I’m always reading as many books as possible to help me develop as a writer and just because I love to read. I especially love to read about writing right now. I just can’t get enough of it, so I read books, magazines, forums, blogs and websites. Anything and everything that has to do with writing, then I’m definitely reading about it. I can honestly say I’m a writer junkie and I love reading as many hubs here as well. Many of the writers here are exceptionally gifted and I enjoy their work very much.  And sometimes, I get a little jealous and envious of their skills, and their volume.

I’m not somebody who can dish out page after page or a couple of thousand words at one sitting with the computer. I’m grateful I can get in 400 to 600 word at a shot, then I need a drink and to go lie down for a bit.  I’m also a writer who certainly needs help at times in getting my creative juices flowing, so I rely on a lot of resources that encourages and inspires me to write. Here are a few books that I’ve discovered this past year that have been very effective in helping me to write.  

One year to a Writing Life: Twelve Lessons to Deepen Every Writer’s Art and Craft by Susan M. Tiberghien. This is an excellent informative guide book for new aspiring writers, looking to strengthen their writing craft. This books covers journal writing, personal essays, opinion and travel pieces and short stories. It is a beautifully inspiring and the lessons are meaningful and educational to every writer at any stage, but it is enormously beneficial to beginners.

Now Write!: Fiction Writing Exercises from Today’s Best Writers and Teachers, edited by Sherry Ellis. If you are unable to attend writing workshops, then this book is a perfect alternative for you. It has an extensive compilation of exercises for any new writer, but also for experienced writer currently having problems with particular aspect of their craft.  All of the exercises are provided by variety of skill full published authors. If you are truly stumped with your writing, this book will definitely help you.

How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them by Howard Mittlemark and Sandra Newman. This book is cleverly written and hilarious to boot. It’s also very informative and useful for the novice writer, but it’s also a great read for any advanced writer as well. It is both enlightening as entertaining, yet illustrates exactly what you shouldn’t do as a beginning novelist. My best advice in regards to this book is write your novel first, then go over the checklist and see if you made any or (hopefully not) all of the mistakes.

Shimmering Images: A Handy Little Guide to Writing Memoir by Lisa Dale Norton. They say everyone has a story to tell and if they do, they should read this little handy guide for its effective exercises and thought provoking passages on getting to the heart of your life story. I personally feel that many of our life stories haunt us until they are told and this book helps to relay them on paper.