 28 |
|
Write Your Novel From the Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers and Everyone in Between
by
James Scott Bell (Goodreads Author)
4.20 avg rating — 2,901 ratings
score: 95,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 28 |
|
Writing Down the Dragon: and Other Essays on the Tolkien Method and the Craft of Fantasy
by
4.44 avg rating — 36 ratings
score: 95,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 30 |
|
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
by
4.23 avg rating — 30,670 ratings
score: 94,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 30 |
|
The Pursuit of Perfection: And How It Harms Writers
by
Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Goodreads Author)
4.26 avg rating — 208 ratings
score: 94,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 32 |
|
Wrede on Writing: Tips, Hints, and Opinions on Writing
by
Patricia C. Wrede (Goodreads Author)
4.17 avg rating — 166 ratings
score: 93,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 33 |
|
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints
by
Nancy Kress (Goodreads Author)
4.05 avg rating — 2,206 ratings
score: 92,
and
1 person voted
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| 34 |
|
Write Like the Masters: Emulating the Best of Hemingway, Faulkner, Salinger, and Others
by
William Cane (Goodreads Author)
4.09 avg rating — 162 ratings
score: 91,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 35 |
|
Studies in Words
by
4.19 avg rating — 500 ratings
score: 90,
and
1 person voted
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| 36 |
|
Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You
by
4.08 avg rating — 21,260 ratings
score: 89,
and
1 person voted
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| 37 |
|
A Rhetoric of Irony (Phoenix Books)
by
3.92 avg rating — 87 ratings
score: 88,
and
1 person voted
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| 38 |
|
The Rhetoric of Fiction
by
4.01 avg rating — 1,270 ratings
score: 87,
and
1 person voted
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| 39 |
|
Take Joy: The Writers Guide To Loving The Craft
by
Jane Yolen (Goodreads Author)
4.06 avg rating — 526 ratings
score: 86,
and
1 person voted
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| 40 |
|
Characters & Viewpoint
by
4.04 avg rating — 4,712 ratings
score: 85,
and
1 person voted
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| 41 |
|
The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers
by
3.99 avg rating — 6,283 ratings
score: 84,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 42 |
|
Beginnings, Middles, and Ends
by
Nancy Kress (Goodreads Author)
3.99 avg rating — 2,506 ratings
score: 83,
and
1 person voted
|
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| 43 |
|
Writing the Breakout Novel: Insider Advice for Taking Your Fiction to the Next Level
by
4.08 avg rating — 4,075 ratings
score: 82,
and
1 person voted
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| 44 |
|
No Plot? No Problem!
by
3.84 avg rating — 7,297 ratings
score: 81,
and
1 person voted
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| 45 |
|
Creating Characters: How to Build Story People
by
3.92 avg rating — 238 ratings
score: 80,
and
1 person voted
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| 46 |
|
2,000 to 10,000: How to Write Faster, Write Better, and Write More of What You Love
by
Rachel Aaron (Goodreads Author)
4.19 avg rating — 4,651 ratings
score: 79,
and
1 person voted
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| 47 |
|
Revision (Writer's Workshop)
by
3.92 avg rating — 24 ratings
score: 78,
and
1 person voted
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| 48 |
|
Understanding Conflict (And What It Really Means) (Skill Builders Series, #2)
by
Janice Hardy (Goodreads Author)
4.33 avg rating — 180 ratings
score: 77,
and
1 person voted
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48 books ·
19 voters ·
list created December 20th, 2014
by Peter McQueeny (votes) .
Peter
354 books
29 friends
29 friends
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads
3386 books
852 friends
852 friends
Terry
643 books
45 friends
45 friends
Hayley
777 books
12 friends
12 friends
Angela
2298 books
1686 friends
1686 friends
Diana
696 books
87 friends
87 friends
Chris
10 books
0 friends
0 friends
Angela
1959 books
41 friends
41 friends
More voters…
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