the craft. books on craft.

Recently in our Slack community, I was asked about books on craft. So I thought this week would be a good time to share about those I’ve gathered so far. Unfortunately, they are not solely by Black writers or writers of color. But I guess, I feel like, get the information where you can. I’d actually love to see more Black writers in this space. So if you have some great craft books from BIPOC writers, feel free to send them my way to check out!

It’s important to know that we are always becoming writers. I can’t tell you how much I have learned after selling my first book. It’s like my mind has been blown wide open and I’m looking forward to utilizing the skills I’ve learned in my new works. You’ll never know enough. So I hope you’ll remain open to learning in your journey. Continued growth as a writer will come from reading in general, but don’t be afraid to lean into craft even more intentionally. Which I would imagine is part of the reason you’re a part of Permission Granted. :-)

Before I get to actual books, I want to highlight The Pieces I Am. I am not a girl who grew up on Morrison. But as I became a writer, I definitely went back to her work and what she does with language is remarkable. No one will ever compare, however, I felt like watching The Pieces I Am was a masterclass on craft and the life of a writer, resilience, discipline and much more. If you haven’t watched it yet, run, don’t walk.

Now onto books.

There are two books that almost every writer recommends and it turns out, they’re actually really good. “On Writing” by Stephen King and “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott. They’re worth it, believe me. I’m not sure I’ve ever even read a Stephen King novel, however, I loved how his book was part memoir and part advice. There is something about knowing that one of the more successful writers of our time also experienced rejection. You’d be surprised how refreshing that is to read.

As for “Bird by Bird,” one of my favorite tips from the book was about exploring secondary characters. That led me to writing a short story all about the fiancé Nina abandoned for Darius in Love Jones. What happened to him?

Both books do a great job of exploring writing in relation to life. The two are so intertwined and I think we often forget that. Writing well takes a lot of living. Remember the scene in The Five Heartbeats when Duck is quoting a critic who essentially says, I’m paraphrasing, “he’ll become a great writer when he suffers more?” I’m not wishing for any suffering, but in the words of Drake, more life!

There was also a book my mother gave me some time ago that I only opened within the last couple of years. But I truly believe you read books at the right time. “Free Within Ourselves: Lessons in Fiction for Black Authors” by Jewell Parker Rhodes had such timely insight. As a Black woman writing a very Black story, it was the soft push I needed not to apologize, to be authentic, and to show up as myself in my writing. It features essays, writing exercises and advice from top Black authors from their hay day. It was published in 1999. Just a heads up.

Honorable mention is “Save the Cat Write the Novel!” By Jessica Brody. I say honorable because I haven’t read that one. But I have read “Save the Cat, Write the Screenplay!” Since they’re in the same series, I imagine it may also be as helpful to you as the screenplay book was for me. It gave me great things to think about and really tangible insight on the process.

Lastly, I want to add in some additional books that aren’t on craft specifically, but that I’ve found useful. The first being the Emotional Thesaurus. I was having some trouble describing how people felt and someone in my writing group mentioned they’d bought an Emotional Thesaurus. It just has tons of emotions, synonyms, ways to describe them and more. I never take anything verbatim from the book, however, reading what they have in it, helps generate my own creativity to describe what folks are feeling. Majorly helpful!

Also, “Before and After the Book Deal” by Courtney Maum. This is a great guide to walk you through the book process. I purchased it after I sold my book, but it was still good to go back to those early stages as well. This is the support group for debut authors that I’ve been hungry for. It can be a lonely road when you don’t necessarily have other writers who are publishing at the same time. This helped give me a lot of information without having to ask a bunch of questions to my agent and editor.

All these books except Free Within Ourselves are available on our Bookshop Page. If you grab them, don’t hesitate to purchase them from there. We receive a small commission for any books sold from our page. Support our mission and indie bookstores at the same damn time! *In my Future voice.

Writing/Job Opportunities

The Megaphone Prize is accepting submissions for debut writers of color with a collection of short stories. Deesha Philyaw, Author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies will select the winner. (Oct. 15)

Maxine Wally is looking for new freelancers for W Magazine. Pitch her feature articles.

NPR is hiring an Editor specifically for hip hop and R&B coverage.

The Sports Desk at The New York Times is hiring a Sports Reporter.

Vulture is hiring a Senior Music Editor.

The Recording Academy is hiring an Editor, Digital Media and Content.

Grounds For Sculpture is hiring a Director of Education and Community Engagement.

The Daily Beast is hiring a Social Media Editor.

Pale Blue Dot Studio is hiring an Editor and News Writer.