Recommended Books on Novel Writing

I don’t have a formal education in creative writing, so when I set out to write my debut novel, I knew I had to educate myself. In addition to subscribing to Writer’s Digest and a bunch of Substack newsletters, I started reading books on novel writing. To give credit where credit’s due, my eldest son Ben gifted me my first two. Since then, I’ve read dozens more.

Here’s a list of all the books I’ve read on the craft of novel writing, including my favorites that I’ve reviewed.

• The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my review)
• The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (related post)
• Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
• Story by Robert McKee ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my review)
• Writing for Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias
• The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass
• Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
• The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke
• Writing the Blockbuster Novel by Albert Zuckerman
• Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
• The Fantasy Fiction Formula by Deborah Chester ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my review)
• Fiction Writing Master Class by William Cane
• Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland
• Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham
• Description & Setting by Ron Rozelle
• Writing the Fiction Series by Karen S. Wiesner
• How to Write Dazzling Dialogue by James Scott Bell
• Dialogue by Robert McKee
• 45 Master Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
• Creating Characters by The Editors of Writer’s Digest
• Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland
• Nail Your Novel by Roz Morris
• Plot Versus Character by Jeff Gerke
• Fight Write by Carla Hoch ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my review)
• Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billy Mernit
• How to Write a Mystery by Mystery Writers of America ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my review)
• How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card (related post)
• How to Create History by A Trevena
• How to Destroy the World by A Trevena
• Hooked by Les Edgerton
• The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
• The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my review)
• Understanding Show, Don’t Tell (And Really Getting It) by Janice Hardy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my review)
• Good Writing by Neal Allen and Anne Lamott (related post)
• Refuse to Be Done by Matt Bell
• The Author’s Checklist by Elizabeth Kracht
• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (related post)
• On Writing by Stephen King (related post)
• Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses

In addition to those books on novel writing, I’ve also read some books about psychology and character traits, including:

• Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey
• The Essential Enneagram by David Daniels and Virginia Price
• The Positive Trait Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
• The Negative Trait Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
• The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

As well as some books on book publishing, including:

• Get Signed by Lucinda Halpern
• Funny You Should Ask by Barbara Poelle
• The Guide to Literary Agents edited by Robert Lee Brewer (my review)
• The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my review)
• Before the Bestseller by Alex Strathdee
• How to Write a Sizzling Synopsis by Bryan Cohen
• The Trope Thesaurus by Jennifer Hilt

If you’re interested in writing a novel or improving your creative writing skills, I hope these recommendations help you.