Fractured Ink: Writing In Life's Chaos (audio)

Black Friday Books For Better Writing

• Diana Dirkby

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This episode is also available in video form at https://youtu.be/19zjd1BJIgk

Hunting for real writing upgrades, not just shiny gadgets? We dig into three enduring craft books that earn their shelf space and happen to be steeply discounted for Black Friday. Stephen King’s On Writing blends memoir with practical rules that keep your prose lean and your routine steady. Anne Lamotte’s Bird by Bird tackles the emotional grind—perfectionism, stuck starts, and the fragile search for voice—by breaking the work into doable steps. Noah Lukeman’s The First Five Pages goes straight to the moment agents decide: hook fast, write clean, remove clichés, and make every sentence carry its weight.

Across the conversation, we weigh paperback joy against Kindle convenience and share why the best format is the one that keeps you reading and applying. You’ll get clear, actionable ideas for the next writing session: set small daily targets, give yourself permission for a messy first pass, then revise with ruthless attention to verbs, rhythm, and clarity. We also touch on building a research habit—reading fiction and nonfiction around your topic—to sharpen perspective and match reader expectations without copying anyone’s voice.

If you’re preparing to query, Lukeman’s checklists can pressure-test your opening; if you’re rebuilding momentum, Lamotte’s compassion can get you to the chair; if you’re trimming flab, King’s principles will keep your pages tight. We even share a quick look at the Kindle Fire interface for those considering a reading device upgrade. Ready to turn discounts into better drafts and stronger openings? Follow along, build your craft stack, and tell us which book helps you most. Subscribe, share this episode with a writer friend, and leave a review with your favorite takeaway so we can bring more practical guides your way.

#BooksOnWriting #StephenKing #AnneLamott #NoahLukemon #HowtoWrite #AmazonPrimeDiscounts #AmazonBlackFridayWeek #CraftOfWriting #WritersBlock 

Amazon Affiliate Links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Stephen King's On Writing:  https://amzn.to/4l5wmXD

Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird: https://amzn.to/4eKM9c5

Noah Lukeman First Five Pages https://amzn.to/3GiYnf5 

SPEAKER_00:

Hello. I hope that you're enjoying shopping on Amazon at the moment during um Black Friday week. So we're in the middle of that, of course, in the middle of Black Friday week. And uh on Friday uh will be Black Friday and uh Cyber Monday uh at Amazon is from uh next Saturday through Monday. So great discounts to be had. So what I wanted to talk about this time is to suggest um a few books because uh buying books on Amazon is uh is great because you can get, if you have a Kindle, you can get the Kindle version, and it's usually much cheaper than the paperback. But sometimes you really want the paperback. Uh you want to hold that paperback in your hand. So uh when you are writing, it's important, of course, to read and criticize your own work, and uh if possible, uh uh join a writing club and have other people criticize your work. But it's also important uh to read books about similar topics, even if it's fiction, okay? To read fiction and non-fiction books about similar topics, uh, so you're sure that you have the right perspective uh and uh it's sort of research, if you like. You also should invest a lot of time reading books on how to write and listening to courses on how to write. So listening to courses that's not coming under the umbrella of uh Amazon.com. Uh so I'm just going to recommend three books which are very well known and have helped many writers and uh discounted heavily uh during this Fat Friday week. Okay, so the first book uh is the 25th anniversary edition of Stephen King's On Writing a Memoir of the Craft. It's a masterful blend of autobiography and writing guide, offering an inspiring and practical look into the mind of one of the world's most prolific authors. King's candid storytelling, covering his early struggles, creative process, and recovery from a near-fatal accident, pairs seamlessly with his no-nonsense advice on crafting compelling stories. His emphasis on discipline, clarity, and the power of revision resonates with aspiring writers, while his wit and warmth make the book a delight for fans and newcomers alike. It's a must-read for anyone passionate about writing. So I checked uh this morning on um Amazon, and uh it's still on sale. Uh 45% off, which brings the paper back down to uh$10.91. So it's a it's it's a real bargain, and you get to hold the book in your hands, and uh that's sometimes a nice feeling for all that I helped out of the Kindle. Uh for all the reasons which I still uh stand by, but sometimes it's nice to have the paperback. So the second book I want to talk about is also the 25th anniversary edition of Bird by Bird by Anne Lamotte. And uh uh the subtitle is Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Uh Anne Lamotte's Bird by Bird is a gem for writers and creatives, blending practical advice with warmth, witty storytelling. Her down-to-earth approach demystifies the writing process, encouraging readers to tackle it one step at a time, hence the title's metaphor. Lamotte's humor and honesty shine as she shares insights on overcoming writer's block, finding your voice, and embracing the messy beauty of creativity. It's not just a guide to writing, but a heartfelt reminder to approach life with patience and persistence. And the third book, third and last book that I want to recommend is called The First Five Pages. And it's by Noah Luckman. And the full title is The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile. It's an invaluable resource for aspiring writers seeking to hook agents and editors from the very first sentence. Drawing on his extensive experience as a literary agent, Lucman offers clear, practical advice on avoiding common pitfalls, such as weak openings and overuse cliches, while emphasizing the importance of clarity and engagement. The book's structured approach, complete with actionable tips and exercises, empowers writers to refine their craft and make their manuscripts stand out in the competitive publishing world. So again, I checked on Amazon to see uh where they were with the discount, and it's 44% off, and that brings it to 999. So I'm talking about three uh paperbacks that are only$10 each and are classics and are incredibly useful as uh as learning guides uh of people who are writing, any type of writing, not just fiction. Uh so I can really recommend them. And uh that's actually what I wanted to say today is not forget the books when you're doing your discount shopping. So what I put here on the whiteboard is just uh three photos uh of the books I've been talking about. Um, and of course, that's the photo that you'll see uh uh if you follow my affiliate link and uh uh that it'll land you uh on the on the page of the of these books. And further down, I wanted to give a better idea of how the Kindle Fire Max 11 that I talked about last time, uh how the screen looks. I didn't give a very good impression of the screen because I had reflection from the window, so I simply um copied it. Uh I took a photograph of it, and it you don't really get the beauty of it without actually using it, but it gives a better idea than I did last time. And this um little boy reading a book uh over here is uh the Kindle app on the Kindle Fire. So to get to your library, uh you have to click on that, and then everything you have on any other Kindle will come up. Okay. So that's my sharing for today. Uh I hope you have a great day and don't forget to shop. And please uh subscribe to my podcast, like uh my videos, and give me feedback. You know, if there's something that you don't like or it's something I you think I should be doing, um let me know.