Tools for Writers

Tamar Sloan is a psychologist and an author, so she knows the struggle. In Grit for Writers she tackles everything from rejection and slow sales to bad reviews and imposter syndrome. And she teaches us how to recalibrate our emotional compass. 

It's easy to get trapped in a cage of our own making, locking ourselves behind bars of fear, negative thoughts, and powerlessness. All of those things can sap us of creative energy. Gilbert shares her insights into the power of inspiration and the mysterious source of creative endeavor to help us get back on course. 

Positivity can be toxic. This Subtle Art allows us to accept the harsh realities and embrace them for what they are. If manifesting golden rings hasn't been a successful strategy, then Manson offers the antidote. Roll with the punches. Embrace the flaws and faults. Lean into your painful truths. Inside, you'll find courage, honesty, curiosity, and some healing, too. 

In this New York Times bestseller, Pink delves into nearly 40 years of research on motivation to help us understand the power behind our sense of autonomy, desire for mastery, and purpose-driven lives. It wasn't written with writers in mind, but it sure is a helpful read. 

This is one of my all-time favorite books, and Brown's TedTalks and YouTube videos are such a soothing place to settle your mind. In Rising Strong, Brown draws on her vast experience with people from all walks of life and success and asks what they all have in common. The answer is surprisingly simple. They simply get up when they fall. But it requires vulnerability, emotional honesty, and a three step plan: Reckon with emotions, Rumble with your story, and create a Revolution in your life. 

Do you ever feel like you could achieve a lot more if you could get out of your own way? Brown lays out ten guideposts that can help you transform your thinking and overcome the self-sabotage that makes reaching your goals seem so impossible. It isn't just a mind-changing journey. It's an introduction to wholehearted living. 

Lots of rejection can send your self-esteem plummeting. If your self-confidence is at an all-time low, it's possible you've picked the scabs of some really old wounds. And sometimes it's hard to see our strengths and achieve our potential while old habits, bad habits, and protective defenses hold us back. This great little guide gives you easy-to-follow steps that will lead you to some eye-opening clarity and new perspective.   

Eric Maisel is a hidden gem. He's the guru atop the distant peak who understands both the creative spirit and the crisis in meaning-making that we seem destined to experience. If you can't quite put your finger on why the writing process, the querying trenches, and the publishing world are so emotionally tumultuous, and if the true meaning of it all seems elusive, you may find comfort and camaraderie in the Van Gogh Blues. 

On Writing

by Stephen King

Steering the Craft

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Bird by Bird

by Anne Lamott

Story Genius

by Lisa Cron

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

by Joseph Campbell

Conflict & Suspense

by James Scott Bell

The Emotional Craft of Fiction

by Donald Maas