Recommended books for a beginner writer?

I would recommend reading as many books as possible in the genres that you like to write, as well as about the craft of writing. When you are reading other fiction books, pay attention to how the authors structure their work.

Here are some of my favorites about writing:

1) "Writing Down The Bones" by Natalie Goldberg

2) "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott

3) "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser

4) "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card

5) "On Writing" by Stephen King

6) "No Plot? No Problem!" by Chris Baty

7) "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" by Lynne Truss

8) "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White

Also, take a look at a few websites where authors gather. Some of them have very helpful articles and forums. Holly Lisle has a fantastic website that has articles on both the business and writing aspects, including an excellent article on worldbuilding that I highly suggest for any fantasy writer:

http://hollylisle.com/fm/

Forward Motion is a wonderful, helpful community:

http://www.fmwriters.com/

Absolute Write is one of my favorite author communities, with a vast pool of resources and helpful people:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/

Write every single day. Set a target for yourself. For instance, my goal right now is to write 1,000 words a day. I get this done before I go on the internet, read, watch TV, or goof around. To begin, maybe set an easier goal for yourself-- try 250 words each day. Write in a journal as well, if you feel so inclined!

When you get ideas, find a way to record them as well. I have a spiral notebook that I keep just for that purpose. This way, when I want to begin a new project I can read through my notes and find just the right idea!

Also, never forget how important it is to edit and rewrite! When you finish a short story or novel, I suggest setting it aside for a month. Don't look at it or think about it (if you can help it). Work on another project. Once that time has passed, go back and read what you wrote. Try to be objective-- are there parts that need to be expanded? Cut out? Rewritten? How is the grammar and spelling? Editing could (and should) take more time than the original draft!

First off, the best way to learn is to practice.

As for books, there are some classics like Elements of Style and The Chicago Manual of Style. I'm afraid that what I do is primarily fiction writing so I don't know how helpful it will be, but I recommend Stephen King's book "On Writing".

Great books on Grammar that are fun to read and help improve your skills:

The Deluxe Transitive Vampire

Eats Shoots & Leaves

Great book on writing as craft:

Bird by Bird

On Writing (Stephen King)

I'd agree with the person's answer above. However, the one book about writers and writing I liked was "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott. (I believe I actually ordered this book from Amazon, so I'm pretty sure they have it.) It gave some actual ideas to focus your writing and develop it....I also like her writing style. You might also look around at blogs online...there are a lot of different writing styles out there, and some very talented people have very interesting and different viewpoints and styles.

I feel you don't need books on writing to improve your writing. You just need to read the type of stories you enjoy the most and experience other writers' styles through their books.

And you also need to write write write - as with anything, your skill improves with practice as you discover what style works best for you.

And to know if your writing style is evolving and improving, you need constructive criticism - join a local writers' critique group or an online one or two. Once you start getting feedback from your peers and those with more experience, you'll be able to improve your writing.

Best of luck.

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I agree with the reccomendation of On Writing, while I don't enjoy all his books, Stephen King's memoir/craft lesson is fantastic.

If you're looking for technical details, the number one choice of businesses seems to be The Gregg Reference Manual (http://www.amazon.com/Gregg-Reference-Manual-Gramm...

A quick search of the keywords "journalism" and "style" get me a lot of promising hits on Amazon. I mostly focus on fiction, and thus my suggestions (like Orson Scott Card's books about writing) wouldn't exactly work.

I also agree with the suggestion to read a lot of the type of thing you're trying to write. See how other authors do it, which ones you like and don't like, think about why.

Now if you were looking for memoirs of people who have been writers for newspapers, then I have suggestions for that too. But during my stint as a newspaper writer, I really just read a lot and listened to my editor and what his suggestions were.

Read a book called The First Five Pages. It's perfect for you. Pax - C.

You know, originality does the best. I read Poe, and somehow i developed a style that is all my own, i found it is his writing, it is not his writing, though, it is my own.

It really depends on what kind of style in writing you are taking.

Sorry i could not be of more help.

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Ernest Hemingway. He's influenced almost every writer there is today, even if people aren't aware. Read everything and anything ever written by him.