For a long while I was a writing book junkie, and went through way too many of them as my procrastinatory exercise. (I've since found that editing works even better.) >8-> Even so, I did occasionally manage to get some writing done between bouts of reading about it, and then one day I just happened to browse the bookstore shelves and realized, "You know, there's really almost nothing in any of these books that I
have to know that I don't already."
That said, here are the ones I consider truly very practical and helpful (and this is from someone who really can't stand
Bird by Bird and similar fuzzy motivational things):
- Every writer in the English language should read The Elements of Style. And reread it periodically.
- James Frey's How to Write a Damn Good Novel has excellent advice about structure and what hooks readers. There's a sequel, too, but I didn't find it as good. (Yes, this is the same Frey that got in trouble for his fake memoir. The writing book came years before that.)
- For career advice, Donald Maass's The Career Novelist. It won't tell you a damn thing about how to write, but it has some excellent perspective on what to do as a writer.
I'd also second Palimpsest's recommendations on Kress's and Card's books. The Card one is only sporadically crunchy, but he does have some cool advice about how to cultivate a first reader.
Mostly, though, you must write a lot, read a lot, and pay close attention to both. That's the only way to really Get It.