Day 282: Book Haul!

It's finally time for another book haul, and this one is looking to be an inspiring set of books written by and for writers. Kicking it off with ...

'On Writing' by Stephen King! A book I've read before but not in a long time. Well, it feels like a long time anyway. Every list of great books about writing I've ever seen have this one at the very top. For such a big name with so many accolades to his name to take the time to write a book that is, well, on writing, is a huge boon for all us amateurs looking to go pro. Great advice, personal anecdotes, heaps of motivation, and a strong sense of the audience, this book is just the best in its class. My copy sits proudly in the living room for anyone to pick up.

I'm also looking to acquire a physical copy of this next book on the list called 'The Forest for the Trees,' by Betsy Lerner. From what I've read, she takes a more editorial approach to the craft, sharing her insights from within the publishing industry, and has been described as a 'practical and insightful guide for writers looking to improve their craft.' Hey, that's me!

Unfortunately, there was another 'that's me!' on the list, in the form of 'Writing Past Dark,' by Bonnie Friedman, a book about the self-defeating habits that many writers carry with them. Hopefully this can help me figure out why editing is so darn hard. This quote was what got me interested in the work: “Successful writers are not the ones who write the best sentences. They are the ones who keep writing. They are the ones who discover what is most important and strangest and most pleasurable in themselves, and keep believing in the value of their work, despite the difficulties.” If it can teach me how to do that, I'm sure it'll hit the top of my favorites list no problem.

Last but not least, I'm going to read a more technical manual called 'Making Shapley Fiction,' (great title by the way) by Jerome Stern. It's mostly the title that got me interested honestly. I'm not sure I'll review this one since I think it's supposed to be more of a reference book than a straight read, but I'll make that decision after I've finished it. I can never tell with this kind of book.

I'll start with 'On Writing' first, since I have a copy already, and pick up the others as I go. I'm really looking forward to reading these. Frankly the last set of books was kind of a disappointment. Other than 'The Covenant of Water' I wasn't very enthused by any of them. One was a complete DNF and another was just kinda there. This batch should be a better one.

Thank you for reading,

Benjamin Hawley