Happy New Year everyone!

My New Year was quiet and calm, just the way I like it. My husband and I ate baked ziti while sitting on the couch watching Andy and Anderson on CNN, and I spent the hour before midnight doing some journal reflections.

Which got me thinking about how I want to show up for my writing in 2026.

Before Christmas erased any semblance of a schedule for me, I started working on a new novel and documenting the journey through the outlining and first draft on TikTok.

One of the things I am doing differently this time around is using craft books and my favorite fiction reads to both support my motivation and improve my overall writing skills.

When it comes to anything in life that we want to be great at, there will always be more to learn. And because an MFA is huge undertaking of finance and time, I figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to dig into what other writers had to say about writing and what the author does in my favorite book that makes it so good…so that I can be good too.

Craft Books

These are the books I am reading a chapter or so of a day and then thinking through how I can use what the authors’ recommend in my own writing.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

I think there are things and people we come to at different moments in our lives when we need them. And it wasn’t until recently that I was drawn to Stephen King.

Over the years I’ve read his books and watched the film adaptations of his stories, but in December 2025, I kept being called to On Writing. Which then led to a calling to watch all of Stephen Kings interviews (of which there are PLENTY!)

On Writing is part memoir, part craft book. In the first half, King talks about his life growing up and how he came to writing. In the second part, King walks his readers through the creation of a writing toolbox and how to use those tools. What I really like about this book is King’s voice, which doesn’t deviate at all from his voice in his fiction works.

One of my main takeaways from the book, so far, is the importance of cultivating a voice. There are many other takeaways, of course, but the thing about voice is that it’s personal, just like a writing toolbox. You have to fill it with tools that make what you’re building the best and strongest it can be. And King does an exceptional job of helping writers find the tools that are going to help them write their best possible work.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

My sister gave me this book for Christmas a few years ago, and I wasn’t called to read it until now. (Sorry about that.)

Lamott’s instruction kind of reminds me of Natalie Goldberg’s instruction in Writing Down the Bones. She gives you vignettes of her life, coupled with writing instruction (some of which overlap with Stephen King, specifically their advice about allowing your characters to dictate the story.)

With Bird by Bird you’re also building your writing toolbox in a little more free flowing of a way than King. If King is the teacher who says, “Don’t you dare EVER use an adverb,” then Lamott is the teacher who says, “Write from the heart.”

What I love about this book, as with On Writing, both writers drive home the importance of telling the truth, even in fiction, and giving their readers permission to let go and just write.

I think we can all benefit from that type of motivation.

Fiction

There’s really only one book on this part of the list, but I’m really diving deep into the prose of it.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

This is my favorite book of all time. Then again, I might be biased because I love any book set in Newport, Rhode Island.

The story is about Phoebe, who goes to a fancy hotel in Newport with the intention of committing suicide. However, she happens to be there at the same time as a wedding that’s taking place. She runs into the bride and (dark) hilarity ensues. It is a beautiful book that begs the question: What happens on the other side of surviving?

I love Phoebe’s voice in this novel. And what I’ve been doing is studying how Espach uses dialogue and description to give great insight into her main character’s thoughts and feelings in a way that makes Phoebe feel undeniably real.

I also love Espach’s use of dark humor. Some of the dialogue in the novel feels absurd given the nature of Phoebe’s actions juxtaposed to the threads of conversation. It’s diabolically clever and hilarious.

What I’m also looking for is how the chapters are set to drive along the story and the character arcs.

It’s incredibly fun to read your favorite book as a writer.

Two Honorable Mentions

I haven’t started reading these books yet but got them at the insistence of two recommendations. (Thank you, Ashley, for your rec!)

Plans for 2026

I don’t know what this year holds, but I know that I am excited for the plans I’ve made for myself and my work. And I look forward to greeting each day of writing with the help of Stephen King, Anne Lamott, and Alison Espach.

What are some of your favorite craft books? Let me know in the comments!

Until next week, friends.