218 books
—
145 voters
Listopia > Michael's votes on the list Great Books on Writing (27 Books)
| 1 |
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The Elements of Style
by
"Classic and strait to the point. The serious writer's perennial companion. The standard of contemporary prose writing for any who believe that the rules must be understood before they can be broken."
Michael
rated it 5 stars
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| 2 |
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Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them
by
"How can something as individual and idiosyncratic as fiction writing be taught? Prose's answer is simple: anything we can hope to learn comes from how we read."
Michael
rated it 5 stars
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| 3 |
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The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Writing Fiction and Nonfiction
by
"A thorough exploration of various aspects of writing, built on the shoulders of giants. Also choked full of stories, essays, and exorcizes. "
Michael
rated it 5 stars
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| 4 |
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How to Read and Why
by
"No one knows how to get the meat of the matter like Harold Bloom. He succinctly covers several dozen writers, poets, and novelists, quick as always to cut to the core and leave the reader with plenty to consider. "
Michael
rated it 4 stars
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| 5 |
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The War of Art
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"Pressfield is the literary father and coach none of us ever had. He doesn't mess around or handle his audience with kid gloves. A book that has pulled me through long periods of dismay, Pressfield knows disappointment better than anyone, he never suggests you can't do this. But he does have some thoughts for those who want to take the writing life seriously. A humbling and challenging read for any writer at any point in their career."
Michael
rated it 5 stars
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| 6 |
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The Writing Life
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"While Pressfield is pragmatic, Dillard goes in the other direction, somehow turning her thoughts about a life of writing in to something almost mystical. "
Michael
rated it 4 stars
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| 7 |
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Bird by Bird
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"Lamott is warm and honest as always, and touches on a wide range of subjects. The fan-favorite Radio Station KFKD makes its appearance in this book."
Michael
rated it 5 stars
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| 8 |
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Making Shapely Fiction
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"Not as exhaustive as LaPlante, Stern is a handy guide for anyone who needs a quick refresher on everything from plot, to mis-en-scene, to sex scenes. A close companion for the elements of fiction as Strunk & White are for grammar."
Michael
rated it 4 stars
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| 9 |
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On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
by See Review |
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| 10 |
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Writers on Writing: Collected Essays from The New York Times
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"Excellent essays on the writing life from a variety of well-known writers, Vol, I"
Michael
rated it 4 stars
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| 11 |
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Writers On Writing, Volume Ii (Writers on Writing (Times Books Paperback))
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"Excellent essays on the writing life from a variety of well-known writers. Vol, II"
Michael
rated it 4 stars
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| 12 |
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A Poetry Handbook
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"A great guidebook on how to read poetry with excellent tidbits along the way about how to write it."
Michael
rated it 5 stars
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| 13 |
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Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
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"Nothing is more possible to Austin Kleon than your success as a writer. For him, your creativity knows no bounds if you just own it. He gives a few pointers on how to make that happen."
Michael
rated it 4 stars
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| 14 |
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Living by Fiction: A Classic Work of Literary Criticism on Contemporary and Traditional Fiction for Literature Lovers
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"Has the postmodern trend of focusing on the form of fiction taken away its function? Dillard attempts an answer in a necessary lesson to any serious contemporary writer."
Michael
rated it 4 stars
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| 15 |
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Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer
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"An heir of Strunk & White and William Zinnser, Clarke's approach to style and technique is an excellent handbook."
Michael
rated it 5 stars
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| 16 |
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The Creators: A History of Heroes of the Imagination
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"From the Vedas of the ancient Hindus, to the Homeric epics of the Greeks, to Shakespeare, Goethe, and Proust, Boorstin's overview of the world's creativity is as entertaining as it is impressive.
Michael
rated it 4 stars
" See Review |
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| 17 |
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The New Yorker Magazine
by See Review |
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| 18 |
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The Modern Library Writer's Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction
by See Review |
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| 19 |
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The Describer's Dictionary: A Treasury of Terms & Literary Quotations
by See Review |
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| 20 |
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How to Write Like Chekhov: Advice and Inspiration, Straight from His Own Letters and Work
by See Review |
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| 21 |
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The Lie That Tells a Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction
by See Review |
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| 22 |
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Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers' Guide from the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University
by See Review |
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| 23 |
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On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
by See Review |
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| 24 |
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13 Ways of Looking at the Novel
by See Review |
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| 25 |
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The Writing Life: Writers On How They Think And Work
by See Review |
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| 26 |
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The Paris Review, Issue 203, Winter 2012
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| 27 |
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Writers at Work: The Paris Review Interviews : First Series
by See Review |
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