Allie Morgan

I have something to admit…

These past few days, I’ve been slacking. I usually wake up early every morning and write a little bit more of the novel I’ve been working on. But recently, I’ve been feeling a tad stuck.

So I’ve dug out a few books from my bookshelf to get me back in the mood and I thought I’d share them with you as they’re pretty helpful if you need some writing motivation.

30 Steps To Becoming A Writer by Scott Edelstein

This book is brilliant if you have literally no idea where to start.

Scott Edelstein maps out your entire writing strategy – from setting up a place to write to getting published – and gives you helpful tips & tricks along the way.

It’s a great one to read if you really want to get serious with your writing but you’re finding it difficult to know how to begin or what to write about. The chapters are short and each one finishes with an assignment which means that it’s easy and quick to read but it also motivates you to be super productive – amazing!

Why I Write by George Orwell

A really short but powerful book, Why I Write is one of those books that you won’t stop thinking about for a long time.

George Orwell is probably most famous for his dystopian novel, 1984, in which the ominous, intrusive figure of Big Brother is the ruler – perhaps, dictator would be more apt – of Britain. Orwell’s works are essentially political writings that are written in such an engaging way that the reader is immersed in the human experience rather than the actions of the governments.

In this book, George Orwell discusses socialism, war and the English. If you don’t want to read the whole book, please read the first chapter – it’s only a few pages long & it’s extremely interesting.

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf 

One of the best books I have ever read as a writer.

Published in 1928, A Room of One’s Own is an extended essay which discusses the female author and her place in the literary world. It discusses the history of female writers and is a fierce reminder of the progress that society has made in accepting women as important contributors to literature.

Whatever gender you identify as, make sure you read this book. It’s an important one.

The Art of Fiction by David Lodge

From a long essay to lots of short ones…

The Art of Fiction is a collection of articles that David Lodge wrote as part of his regular newspaper column. Each chapter addresses a different aspect of creative writing such as ‘Character’ and ‘Suspense’ and gives examples of these from literature so you can actually see it in action.

A book that you can dip in and out of and still take a great amount of wisdom from, The Art of Fiction is really handy when you’re struggling with a specific issue.

642 Things To Write About by The San Francisco Writers’ Grotto

And now, for something completely different.

This book literally has 642 things to write about inside and it was written in a day! It’s a book that you should definitely pick up if you’re looking for some inspiration as it’s packed with ideas.

With tasks such as ‘write an anonymous letter to a stranger detailing the things you’ve learned about life’ and ‘write an ode to an onion’, there is no way you can put this book down and not come away with some fresh ideas for your work. It’s simply brilliant.

And that’s all the books I have to share with you today lovely people – let me know if any others have helped you overcome writers’ block 🙂

See you next week,

Allie