The following list is based upon the “A Writer’s Library: Books Every Writer Should Read” panel from ConQuest 48 and includes my suggestions along with the lists of Rachael Mayo, Brooke Johnson, Lynnette M. Burrows, and Paula Helm Murray. I’ve sorted the list a bit and have linked many of the recommendations to Amazon or other locations where they can be found. Enjoy!
Books (General)
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers John Gardner
“The Philosophy of Composition” by Edgar Allan Poe
Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain
Conflict and Suspense by James Scott Bell
Scene and Structure by Jack Bickham
Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
Bullies, Bastards, and Bitches: How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction by Jessica Page Morrell
Writing the Natural Way by Gabriele Rico, Ph.D.
Thanks, but This Isn’t for Us by Jessica Page Morrell
The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose and Techniques to Make your Novel Great by Donald Maass
Story Engineering”: Mastering the 6 Core Compentencies of Successful Writing by Larry Brooks
How to Write Best-Selling Fiction by Dean Koontz
100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost
The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler
Wonderbook, The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff Vandermeer
Writing for Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias
Characters, Emotion, and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress
Your Screenplay Sucks!: 100 Ways to Make It Great by William M. Akers
Revision and Self-Editing by James Scott Bell
The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
Words on Words by John Bremner
Making Book by Teresa Nielsen Hayden
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel by Diana Wynn Jones
Writing to Sell by Scott Meredith
Description and Setting by Ron Rozelle
Genre Specific (Horror)
On Writing Horror edited by Mort Castle
The Writer’s Workshop of Horror edited by Michael Knost
Secret Windows by Stephen King
Genre Specific (Science Fiction)
Those Who Can edited by Robin Wilson
Paragons edited by Robin Wilson
Genre Specific (Mystery)
Murder and Mayhem by D.P. Lyle
Styleguides
Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style
Podcasts
Websites
Periodic Table of Storytelling
Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL)