The first thing any aspiring reader should do is read voraciously. You would be hard pressed to find a writer who advises differently. The second thing a novice author should do is learn the basics of the craft. After all, how can we expect to play the game if we can’t find the goal?
So why not get a head start and combine the two right off the bat?
You might be thinking: Won’t reading other writer’s methods stifle my creativity and pigeonhole me into one style of writing? The answer is yes - if you only read one.
Reading about established authors’ processes can help get rid of the clutter in your mind; you’ll find that all of them advise just starting. What’s more, this list contains two books as extreme examples of style to study with your newfound literature analysis skills. Learning is as much about theory as in application, right?
In other words, these books will hopefully cure the dreaded paralysis by analysis and get you on your way to your first draft.
Source: stephenking.com
Starting the list strong with the mother of all storytelling books, Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is the gateway drug that got many a writer into the craft.
Stephen King is one of the world’s most famous and best-selling authors, with experience in more than a few genres. The way in twitch he writes his stories is very personal and relatable, connecting with the reader unlike any other author of the same caliber. This, by itself, should prompt you to read the book.
In On Writing, King tells stories of his childhood, and how big a role writing played in all of it. Throughout his immensely interesting life story, books are woven in every aspect and every era of his life.
After the cozying, heart warming primer, the master author spares no detail in pragmatic writing advice. From structure, grammar, to further book recommendations - it is by all standards a perfect starting book. My favorite part of this one is his use of his own examples. He shows a print version of his short story draft, and how and why he edited it.
In short, whether you’re a writer, or just like reading books, this is one everybody should read. Once you get to that last sentence, you will never look at another story the same.
"So okay― there you are in your room with the shade down and the door shut and the plug pulled out of the base of the telephone. You've blown up your TV and committed yourself to a thousand words a day, come hell or high water. Now comes the big question: What are you going to write about? And the equally big answer: Anything you damn well want."
(not the last sentence)
Source: harukimurakami.com
Haruki Murakami is close to King in the Writer’s hall of fame. Not only is he a phenomenal wordsmith, but also an accomplished endurance athlete. In his book, What I talk about when I talk about running, he relates writing to physical exercise. This book is home to the famous quote: “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” His thesis is that writing feels like running a marathon, and one needs physical endurance as much as one needs mental endurance, if one is to finish a draft in the first place.
In these modern sedentary days, many people, especially artists, discard the physical as merely a vessel for the intellectual. This is ironically true - because what can become of the intellectual in a vessel that is mold-ridden and rotting?
He encourages everyone willing to board this crazy hobby, but not at the expense of their health. Most important of all, he drills home the point of no quit, which is crucial when staring at a blank screen and a ruthlessly unchanging keyboard.
“I’m no great runner, by any means. I’m at an ordinary – or perhaps more like mediocre – level. But that’s not the point. The point is whether or not I improved over yesterday. In long-distance running the only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be.”
Source: lawrenceblock.com
Lawrence Block is the quintessential “writer’s writer” (something we have discussed in more depth in this article). His accolades are too many to bother listing, yet he managed to remain out of the public eye. He lives the writer’s dream - all the money and legacy of an artist, without the hassle of fame.
The title of this book should be enough to get you going, but I’ll elaborate for the unrelenting ones.
Lawrence Block takes a cold, pragmatic, almost cruel stance on writing. He claims that no one likes writing, instead everyone loves having written. He stresses the importance of putting your nose down to work, following market trends, not trying to reinvent boiling water. Yet, he looks at these pessimistic ideas through an irresistibly comic and optimistic kaleidoscope. He weaves his cold-hearted bullet-like advice with jokes and words of encouragement.
Like a cool uncle who knows this is bad for you, but since you’re gonna do it - might as well do it right.
“And I won't deny your neighbors will take you more seriously if you tell them you've written a novel. (Of course if that's the main concern, just go and tell them. You don't have to write anything. Just lie a little. Don't worry—they won't beg to read the manuscript.)”
Source: amazon.com
Now, onto your homework. The following two books are the absolute, must-read-at-least-once-in-your-life works which will haunt you to the rest of your days if you choose to avoid them.
But Ivan, I hear a lonesome voice cry, these books are too difficult for a beginner - hell, they’re too dense for most intermediates!
Correct, I say. I also say - so what? Would you prefer to stay in your comfy novice echochamber of books you picked from the bookstore window? How will you know where you stand and when you are ready to improve? By plunging headfirst into a masterpiece. This way, you avoid the dreaded Dunning-Kruger effect, and realize just how terrible you are at the start.
The Iliad is the first choice for a few reasons. It is ancient, which means its cultural value cannot be overstated. It is flowery, lyrical, and epic which is one extreme on the style diametric. And third, it’s a masterpiece.
Will it give you headaches every 2 pages? Sure. But the rewards will be reapt for years.
"Any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again."
Source: amazon.com
On the opposing side of the style diametric, we have Ernest Hemingway. A traditionally masculine, hard-boiled man with a hard-boiled vocabulary.
Hemingway was famous for cutting every unnecessary word out of the story. He was also famous for not letting you know what a character thinks or feels - not once. Some people find this style boring, but once you try and emulate it, you will henceforth and forever appreciate his genius.
The Old man and the sea is a short work, and most claim his best. It’s a great starting point, and a phenomenal piece to study.
"Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready."
Conclusion
This list could take some no more than a month to finish, others it might take more than a year. The important three takeaways here are:
1) Discovering your reading pace and preference, having tasted from a broad palette, 2) Learning the basics of the craft, and the viewpoints of established maestros, and 3) Learning how to read like a writer, so that one day, you might look at your own work with the same eyes.
But most important of all: Read and write and do not stop.