Any writer who has been writing for as long as I have will have amassed a range of books about writing, editing, and publishing. Some books are printed gold, filled with amazing information. Others, well… There are some that I've purchased and wondered what I was thinking, while others have been read only once and never looked at again.
But there are some books that I can't seem to live without. They live within arm's reach of my desk. I also own digital copies of a few of them, so they can travel with me wherever I go to write. And they get used for both my own work and client work.
This list is a list of books that I feel every fiction writer should have in their collection, regardless of the genre they write.
This list was compiled for the holiday season of 2026, heading into 2027. So, tell your loved ones that you would like these books as your Christmas presents for this year.
1) The Thesaurus Series by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
Many fiction writers will be familiar with the mantra of show, don't tell. I'm not going to go into the concepts behind show in this post, but it's all about structuring the narrative in such a way that the reader gets to experience the story, rather than being told the story.
My biggest issue when drafting is that I tend to either resort to using the same action over and over, or I struggle to think of other actions that might be signs of the same thing. And that's when I pull out The Emotion Thesaurus, or The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus, or any other books in The Thesaurus Series by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi.
At the time of this post was written, there were 11 books in the series. And I have paper and digital copies of all of them.
Each book focuses on a different aspect of characterization or narrative, and each book contains a list of traits—sometimes conflicting traits. But that's the beauty of these books. Because they're just lists, we can choose what best fits our unique situation.
I can't recommend this series enough. That said, while I have the full set, it's really my copies of The Emotion Thesaurus, The Rural Setting Thesaurus, The Urban Setting Thesaurus, and The Emotion Amplifiers Thesaurus that I use almost daily.
If you don't believe me as to how useful these books are, just go and look at the sample pages.
2) Activate by Damon Suede
Fiction writers are often told to use stronger verbs, but thinking of alternatives is not easy. This is where Activate by Damon Suede comes in.
Activate is a thesaurus of verbs. That's it. There is a small 22-page section at the front that explains what the added symbols mean for the various entries, but it's a doorstop of 743 pages, filled with nothing but verbs.
However, this book is NOT a dictionary and should not be thought of as such. It is a true thesaurus. Look up one verb, and you've got a list of synonyms and antonyms. The rest is up to you.
I have both the doorstop paperback version and the eBook version. (Hint: The digital version is hyperlinked between the different entries, making the eBook version highly user-friendly.)
3) The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction by Amy J. Schneider
I will be the first to admit that punctuation and grammar can be the bane of a writer's existence. There are so many rules that seem to change from country to country, publisher to publisher. And sometimes there doesn't seem to be any rules at all.
It can do your head in, and trust me, many editors get bamboozled by some of the curveballs that the style guides throw our way. And if editors get confused, how the hell are writers supposed to make sense of it all?
But this book brings all the complicated things in the Chicago Manual of Style down to just the basic stuff that one needs to understand when copyediting fiction. This includes how to deal with the punctuation of dialogue, including internal thought (which is missing from the tome that is Chicago Manual of Style).
I have my own copy tabbed up, so I can quickly find the sections on dialogue and other things that I can sometimes get muddled on when editing my stories. It's a small book (roughly 1 cm thick at the spine), but it's clear with examples on what to do.
4) Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel by Jessica Brody
As a developmental editor, a large portion of what I do is about story structure and plot elements. I have spent many years assimilating what information is out there on this topic. Some of it is... okay... while other resources are brilliant.
I'm not going to beat around the bush here. I'm a fan of the Save the Cat! model, but this particular book is the best iteration of the Save the Cat! books to date.
And don't let the title fool you. The only thing Young Adult about the book is the examples used to explain the beat points and the Save the Cat! genres.
I will admit that much of the information found in this book is a duplication of its predecessor (Save the Cat! Writes a Novel). However, what is NOT in the original is the discussion on writing series (a topic that is rather important in today's market).
Seriously, if you are new to writing fiction, get this book and dissect it!
5) Antagonistic Beats of a Story by Judy L Mohr
Okay, shameless self-promotion here, but I believe in it that much.
Antagonistic Beats of a Story builds on the ideas and concepts presented in Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel (and every other story structure book out there), incorporating the importance of the antagonist in story structure. But this book also dives into one of the main reasons why the saggy middle is a thing, highlighting the interplay between the A-story and the B-story.
This book also discusses how the base model needs to change when working with multiple protagonists with their own story arcs… and multiple antagonists. There is even a discussion on how the story arc works across a series.
Please be advised that this book is not meant to replace your favorite story structure book but rather compliment it.
6) The Science of Writing Characters by Kira-Anne Pelican
This book provides insights into how certain personality traits will alter a character's behavior and their dialogue… with examples! There are tables and exercises to help you design your perfect character from a psychological standpoint, creating characters that are 100% believable.
This book is one of the books that I recommend to the writers taking my Creative Writing 101 classes. I hope that tells you something about how I feel about this book.
My Full Recommended List
There are many books out there all talking about different things. Some are good and some are... not so good.
I maintain on this site a list of books that I would highly recommend to any writer. The list is comprised of those books and reference materials that I have found useful over the years.
The list is far from exhaustive. There are many books out there that other writers and editors highly recommend too. Some of those books haven't yet made the list, simply because I haven't had the time to read them. However, there are some books that I have read and honestly believe aren't good books for writers of all levels.
If your favorite writing book is missing from the list, drop me a line, and I'll check it out when time allows.