Resources
Stephen King’s book On Writing is required reading.
Inspiration cones in all shape and sizes. Sometimes it’s from other writers. Sometimes it’s from injustice, things-gone-wrong, and everyday life. And sometimes, the muse just swoops in and takes over. Those are my favorite days.
In the meantime, here’s where I go when I want to be inspired, to read good writing, and learn how to do it better myself.
The Art (and Craft) of Writing – 
These titles, and many more, sit on my shelf, within reach when needed (and they are needed often).
For essays, short stories, travel writing, and creative non-fiction, I turn to the annual anthologies for what’s new and good and worthwhile.
The Best Women’s Travel Writing
The Best American Short Stories
The Writer’s Life – Just as with any skill, writing takes practice, hard-work, failure, reboots, and most significantly, keeping one’s butt in the chair and fingers on the keyboard. These little books somehow help with that. I also suggest checking out my writer-friend Jordan Rosenfeld’s website and her latest book on Persistence in Writing for tips, encouragement, and a reminder that we all struggle somedays to find the right words. 