There are numerous writing books I have found helpful, but the one that turned me into a true professional is The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield. This book concentrates on overcoming Resistance so you will write whatever you dream of writing. Other books help you get started or improve your writing, but this one motivates you not only to begin, but to keep going, and to finish novels and other projects which is what makes you a professional writer.
My copy is filled with underlined sentences, circled passages, and marginalia. On days I don't feel like writing, I pick this book up, open to a random page, and read until my writing drive kicks in. This routine hasn't failed me since I bought the book a few years ago.
I believe in The War of Art so much, I have two copies—one on my desk and the other readily available in my reading nook where I occasionally write. I often wonder how much farther along I would be as a writer if I had found this book when it was published in 2002.
I also recommend reading "Writing Wednesdays" at StevenPressfield.com. On April 7, 2010 he wrote:
"To have a practice, you must have a space. But it is the practice that makes the space. The daily application of intention, the seeking of excellence over time saturates the studio with power and energy."
Give yourself that power and energy—write!
Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life's Work by Steven Pressfield was published recently. I recommend it, too.
Has The War of Art by Steven Pressfield inspired you?
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