Top Writing Books of All Time

The best books for writers include books on writing non-fiction, editing, grammar, and on creativity. These books should be read and kept on a shelf within reach of your writing area.

This list of the best books for writers begins with the more academic topic of grammar, then covers nonfiction, moves on to inspiration and writing prompts, and ends with books about the more abstract process of creativity.

Here are some of the best books ever written for writers.

Grammar:

The Elements of Style by Strunk & White.

The Elements of Style is a concise reference on rules. Before you can break the rules of it helps to know what they are.

Nonfiction:

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William K. Zinsser.

Writers learn to use active verbs over passive verbs, pare down their sentences to their very essence, and basically de-clutter their works. Zinsser also addresses specific types of nonfiction including memoirs, humor, sports writing, and travelogues.

Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process by Peter Elbow.

Writing With Power is one of the best books for writers. Peter Elbow discusses freewriting, direct writing, revising, the open-ended process, and the loop process.

Writers will also learn numerous revision techniques, writing to an audience and how to get feedback on your works.

There is also a section which helps writer discover and refine their voice.

Inspiration and Writing Prompts:

Room to Write: Daily Invitations to a Writer's Life by Bonni Goldberg.

Room to Write: Daily Invitations to a Writer's Life contains 200 creative prompts. With a book like this, a methodical reader can start at the beginning and try each prompt in order. Because each page is a new prompt, writers who like to skip around and find a prompt can approach the book that way. The book also includes inspiring quotations from other writers.

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg.