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Writing Craft Books

I’m not sure what kind of topics you’re looking for, but when it comes to craft books, I’m a sucker for a good grammar help guide. Particularly because proper grammar leads to good sentence structure, and your writing will really sing if you master it. But grammar can be a dry topic. So here are 2 of my favorites that make it more entertaining and interesting: 

It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer’s Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences by June Casagrande

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss

When it comes to plotting, I enjoy Chris Baty’s guide. He’s the founder of NaNoWriMo, so his approach is no-nonsense and leads to productivity. 

No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty

Stephen King’s On Writing is also a good one, though I’ve never used it myself. 

The Weekend Novelist series by Robert J. Ray has some great insight as well.

Let me give you some advice, though. I love craft books, and sometimes I learn a lot from them, but don’t ever think that everything you read in a craft book is the only way to do something. Take the insight and see how you can apply it to your own writing. If it works for you, great. If it doesn’t, it might not be the right approach for you (of course, the grammar books are a bit of an exception). 

Followers, any other writing craft books that you admire and enjoy?