Summer vacations can sometimes result in my best writing. Getting out of the everyday routine is some of it, but part of it is calculated: I often take time over the summer to read books about writing I haven't read before, which usually prompts me to do some of the actual writing itself.
So if you're with me in hoping that summer vacation brings more than just a good tan, tuck one of these writing books into your beach bag -- along with your journal -- and let your imagination go.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Publisher: Knopf
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If you haven't already read Anne Lamott's classic book about writing, put this book on your list for this summer. Funny and astute, Bird by Bird supplies inspiration and advice for beginning and accomplished writers alike.
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
Author: Natalie GoldbergPublisher: Shambhala
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To be honest, I was hard-pressed to choose between Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones and Bird by Bird for first place on this list. I came to both books at a time in my writing life when I thought I didn't need books like this anymore -- and was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong. Both writers are funny and astute, and both take a spiritual approach to their craft. (Goldberg is a Zen Buddhist, and Lamott is Catholic.)
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Author: Stephen KingPublisher: Scribner
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Part memoir, part manual on craft, Stephen King's down-to-earth approach makes it seem as though anyone determined enough can be a successful -- or, at least, a prolific -- writer. I also appreciate his reminder not to take writing too seriously, an especially good message for summer.
Reading Like a Writer
Image courtesy of HarperCollins.
Publisher: HarperCollins
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Francine Prose's thoughtful guide offers a new perspective on reading for your time at the beach. After all, long before MFA programs, writers turned to books to learn to write. Prose, a longtime teacher, gives the best instruction on close readings that I've ever seen. Learn how to transform classic novels into your best writing teachers.
52 Projects: Random Acts of Everyday Creativity
Jeffrey Yamaguchi
Publisher: Perigee Trade
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52 Projects, a book full of prompts and informal exercises for all kinds of creative endeavors, will help you discover new sources of inspiration. The book is all about getting you out of your routine and into a more creative mode of living. If you're still feeling frustrated and stifled despite the warmer weather, this book just might do the trick.
The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
Author: Julia CameronPublisher: Tarchere
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Julia Cameron's classic book The Artist's Way has helped countless writers to achieve a more creative life. Use it this summer to overcome writer's block or to provide structure to your creative work.
Writers on Writing: Collected Essays from The New York Times
Editor: John DarntonPublisher: Times Books
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Some 46 writers, including Joyce Carol Oates, Barbara Kingsolver, Scott Turow, Annie Proulx, and Elie Wiesel, offer insights on the craft in this collection of essays commissioned by New York Times journalist John Darnton.
