Books About Writing

1.  Attack of the Copula Spiders by Douglas Glover - "This is not literary craft reduced to statistical formulae and write-by-the-numbers word-bytes. Glover’s admirable ability and patient willingness to cast a careful—not cold—eye on what makes sentences hum and flow is fueled by a vital, infectious fascination with words, enabling him to reveal the inspired, alchemical, verbal concatenation at work in the most alluring and memorable fiction writing.” (Review of Contemporary Fiction)"
2. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott - "NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An essential volume for generations of writers young and old. The twenty-fifth anniversary edition of this modern classic will continue to spark creative minds for years to come. Anne Lamott is “a warm, generous, and hilarious guide through the writer’s world and its treacherous swamps” (Los Angeles Times).  
3. Living by Fiction by Annie Dillard - "In Living by Fiction (1982), I compared surface flatness—then requisite in painting—to attempts to move literature in the same postmodernist direction. I presented my theory about why flattening of character and narrative cannot happen in literature as it did when the visual arts rejected deep space for the picture plane. In the process of writing this book, I talked myself into writing an old-fashioned novel. The result was The Living (1992)." Annie Dillard
4. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King - "On Writing is both a textbook for writers and a memoir of Stephen's life and will, thus, appeal even to those who are not aspiring writers. If you've always wondered what led Steve to become a writer and how he came to be the success he is today, this will answer those questions."
5. Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success by K.M. Weiland - "Whether you like the organized or the intuitive approach or some blend of both, you’ll find a wealth of advice in K. M. Weiland’s Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success (2011) and its invaluable companion Outlining Your Novel Workbook: Step-by-Step Exercises for Planning Your Best Book (2014)."-Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code
6. Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts by Matt Bell - "Refuse to Be Done is an encouraging and intensely practical guide, focusing on specific rewriting tasks, techniques, and activities to guide you through the first page of the first draft of your novel through to the finished book. You won’t find bromides here about the “the writing Muse.” Instead, in an approachable guide interwoven with examples and strategies from some of our greatest living writers, Bell breaks down the writing process in three sections, one for each of the three major stages of drafting."
7. Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg - "Klinkenborg believes that most of our received wisdom about how writing works is not only wrong but an obstacle to our ability to write. In Several Short Sentences About Writing, he sets out to help us unlearn that “wisdom”—about genius, about creativity, about writer’s block, topic sentences, and outline—and understand that writing is just as much about thinking, noticing, and learning what it means to be involved in the act of writing. There is no gospel, no orthodoxy, no dogma in this book. Instead it is a gathering of starting points in a journey toward lively, lucid, satisfying self-expression."
8. Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story - 2nd Edition by K.M. Weiland - "Why do some stories work and others don’t? The answer is structure. In the 10-year anniversary edition of this beloved writing guide, you will discover the universal underpinnings that guarantee powerful plot and character arcs. An understanding of proper story and scene structure will help you to not only perfectly time your story’s major events, but will also provide you with an unerring standard to use in evaluating your novel’s pacing and progression."
9. The Writer’s Journey – 25th Anniversary Edition: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler - "Originally an influential memo Vogler wrote for Walt Disney Animation executives regarding The Lion King, The Writer’s Journey details a twelve-stage, myth-inspired method that has galvanized Hollywood’s treatment of cinematic storytelling. A format that once seldom deviated beyond a traditional three-act blueprint, Vogler’s comprehensive theory of story structure and character development has met with universal acclaim, and is detailed herein using examples from myths, fairy tales, and classic movies. This book has changed the face of screenwriting worldwide over the last 25 years, and continues to do so."
10. The Writing Life by Annie Dillard - "For nonwriters, it is a glimpse into the trials and satisfactions of a life spent with words. For writers, it is a warm, rambling, conversation with a stimulating and extraordinarily talented colleague." — Chicago Tribune / "From Pulitzer Prize-winning Annie Dillard, a collection that illuminates the dedication and daring that characterizes a writer's life." / "In these short essays, Annie Dillard—the author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and An American Childhood—illuminates the dedication, absurdity, and daring that characterize the existence of a writer. A moving account of Dillard’s own experiences while writing her works, The Writing Life offers deep insight into one of the most mysterious professions."