Your writer’s advent calendar
Here is The Literary Consultancy’s list of 24 books to change your (writing) life, based on our Bookshelf of reading recommendations we curate especially for members of our writing community, Being A Writer. Enjoy!
- Big Magic Elizabeth Gilbert
A classic writer’s almanac. Inspiring, nourishing, and motivating. Get your magic back - The Wellbeing Journal: Creative Activities to Inspire
A practical guide from the mental health charity MIND, to keep your brain busy and engaged over the festive period - The Science of Storytelling Will Storr
One of our most recommended books for writers, and part of the TLC Self Editing Fiction course curriculum. Brilliant and illuminating - Remembered Rapture: The Writer at Work bell hooks
Essential reading on the creative process and the cultural context we exist in as creative human beings
- The Artists’ Way Julia Cameron
A revered guide not just to writing, but how to come into your power as a writer, with daily practice and attention to who you are at your very core - How to Fail Elizabeth Day
Whilst not a writing guide, this fantastic book is a meditation on failure that is joyful and uplifting. As writers, we can learn a lot from understanding how failure is not the opposite of success, it’s a necessary part of the journey - The Wild Remedy Emma Mitchell
A gorgeous meditation on the natural world by one of the most creative and compassionate minds - Writing A Novel Richard Skinner
A must-read for anyone thinking of writing a novel. Practical, down to earth, and full of wisdom gleaned from many years of teaching creative writing - Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work Edwidge Danticat
As artists we are products of not just our own lives, but our ancestry. So much of what we consume as ‘default’ is in fact dictated by cultural dominance. So what does it mean to be considered ‘outside’ of that system? And how can we all learn from this, no matter our own heritage? - How to Write It Anthony Anaxagorou
A gem of a short book, the ultimate how-to that strikes to the heart of how to write well - Seven Creative Gremlins Nicola Jackson and Teresa Wilson
Is something holding you back as a writer? Find out whether you might be plagued by a creative gremlin, which one, and how to get back on track - Take Off Your Pants! Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing Libbie Hawker
If it’s the planning part of writing that foxes you, start here with this no-nonsense and refreshing guide to how to outline quickly and efficiently, without getting in your own way - Into the Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them John Yorke
An evergreen classic in the how-to library for all writers. Learn storytelling technique from the big screen, and apply it to any writing format - Ren: The Ancient Chinese Art of Finding Peace and Fulfilment Yen Ooi
Sometimes the trick isn’t to ‘get better’ at writing, it’s to audit your life and make sure you’re creating enough space for yourself elsewhere. Here, find out how to cultivate peace and fulfilment - The Pyjama Myth: The Freelance Writer’s Survival Guide Sian Meades-Williams
Let’s talk about how to make a living as a writer. Candid, uplifting, and practical, get this brilliant guide from journalist and writer Sian Meades-Williams and set yourself up for success - Your Story Matters Nikesh Shukla
Reconnect with your purpose and find confidence in the story you were destined to tell, with guidance from one of the most generous writers and writers’ friends - The Way of the Fearless Writer, Beth Kempton
Writing coach Beth Kempton draws from Japanese philosophy to carve a path for writing that prioritises courage and inner resilience. A nourishing and empowering volume - This is Me, Full Stop
A playful guide to punctuation from the brilliant writer and facilitator Philip Cowell (who has curated several workshops for Being A Writer and has proved himself a crowd favourite!) - Rise and Shine: How to Transform Your Life, Morning by Morning Kate Oliver and Toby Oliver
Learn the S.H.I.N.E. method from two TLC alumni! An innovative, flexible and simple way to build positive, long-term habits that you can apply not just to your writing but any aspect of your life - Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity and Change Maggie Smith
Meditations on how, when life keeps rolling after immense change, you can learn to move on too – to better and more hopeful, creative things - Against Creative Writing, Andrew Cowan
A stirring address by a writer, for other writers, who want to preserve the value of craft and combine the creative and the critical in their apprenticeship of good writing - On Creativity, Roger Robinson
A glorious collection of prompts and inspirations from the acclaimed poet Roger Robinson - A Small Steps Guid to Time Management and Goal Setting, Louise Tondeur
A neurodivergent-brain friendly guide to setting manageable goals, sot hat you can get your writing (or any task!) done without feeling overwhelmed - How to Read Now, Elaine Castillo
A curriculum title for TLC’s Ethical Editing training for publishers, this brilliant guide helps dismantle power structures that exist in literary culture and encourage us to find new ways to approach reading, in order to widen our understanding of storytelling in the world
