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To become a serious writer, you have to be inspired by other writers. That means you have to be a voracious reader with an appetite for sampling great fiction, non-fiction, memoir and poetry. Writers can never get enough of other writers, sampling their wares, tasting their "recipes", until it's finally time to stop procrastinating and begin or resume their own writing.

Occasionally, it's helpful to hear from people who can help you master your craft. A number of top-notch how-to writing books on the market can give beginning writers a boost as they struggle through their often isolated craft. Some the books are notable for their entertainment/inspiration value, others for their technical advice.

Take your pick, but a list of recommendations can always help:

1. Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott. Ms. Lamott, the author of a number of novels and several non-fiction books, will provide you with a hilarious, gut-wrenching look at the process of dreaming up plot, characters, setting and more. She will make you, the isolated writer, feel less alone. She will reassure you that you're not the only person who has spent fruitless hours staring at a computer screen, or worse, into space.

2. Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande. This book, originally published in 1934, is a practical guide for beginning writers. Ms. Brande tackles topics like "Writing on Schedule" and "Harnessing the Unconscious." A book that helps all writers push through their insecurities to get the words out.

3. The Craft of Revision by Donald M. Murray. This is a small textbook used in college-level composition and literature classes to provide students with a guide to the writing process. Mr. Murray's companion books, Read to Write and Write to Learn, are also helpful, especially to beginning writers.

4. Listen to Their Voices: 20 Interviews with Women Who Write, by Mickey Pearlman. A collection of candid interviews with some of this country's foremost female writers, who discuss the craft, their lives and the publishing business. They include Grace Paley, Jane Smiley, children's author Lois Lowry, Anne Rice, and bestseller Sue Miller.

Learn more about this author, Evelyn Mccormack.
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