Olivia McCabe

I recently finished teaching a four-week course on Creative Writing at my friend’s craft studio in St Albans. It was wonderful watching the unique and gifted people sat around the table with me begin to bloom as their confidence and courage grew over the weeks. I wish it could have lasted longer! One of the questions they asked me was which books on creative writing I would recommend. Here is the list of 6 books I would say are my go-to texts for any aspiring creative writer:

1. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

This is a must for anyone who is exploring creativity, whether it be fine art, literature, music or any other medium. As I always say, there is no such thing as someone who isn’t creative. We create when we bring something into being that wasn’t there before whether that be a painting, a novel, a bridge from one riverbank to another or the cure for cancer. Julia Cameron takes the reader on a journey as we explore our creative sides. I recommend dipping in and out of its pages and take what you find useful from it.

2. Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande

Despite having been written in the 1930s, this book is as fresh as the dew on the grass when it comes to helping aspiring writers grow in confidence and settle into a writing routine that works for them. Some would say that if you read this book you need read no others as so many books on writing are derived from it. I would call it a foundational text and would definitely begin with it before reading some more contemporary offerings. I would also recommend reading the works of the writers she cites to help you learn and grow as you go.

3. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Not being a huge fan of horror, it took me a while to get around to reading this book, and I wished I had done so earlier. Whilst there is a fair amount of autobiographical information contained within its pages, there are also a sizeable number of golden nuggets to be found as well – gems that you can adopt into your own writing practice. Don’t be put off if you’re not into the genre, Stephen King is one of the most prolific writers of our time and he has plenty of valuable experience to share with us who are starting out on our writing journey.

4. The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White

Good grammar is a dying art in our world. That being said, this book is a must-have in any creative writer’s arsenal. You might even enjoy getting the accompanying workbook. It is my belief that successful novels are the result of a strong union between good storytelling and excellent technical writing. This book will help you with the latter. As alluring as books on the art of storytelling might be, especially for us left-brained creative types, a little science in the midst of art never did anyone any harm.

5. Writing a Novel by Richard Skinner

This booked unlocked a lot for me as a writer. It helped me to relax and let the story flow out naturally rather than me try to force it. If you’re looking for constructive help, wisdom and inspiration on how to write your first novel then Skinner’s book may well be what you are looking for.

6. Wired for Story by Lisa Cron

This is one of the most refreshing books on creative writing to have come out in the past decade or so. It combines psychology with the art of storytelling to help us, as writers, learn the art of crafting a page-turner. Wired for Story really got me thinking about how to leave my readers wanting to know what happens next.

There are more I could add, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. I hope that some, or all of the above, get your creative juices flowing and that you are inspired to put pen to page and tell some stories of your own. I’d love to hear how you get on with them, and do write in the comments section if you have more books to recommend. Let’s keep the conversation going. In the mean time, Happy Writing!