Since today is the first of June and for some marks the beginning of Summer, I want to recommend you read at least one craft book during these months. Write Better: A Lifelong Editor on Craft, Art, and Spirituality by Andrew T. Le Peau is that book!

He worked for over forty years at InterVarsity Press (IVP) and was, for a long time, associate publisher for editorial. That means he knows what he’s talking about. He also has a great blog called Andy Unedited, which is always fun to read. See the post where he confesses an affection for the Times Roman font (click here).

Here are his words on why he wrote this book:

Writing is hard work. So in Write Better I want to make the job easier, especially for nonfiction writers, and help them do it better. I’ve loved words, reading, and writing almost my whole life, and want to share what I’ve learned with others.

He accomplishes this goal very well. You might say, “But I’m a novelist; this doesn’t apply.” I disagree. Nonfiction writers need to learn fiction techniques and novelists need to learn nonfiction techniques. Novelists don’t write only fiction, unless their newsletters and blog posts are all fiction!

All writers can gain from reading this book. Part one is the craft of writing. Part two is the art of writing. But where everyone should take the time to chew slowly is part three, the spirituality of writing. His thoughtful exploration of why we are in this business is worth your time. As reviewer Melissa Wuske put it, the book “is not about writing for Christian audiences, but about how writing affects the writer’s spiritual life.”

Below is a 40-second video of Andy giving some quick writing advice on training your mind for creativity.

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