As a Creative Writing Major, I always find the need to look back at the basics or something that will get my creativity flowing. I found these four books by far to be most helpful. Two of them are “textbook”-like, but they’re all filled with tips and prompts!
1. The first one on our list is The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. It’s a good slim book for beginners and provides refreshers on the requirements of plain English style (in other words, grammar) and the use of shortening sentences that may appear too wordy. I used this book as a textbook in my Journalism class, and in my other English classes. It’s a must-have if you write often and need to reteach yourself something.
2. The second book on this list is Syllabus by Lynda Barry. It’s one of my favorite books to get ideas and prompts. Lynda Barry does a great job of combining an artistic approach with writing. It makes you think outside the box, and look at things from a new perspective. One of her prompts is a Daily Diary, where every day you write seven things you did, seven things you saw, something you overheard, and a drawing of one of the seven things you saw. This method teaches you to hear, see, and remember the world around you. It enriches your writing skills.
3. The third book is The Practice of Creative Writing: A Guide For Students (3rd Edition) by Heather Sellers. This book was actually my textbook for my Intro to Creative Writing class. This book goes step-by-step on the different creative writing approaches. It offers many tips, prompts, and examples of different writing styles. Whenever I get stuck or I forget how a sestina goes again, I look back at this book. It offers great advice and insight. “Creative Writing is for your reader, not for you.”
4. The last book is more of a genre, really! It’s a prompt book. We’ve all come across Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith and many like it. Every now and then it’s good to get one of these types of books when you want to practice writing in a certain area. For example, the book I have above is Write The Poem by the Piccadilly. It’s a daily journal, where it gives you a prompt and words you should try to use in the poem. It’s like a daily challenge, but it also loosens up your mind.
All in all, these are fantastic books to have on your shelves if you’re an avid writer. Hope these help get your creative mind flowing and help you go over things you might have forgotten or need to refresh.