3 Books for Writing Non-Fiction Well

As plentiful as there are writers, and as diverse is their work, they share one thing in common. They have an itch that needs scratching. They are unquiet with an experience, uneasy with an observation, abundant with learning to offer. They will be restless, feel they are short of their calling, confident that they have something to say that will be of interest to at least one other person. Writing scratches that itch. Did you experience something unusual or troubling in your work? Did you discover something that moved you, and you want to share? Or was there a piece of misinformation in the public arena that you know demands correction? Is there gratitude that has gone unsaid? Those are the fires that will light your itch. That’s why so many professional people want to write.

But not only write for a journal or an erudite book. But, instead, to produce something for the general public to read. Be it for newspapers, magazines, on-line publications, social media, and old-fashioned print newspapers and magazines. That’s how to scratch that itch. That’s why so many of us join a writing group or a book group or a writers collective list-serve. Because writing is a lonely enterprise, joining others on the same road to writing as you are can be invaluable.

I have taught professional writing for the general public for the past 15 years in university and public settings. One frequent question I am asked is, “What can I read that would help me become a writer, or help me become a better writer?” My selection of writings remains the same. There are three, among my most cherished, in the text below. Each selection offers why I selected it, and what about it might touch you. If you want to read more about writing, please go to my website. The three books listed below are in “Letterman” style, namely, the lowest to the highest (3–2–1).

Here's to writing well!

Lloyd.

#3 The Lives Of A Cell, by Lewis Thomas

This book demonstrates we can write about any subject we have a passion for: bowling, the bassoon, the Canary Islands, UFOs, opium, truffles, cats and dogs, evil and good, or cells!

Thomas starts his book by marveling about cells. Vivid imagination, not labor, carries him to subjects like insects, music, language, computers, and medicine. After all, they are interconnected, as we are.  

Which means I need only start with one subject that stirs my wonder or worry and holds meaning for me. I don’t need to hunt for something to write about, it is right in front of my eyes. 

#2 On Writing Well, by Stephen King

Yes, the same Stephen King: Carrie, The Shining, Misery, and dozens more. Fiction? Yes–his memoir is among the best books for writing nonfiction. 

Writers of every genre suffer the same troubles, like doubt, rejections, not enough days when the work “flows”, procrastination, alcohol, and drug abuse, having to bow and beg (until your success reverses the tables), and so on. In On Writing, Mr. King gives us his story: "the good, the bad, and the ugly", of writing. 

Start with chapter 25, “CV”, to get right to the meat of King’s memoir. Be sure you read his “Tool Box” for writing. From the “fundamentals” (e.g., read and write a lot, vocabulary, sentences, paragraphs) to the “craft” (e.g., subject, story-telling; clarity; people, personalities, and characters).  

Enjoy!

#1 On Writing Well, by William Zinsser 

I know that many doctors, scientists, psychologists, and professionals of all stripes want to give voice to their personal and professional experiences. But here’s the rub: writing is a craft, no different from being an equestrian or an electrician, a musician, an actor, or a teacher. Which means you have to learn the craft. Then keep working at it. 

New writers used to be directed to Strunk & White’s paene to grammar and syntax, The Elements of Style. Good for proofreading but not creating. Writing well was becoming an endangered species. One day, a cranky Yankee journalist and university teacher with a very big heart was complaining to his wife about how so few knew how to write. She said, “…well, do something about it!”  

He wrote, On Writing Well, The Classic Guide To Writing Nonfiction. Its principles (with many helpful examples) are clarity, simplicity, brevity, and humanity. There is no better map to writing well. On Writing Well has sold over 1.5 million copies. Because he nailed it.  

This is not a didactic book. It does not tell you what’s right and what’s wrong; not one that tells you whether to use a comma or a semi – colon. Instead, it teaches by example. And his examples are plentiful throughout the book, showing excerpts of writing well and those that could have been written far better. Zinsser holds that good writing draws from our emotions – more so than our cortex. That’s why it’s general counsel to write about what you know, what you have experienced and, most importantly, what evokes passion in you. 

One of the most well-known and lasting sentences in the English language portrays Zinsser’s principles: “it was the best of times it was the worst of times”. 12 words that captured an epic moment in western history. Each word is one syllable, brief, simple, and drawn from human experience.

These are my three choices. Surely, you have others, and I welcome hearing about them. 

You can reach me through my website: askdrlloyd.com