Phil Halton | Book Coach for Veterans

There are lots of sketchy ebooks out there that promise “Ten Steps to Writing Success” or to help you “Write a New York Times Bestseller in 30 Days Without Even Trying!” Whatever their hook, they promise to make a hard thing easy. These kinds of claims make me immediately suspicious, and for good reason. Writing isn’t easy, and there is no simple “system” that can be used to guarantee success.

BUT…there are some excellent books for writers that can demystify parts of the process, and help to explain what to expect from an “artist’s life.”

Writing is a craft, and like any craftsperson, to be good at it means you need to practice and study. My time in the military sold me on the idea of ongoing professional development, and so this is something that I’ve carried over into my writing life. Whether I am reading about various aspects of writing, reading in my genre, taking courses on literature and writing, or trying new forms of art to expand my creative horizons, I put effort into becoming a better writer.

It’s commonly said that in order to write, you need to read. I think this is true, but read what? I would break this advice down into three buckets – read in your genre, read about writing, and read whatever else you enjoy. Writing is a serious craft, and so requires real application and study to improve.

These five works are my “go to” books on writing and creativity that each give a different viewpoint on the problems encountered by writers.

“The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield

This is the book to read if you are struggling with starting or continuing a creative practice. Pressfield is a terrific writer, whose book “The Gates of Fire” is one of my all-time favourite military novels. He takes an interesting approach to writing, and sees it as a process of continuously defeating the forces of “Resistance.” The source of resistance is, of course, mostly within ourselves, and Pressfield lays out how we can succeed as an artist in a short but impactful book that has sold over a million copies.

“On Writing” by Stephen King

Another classic, though he takes a completely different tack on writing about writing. Stephen King is an incredibly successful writer by any metric you could apply, though he struggled for many years to achieve critical success that matched the level of his commercial success. He writes about two things in particular. The first is approaching writing as a craft, and therefore honing your writing skills and tools in the same way that a carpenter might. He also describes the “writer’s life,” as someone who has experienced the highs and lows of making writing a career. While Pressfield’s work is laser-focused on the act of writing, King zooms out and gives us a much broader view.

“Consider This” by Chuck Palahniuk.

Palahniuk’s work, such as his breakout novel Fight Club, is definitely not for everyone. At the same time, the way that he thinks about writing is immediately applicable no matter whether you are writing your memoir or a piece of fiction. Very much a “writers’ writer,” Palahniuk’s approach to writing is a breath of fresh air. He mixes tough-love writing advice with personal anecdotes in a way that provides immediately actionable writing advice.

“Screenplay” by Syd Field

This is a classic book on screenwriting, and for good reason. Narrative structure is an element of writing that I don’t think gets enough attention, as it is a powerful (and often invisible) means to supercharge stories and make them compelling. Screenwriting relies heavily on structure, and Syd Field popularized what he calls the “3 Act Structure,” which is a simple way to organize a story with roots in Aristotle’s Poetics, which posits the idea that every story has a beginning, middle and end. Even if you are not writing a screenplay, the way that Syd thinks about narrative will help you craft a compelling story. I think that the structure he proposes is especially useful to those writing a memoir – it helps you to focus on THE story, rather than all the stories, and to create a compelling narrative.

“The Creative Act” by Rick Rubin

This is relatively new, having been released in 2023, but has become an instant classic. Rick is an incredibly successful music producer, who has worked to produce hit records with artists as diverse as Metallica, the Beastie Boys, the Red Hot Chill Peppers and Johnny Cash. As a producer, his task is to guide artists to create the very best version of their work that they can. Some of this is about resources – arranging the right studio space, backing musicians, instrument choice and remixing. But it is also about coaching the individual artist in their approach to the work, and this is where Rick’s book really shines. He has a deep understanding of how creativity works, and about the artist’s life. Although he writes from his experience in music, his lessons are broad enough that they apply to any artistic endeavour. Much less of a “how to” manual than “The War of Art,” this is an inspiring book of creative philosophy.

Amateur vs Professional

Another concept that Steven Pressfield speaks about his the difference between being an amateur and being a professional. In his telling, this is less about skill than it is about attitude. Part of “Turning Pro” (another of his books) is being deliberate about your writing, and your education as a writer. Focused reading about writing is a part of this, and is part of my ongoing practice.

Now that you know my go-to books, what other books on writing and creativity would you highly recommend?