An uplifting collection of bite-size strategies for enjoying and succeeding at the writing process. Meyer’s personality and genuine love for writing shines through each of the short 70+ chapters, each of which shares a tip for different stages of the writing/publishing journey. Most offer practical steps to take, whether following curiosity to encourage creativity, addressing obstacles like writer’s block, or querying agents for traditional publication. Recommended particularly for aspiring writers early in the process who could use encouragement or practical ideas to enjoy the writing journey even when things get hard.
Review: Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
A useful analysis of what works in stories with practical examples of how to apply principles to a book-in-progress. Inspired by the book Save the Cat! for screenwriting, Brody breaks down the elements of a satisfying story and adapts them specifically for books. The first part explains these in “beats” like the Theme Stated or All Is Lost moments, helpfully explaining how these can apply to a variety of stories. The bulk of the book is devoted to 10 story genres (different from marketing genres) like Dude With A Problem or Golden Fleece. These chapters share other elements unique to each genre while also charting a specific novel’s story to the beats as an example of how they work in practice. Brody does a good job of focusing on recognizable principles for this method rather than prescribing specific plot lines (unless she’s analyzing a specific book). Recommended for writers who feel stuck working through the arc of their story and want a dose of inspiration for troubleshooting it.
The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien by John Hendrix
A richly illustrated biography about the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and their shared love for mythic stories. Unlike a more traditional biography, this uses the framing of a wizard and anthropomorphic lion talking about the authors’ lives and beliefs. The narrative charts their lives from childhood to death, highlighting key periods like their service in WWI, efforts at writing fantasy, meeting important people in their lives, and even the immediate impact of certain books. While I knew they were key figures in the Inklings group of writers, I hadn’t known that their relationship strained in later years-but the book gives even that aspect of their lives a touching coda. The illustrations are whimsical and the pages design weaves art and words together to tell the men’s stories through a combination of prose and comics. Recommend for fans of all ages who enjoy these authors’ worlds and stories.
Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon
I recently read Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon. And if you are any type of creator (writer, artist, photographer, blogger, category-breaker, etc.), I highly recommend it.
The book itself is small (6×6 inches) but packed with Kleon’s advice on sharing work in progress and connecting with like-minded people. Given the fact that he’s a New York Times bestselling author and successful speaker on creativity, he knows what he’s talking about. The book lays out ten principles for sharing work, interspersing its primary content with quotes, illustrations, pictures, and his blackout poetry (newspaper pages blacked out except for key words/phrases).
It’s inspiring, but more importantly, it’s actionable. Without prescribing specific courses of action, he talks about how to develop your story, stay motivated, decide what to share on social media, interact with people online, take care of yourself, and treat your creativity like a business. And after making a point or sharing an example, he moves right on to the next concept instead of belaboring it.
For example, his third principle, “Share something small every day,” has a section called “Turn your flow into stock.” This one in particular stood out to me. He talks about Robin Sloan adapting the economic concept of “stock and flow” as a metaphor for media. Flow is more ephemeral, like social media posts, while stock lasts longer and is more likely to attract an audience that will also last. Kleon goes on to explain how flow can feed into and offer direction for stock, offering this book as a perfect example of this. That point made, he jumps into the next section.
I’ve read the book four times and still feel like I get something new on each readthrough. But despite the amount of content, it never feels overwhelming. His writing style is super accessible, and the design makes it apparent that he treated it like another piece of art in his portfolio. As much as it can be read in one sustained session, the short sections comprising each chapter also lend themselves to quick bursts for readers looking for a small jolt of inspiration.
Hopefully you’re convinced by this point. No matter where you are along your creativity journey, I think Show Your Work! has something to offer.