Photo by author. Author’s book available on Amazon and Barnes&Noble online.

I was doing great letting go—releasing books into boxes then sending them on their way to loving new homes—despite a strong urge to cling. Hoarding is selfish. Books need to circulate and be read. But after folding closed the 36th box (at 45 books a box, that’s about 1600 books), I hit the wall.

Specifically, three shelves, 2 books deep, of writing books. How could I live without them? I haven’t written fiction yet, but don’t count me out—I might—and then… I’ll need them. Meanwhile, they’re just collecting dust. So, give them away. But, the money! My brain threatened to explode—Gosh, look at this, If You Want To Write… and down I fell into the rabbit hole of fond memory.

I read Euland’s little masterpiece the first time thirty—30!—years ago. Last year, I published my first book. What a journey. Look at this—Strunk and White. Look, one gem after another. My mentors, and my beloveds. The books that made me sweat, and fill me with gratitude. The books I return to, again and again. Not parting, no way.

· Brenda Euland, If You Want to Write. Timeless. I read it, began writing and haven’t stopped.

· Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird. Evergreen: smart, humorous and wise.

· Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones. Writing as a zen practice.

· Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way. 90 consecutive days of journaling without lifting pen from paper, no excuses. Is there a late blooming writer who hasn’t worked their way earnestly through this book?

· Strunk and White, Elements of style. The classic toolbox. Astonishing with each re-read.

· Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. Weaves personal with craft essays. Always interesting, always useful.

· Patrick McManus, The Deer on a Bicycle. Humor writing vs. writing humorously.

· Verlyn Klinkenborg, Several Short Sentences About Writing. Less IS more. A short book, written in short sentences, and beautiful.

· William Zinsser, On Writing Well. I don’t know how this one got by me. I read it for the first time last month. Wonderfully warm and witty, it’s a master course that teaches through the writing itself.

· Jon Winokur, Editor, Advice to Writers: A Compendium of Quotes, Anecdotes, and Writerly Wisdom from a Dazzling Array of Literary Lights. A treasury of the best bon mots ever penned about literature and writing. Excellent bibliography at the end. Excellent twitter feed: Jon Winokur@AdviceToWriters.

· Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life. Fascinating. Doable. “Perfection is an abstraction.”

· Lynda Barry, What It Is. This gorgeous book is a how-to manual, a work of art, and an Open sesame. It’s unique—the only teaching I’ve encountered that focuses solely on the task of consistently producing new work, i.e. first drafts. Her method is utterly reliable. Using it, I drafted 13 chapters in 13 days, jumpstarting my first book, Practice, Practice, Practice: This Psychiatrist’s Life.

You’ll notice from the photo that I placed my book on the shoulders of these giants. Without them lifting me up, I couldn’t have written it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from writing, it’s that practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes better. Speaking of which, I’d better get back to culling. But not the writing books, not today.

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