Books on Writing (2/3)

The Vein of Gold: A Journey to Your Creative Heart, Julia Cameron. This is the 1996 companion to the best-selling Artist's Way. It takes you closer to your artistic center and personal revelation. It has more than 100 "tasks" that lead to growth, creativity, renewal, and healing. The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life, Julia Cameron. In this 1998 work, Cameron narrows her focus to those who are jumping into the writing life for the first time or already living it. She offers tools for making writing fun and profound. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott. The title of this 1994 bestseller comes from a story of Lamott's then 10-year-old brother who was overwhelmed by writing a report on birds and their father's advice to "just take it bird by bird." And that's the way you should take this witty guide through the writer's world. Open the book to any point and begin reading -- just an essay or two -- and then take that you-can-do-it spirit to the paper where you create word by word. For Writers Only, Sophy Burnham. In this 1994 favorite, you will find pearls from great writers: the motto Zola kept in his workroom ("No day without lines."), Stendhal's personal writing rule ("I see but one rule: to be clear."), and many more. Burnham offers up an inspiring dish. Who knows: what worked for the likes of Hemingway and Toni Morrison might work for you, too. The Writing Life, Annie Dillard. The Boston Globe called this slender 1989 volume "a kind of spiritual Strunk & White." In her quiet, imagery-laden style, Dillard explores the landscape of writing and being a writer. This is a friend who sits up with you in the quiet of the night, pats your arm, and says, "It will be all right, dear, in the end. You will see." What If?: Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers, Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter. There are more than 75 writing exercises in this 1990 handbook for both beginning and experienced writers. These exercises are designed to develop and refine two basic skills: writing like a writer and thinking like a writer. This is a writer's block buster. Writing Without the Muse: 50 Beginning Exercises for the Creative Writer, Beth Baruch Joselow. "You want to write, but you don't know where to begin." Does this sound familiar? Another block buster, this 1996 practical writing guide gets to the straight stuff fast. The exercises are light-hearted and specific. The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers, John Gardner. Gardner admits that while the ability to write well is a gift, "writing ability is mainly a product of good teaching supported by a deep-down love of writing." This 1983 guide dissects the "craft" of writing, takes it apart and puts it back together again -- leaving the reader with the feeling that somewhere a light bulb has clicked on. On Becoming a Novelist, John Gardner. Gardner was known as a writer who brought fiction to life and a teacher who brought writing to life. In this 1983 book, he tells it like it is, answering the questions of the dedicated writing student. (Both The Art of Fiction and On Becoming a Novelist were published after Gardner's death in 1982.) Writing the Novel: From Plot to Print, Lawrence Block. Long-time Writer's Digest contributor and mystery writer Block offers a step-by-step guide to novel writing in this 1979 work. Fiction Writer's Handbook, Hallie and Whit Burnett. The coeditors of Story Magazine published the first work of many noted writers -- Norman Mailer, J.D. Salinger, Truman Capote, Joseph Heller, William Saroyan, Tennessee Williams, and Carson McCullers. In this 1975 guide, they pass on practical advice on every aspect of writing novels and short stories.