Best books on writing

Start with Stephen King's On Writing. It's the one book that does both jobs: half memoir, half hard-nosed craft advice, and it's the most quoted writing book for a reason — plain, funny, and it makes you want to sit down and work.

Who the others suit:

• Steering the Craft (Ursula K. Le Guin) — for fiction writers who want exercises and close attention to sentence rhythm, point of view and voice.
• Writing Fiction (Gotham Writers' Workshop) — a structured, classroom-style course in plot, character and dialogue; good if you like assignments.
• The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing — for nonfiction, essays and clear everyday prose rather than storytelling.
• Talking to Writers — interviews with novelists about how they actually work; best once you've got the basics down.
• Writing Magic — the pick for younger writers (roughly grades 3–7).

If you only buy one, take King; add Le Guin when you're ready to practise.