It seems to me that there are two broad schools of writing advice—the mystical and the practical.

The mystics are big on cajoling your muse, on plumbing the well of creativity by freeing your inner artist, on getting in harmony with the universe. They tend to sound a little breathy and ethereal.

Mind you, I’m not knocking these people. Nor do I mean to imply that there is a great gulf between them and the more practical-minded. As it happens, I think some of what the mystics have to say may be useful. If you find it so, more power to you. And, yes, there is something almost magical about great writing.

I suggest, though, that if you want to learn the craft, you can get more help from the pragmatists. These are the people who can tell you in plain, concrete language how to put sentences together, how to use description effectively, how to use tension and other techniques in the writer’s toolbox.

If you’re a writer, especially a journalist, you can’t depend on the fickle muse, on good karma or inspiration. You write, whether you feel like it or not.

If you have absorbed the fundamentals, you can do a decent job of writing even when the muse fails to show up.

Here’s a partial list of my favorite books of solid practical advice:

Stein on Writing, by Sol Stein. One of the best books on the craft you will ever find.

Championship Writing and The Book on Writing by Paula LaRocque. I wish I could have read these 40 years ago.

The Word, by Rene J. Cappon, an Associated Press general news editor. An order form is in the back of the AP Stylebook. This little book is a wonderful short course on news writing.

The Writer’s Art and Fine Print, by James J. Kilpatrick. Any book by Mr. Kilpatrick is worth reading, but The Writer’s Art and Fine Print are books you can read again and again and profit from every time.

Words Fail Me, by Patricia T. O’Conner, a lively book that holds a lot of wisdom on craft.

Make Your Words Work, by Gary Provost. A great book on techniques, for both fiction and nonfiction writers.

Follow the Story, by James B. Stewart. An excellent book on narrative nonfiction.

Writing for Story, by Jon Franklin. He, too, is a master of narrative.

Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively, by Rebecca McClanahan. Many newspaper writers lack descriptive skill. This book can help.

Description, by Monica Wood. This book can help, too. It is aimed specifically at fiction writers, but nonfiction writers can use the same techniques.

On Writing Well, by William Zinsser. This one is on almost everyone’s list for writers, and it should be. It’s another book you can read again every year and still learn from.

The Art of Fiction, by Ayn Rand. One of her core insights: Your brain, like a computer, does most of the work of writing at the subconscious level. But it does good work only if you have programmed it with knowledge of skills and techniques. This is the reason, by the way, that good newspaper writers can turn out excellent, even brilliant, stories under deadline pressure.

The Elements of Style, by Will Strunk and E.B. White. This also shows up on almost everyone’s list. Its simple guidelines are timeless.

Literary Nonfiction, by Patsy Sims. An annotated collection of stories by writers such as John McPhee. Patsy Sims shows how the writers make the stories flow.

Lessons From a Lifetime of Writing, by David Morrell. Mr. Morrell is a best-selling author of novels such as First Blood, the story that became the basis for the Rambo movies. He gives good advice.

This list is by no means complete. I have left off some good books, and no doubt there are books I haven’t read yet. Drop me a note if you know of a good book I haven’t mentioned.