Books like On Writing

Loved On Writing by Stephen King? Here are 10 books with the same pull, and why each one fits.

7 books

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1Bird by Bird
Bird by Bird
Anne Lamott
Like King, Lamott seamlessly blends candid personal memoir with witty, practical, and compassionate advice on the daily grind of writing.
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2The Writing Life
The Writing Life
Annie Dillard
Dillard shares King’s fierce reverence for the sheer physical and mental labor of storytelling, portrayed with vivid, uncompromising honesty.
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3Damn Fine Story
Damn Fine Story
Chuck Wendig
Wendig mirrors King’s irreverent, conversational voice while delivering blunt, practical strategies for crafting compelling fiction.
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4Writing Down the Bones
Writing Down the Bones
Natalie Goldberg
Goldberg's down-to-earth, bite-sized chapters mirror King's unpretentious belief that writing is an everyday practice rooted in raw honesty.
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5On Writing Well
On Writing Well
William Knowlton Zinsser
Zinsser matches King's allergic reaction to jargon and clutter, providing clean, warm, and timeless guidance on writing with clarity.
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6Negotiating with the Dead
Negotiating with the Dead
Margaret Atwood
Atwood explores the shadowy, subconscious motivations behind storytelling with the same sharp wit and narrative authority King brings to craft.
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7Refuse to Be Done
Refuse to Be Done
Matt Bell
Bell echoes King's workmanlike view of revision, outlining a candid, nuts-and-bolts strategy for turning messy first drafts into tight novels.
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Bird by Bird