Four Books Every Serious Writer NEEDS to Have and Use While Writing

("Octopus Typewriter" by Courtney Brown)

During grad school, I was blessed to have several professors who offered up huge lists of authors and books that we as blossoming writers might find useful or helpful during our narrative journeys.

Here are a few of those books (one of which every writer should already have, but should use very, very sparingly):

---

1.) The McMillan Visual Dictionary
864 pages

I can't even begin to tell you how useful/amazing this book is. Any time I find myself struggling to figure out what the particular word is for a particular thing, I break this book out. From pocket watches to anatomy, architecture to animals, this book dissects some of the most prevalent parts of life that end up in books (both fiction and non-fiction) and has been an absolutely invaluable reference while I write, to say nothing of the art inside being beautifully rendered and clearly notated.

---

2.) The Writer's Guide to Character Traits
by Linda Edelstein
288 pages

I often find that creating a real, multi-faceted character can be really tough. It requires a lot of backstory that may never end up on the page (but will remain in your head forever), but we're not psychologists - we're writers. So this book was essential in helping me to flesh out my characters more fully on an emotional level, but then also on a psychological level. This book goes SUPER deep into possible reasons for why a character becomes who they are. If you want your fictional characters to feel real, give this book a read and put it to the test. You won't be disappointed.

---

3.) Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary
by Marc McCutcheon
711 pages

Something of a hybrid between the Visual Dictionary and a Thesaurus, but with fewer pictures and a deeper explanation of the words. While it may feel like overkill to have this alongside the others, I still find it essential to have during my most furious of writing sessions.

---

4.) Roget's Thesaurus from A to Z
by Robert L. Chapman
928 pages

This should be a very "duh" choice for any writer of any stripe. Now, don't make this your immediate go-to when you need another word; each choice has its own shade of nuance, so it's important that you understand which nuance you're trying to convey in your text. There are some people who simply reach for this book, pick one of the words, and run with it.

Don't do this. I repeat: DO NOT DO THIS.

A thesaurus is best used when the user understands the weight of the nuance attached to each word. Please make sure you understand this weight as well, mostly so you don't embarrass yourself. When you use a word incorrectly, it is incredibly obvious and makes everyone uncomfortable.

Happy writing!