“If you could recommend just one book to someone who wants to write a book, what book would it be?”
That question came in an email. Here’s the answer I gave the sender.
There are lots of good books on writing, but most of them are written by a writer for other writers. I write for business people who want to write books and blog posts. So the book I recommend should be written for people who aren’t professional writers.
That makes the decision fairly easy. If you want one book that can help you improve your writing for books and blog posts, and also for proposals and reports, grab a copy of Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.
You’ll learn about “The Curse of Knowledge,” and why so much business writing seems impenetrable. That’s in the Introduction. After that, chapter after chapter after chapter will describe techniques you can use to make your writing better and more memorable.
Here’s the list of chapters, which you can also use as a checklist for clear and memorable writing.
- Simple
- Unexpected
- Concrete
- Credible
- Emotional
- Stories
There you have it, a book recommendation and a checklist for good writing, all in one.
