Great Writing Books

1. The Situation and the Story: The Art of Personal Narrative, Vivian Gornick
How do you turn the boring truth of your life into a story worth telling? How do you tell a story based on personal experience that doesn’t sound self-absorbed? How do you perfect the art of nonfiction first-person writing without being clichéd? Vivian Gornick’s book, The Situation and the Story, does just that.

Having taught in M.F.A. programs for 15 years, Gornick knows a thing or two about telling a story that accomplishes multiple goals: Letting your experiences shape the reader’s experience, sharing transformative events that in turn transform others, and, hopefully, delivering some wisdom, insight, or knowledge that only you can provide to the reader.

This short book reads as if written just for you—the writer who is ready to show and not tell, who is committed to a tale but needs to be pushed that one step farther. Gornick’s accessible writing makes her equal parts friend and teacher. The Situation and the Story is a book you’ll revisit over the years as your writing continues to evolve.

2. On Writing Well
If ever there was a writing bible for nonfiction, On Writing Well is it. Organized around principles, methods, forms, and attitudes, William Zinsser manages to guide the writer through every step of the writing process. And his clear, simple language makes for approachable reading—and learning.

Best of all, Zinsser’s instructions are layered with examples, including sample writing with a slew of his corrections. His number one mantra? To keep writing as clean as possible, sans fluff, which can be trying even for a veteran writer.

Best of all, Zinsser offers specific sections on how to write about people, places, sports, business, the arts, and yourself. So, regardless of your writing topic or where you are in your writing journey, you’ll find a number of useful tips and instructions to turn average prose into tight, clean paragraphs.