Writing, like sketching, is a powerful tool for thinking. The writing process helps you refine your ideas so your audience can understand them. Using simple yet engaging language is one of the most important and challenging skills in instructional design and professional work. Adding AI to the mix both complicates and facilitates the act of writing.
The quality of your writing shapes the emails you send, the documents you create, and the learning products you design. You may also be writing essays, articles, or even a book. Whatever the outcome, your writing reflects the clarity of your thinking.
I’ve selected seven well-received books that focus on different aspects of writing, including writing for busy readers, improving your writing style, and reflecting on your relationship with AI writing assistance. Becoming a better writer is a lifelong pursuit and I hope you find something valuable here.
AI and Writing by Sidney I. Dobrin
No comprehensive book currently covers AI’s role in the professional writing process for learning designers. But I thought it would be helpful to include one resource on this topic. For that, I recommend AI and Writing by Sidney I. Dobrin. Although geared toward writing-intensive courses in academia, it offers valuable insights for those seeking an introduction to AI tools and concepts. Dobrin provides a foundation for understanding how to collaborate with generative AI for writing tasks and explores the ethical questions that arise when writing with AI.
Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less Kindle Edition by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, Roy Schwartz
This is one of two books with a similar theme: your writing competes with an overwhelming amount of information. To overcome this challenge, the journalist authors present their Smart Brevity strategy. Their approach helps you capture and maintain the reader’s attention through a laser-like focus on what truly matters. Their practical tactics teach how to write in a way that cuts through noise, keeps audiences engaged, and drives action, without sacrificing clarity or substance. You’ll gain a clear sense of how brevity can strengthen your writing across all forms of communication.
Write and Organize for Deeper Learning by Patti Shank, PhD.
Author Patti Shank is a well-known thought leader in learning and development. Her book focuses on writing and instructional strategies that enhance learning. It not only includes a solid section on writing strategies, but also strategies to meet the audience’s needs, improve readability and legibility, and organize for memory and use. Grounded in the cognitive science of deeper learning, Write and Organize for Deeper Learning is a book you’ll want to read, study, and apply.
Writing for Busy Readers: Communicate More Effectively in the Real World by Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink.
Julie Dirksen recommended this book, and I can see why. It’s a timely look at what it means to write for today’s busy, skimming reader. You know. The readers who miss the essential message in an email or fly past the key point in a lesson. The authors distill their advice for keeping readers engaged into six principles, each with its own chapter. Clear explanations and practical examples make it easy to apply each principle right away. What more could you want from a writing book?
Writing for Impact: 8 Secrets from Science That Will Fire Up Your Readers’ Brains by Bill Birchard
With its research-backed approach, Writing for Impact is ideal for learning designers. Each of the eight chapters draws on cognitive science. For example, shorter sentences are appealing because they require the reader to process less information. Also, readers will stick with you if you keep them waiting for a reveal, which elicits anticipation. Finally, people read words tinged with emotion slightly faster than neutral words. A writing book based on evidence may be just what you’ve been looking for.
Writing on the Job: Best Practices for Communicating in the Digital Age by Martha B. Coven
This well-rounded book covers the many types of writing adults do at work. Several areas align with learning design, including chapters on writing instructions and forms, working with numbers, creating slide decks, and preparing media. The author also explores visual design as it relates to slides and data visualizations. Writing on the Job uses an action-oriented approach, with short chapters packed with concrete examples, templates, and clear rules. Like many of the best writing books, it offers guidance you can put to use right away.
Writing with Style: The Economist Guide by Lane Green
Author Lane Greene, language columnist for The Economist, knows a thing or two about writing. While many books rightly focus on brevity, it’s a breath of fresh air to consider style—though cutting unnecessary words remains a guiding principle here too. This updated edition of Writing with Style tackles writing challenges ranging from punctuation and grammar to the importance of originality and the power of short words. The result is an inspiring, practical guide for improving the quality of your writing.
Conclusion
Becoming a better writer is a lifelong aspiration. Each of these books offers a unique perspective, whether you’re looking to polish your style, write for today’s busy readers, or incorporate AI into your process. As learning professionals, the clarity of your writing influences how others perceive your ideas, work, and expertise. Investing in your writing is an investment in your thinking and in the impact you have on your audience.
Do you plan to explore any of these books? Share your thoughts or other favorite writing books in the Comments below.
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