3 Books I’m Reading to Improve My Writing
I’ve decided I want to get better at writing.
So, here are 3 books I’m reading — specifically to help me:
- The Adweek Copywriting Handbook
- The Art of Thinking
- On Writing Well
Book #1: The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joseph Sugarman
I picked up this book because I’ve seen a bunch of influential writers recommend it. Until I read this book, I had zero clue what “copywriting” was.
And so far, my biggest takeaways are:
- Listening and being observant are vital skills for writers. Listen first, so that you can elaborate on your experiences.
- Become an expert on whatever it is you’re selling. As writers, we’re selling something. We just need to figure out what we’re selling (if we don’t know) and why others should want it.
- The best way to get better at writing is to……. WRITE. Write all the time.
Book #2: The Art of Thinking by Vincent Ruggiero
This book has taught me a lot about critical and creative thinking. It taught me how to remove myself out of my emotions and look at things through a logical point of view.
Some golden nuggets so far:
- Conforming is a symptom of the inability to think for yourself. This is an important skill (thinking for yourself) and most people are oblivious to how dangerous this could be if left unchecked.
- The differences between problems and issues. We conflate these all the time. There’s benefit in being precise with words. No matter what, we can all agree that problems are bad. Issues, on the other hand, isn’t that clear. I could have a different view on an issue that you.
- Separate the person from the argument. If you don’t like someone, fine. But that should not be the basis for your disagreement with what they’re arguing. Address the arguments for their own merits. Not the qualities of their owners.
Book #3: On Writing Well by William Zinsser
Finally, I’d recommend On Writing Well to anyone who wants to be a better writer.
This book has taught me a lot about writing. Here are some gems:
- Simplicity. Write simply. Short sentences. Avoid long ones if you can.
- Avoid clutter. If there’s a less crowded way of saying something, use it. Don’t worry about word count. Worry about your message being received.
- Be yourself when you write. Probably the most important takeaway. It’s very easy to put up a cover to hide the real you. Slowly, but surely, remove that cover and be yourself.
These books are always in my rotation. Book count is a vanity metric. Doesn’t matter how many books you’ve read.
What matters most is how well you know the great books.
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