From Self to Sources: Essays and Beyond Book

If you've never been in a writing workshop before, this book will help you know what to expect and how to get the most out of the experience. If you've already figured out the workshop gig, you'll know a lot of this stuff already. (It gave me plenty of flashbacks to my college days.) Similarly, his advice on writing in particular, while good, is really most useful for the beginner. Experienced writers will probably find it's more of a review. Even so, there are plenty of golden nuggets of advice interspersed throughout the text that make this book a worthwhile read. If nothing else, his section of writing exercises make the book worth the price. Too many writing exercises out there are boring and unimaginative, not likely to make me want to pick up a pen. His exercises got my writing glands salivating. Take note of his dozen recommended books for writers, while you're at it. Here you'll see everything from the obvious (The Elements of Style, by Strunk and Write) to the surprising (The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon).