7 Books That Inspired Me to Write My First Book
In 2017, I published my first book, Graduated… Now What?, a practical and emotional guide for those who feel lost after leaving university. It was a project born out of my own uncertainty, conversations with friends, and above all, the readings that helped me find my way. Along the process, I came across books that inspired me deeply — some sparked the courage to follow a creative path, others offered practical tools or simply validated my doubts. In this article, I share with you the 7 books that served as guiding lights throughout my writing journey.
Why Not Me? – Mindy Kaling
Honestly, I think I might be the biggest Mindy Kaling fan on the planet — or maybe just overly enthusiastic (and a little repetitive) when it comes to her books. I’ll take any excuse to recommend them, and Why Not Me? is no exception.
In this book, I found writing that shines with lightness, humor, and authenticity — qualities that are, in fact, a direct reflection of Mindy’s personality. And that, for me, was one of the greatest lessons from this read: the importance of letting our own voice and personality shine through in writing. It’s something I tried to apply in my own book, which is about to be released, and I sincerely hope I managed to do so.
On top of that, Mindy offers valuable lessons about self-confidence, always with a healthy dose of humor. I love the fact that she doesn’t take herself too seriously — every page is a breath of fresh air: fun, honest, and a joy to read.
Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert
This book is absolutely incredible. I recommend it to everyone, but especially to anyone who has even the smallest creative spark — whether in writing, painting, music, or any other form of expression. I won’t go into detail about the content now (a proper review is coming later), but I can say it touched me deeply.
More than motivating me to write more often, it helped me understand that when something truly excites us, we will always find time to do it — because not doing it stops being an option.
In fact, it was while reading this book on a bus that I had my Eureka moment. I remember thinking so clearly: “Wow, I really have to write a book about this!” And that’s where it all began.
The Crossroads of Should and Must – Elle Luna
This book is a true work of art — inside and out. The pages are illustrated with delicate watercolors painted by the author herself, who is also a visual artist, giving it a very special beauty and sensitivity.
The premise is simple, but powerful: the difference between what we should do and what we must do. In this universe, the hero of the story is the must — that inner force born from passion, creativity, and authenticity. The should, on the other hand, represents external expectations, duties, and obligations.
The author doesn’t pit one against the other in a rigid way. On the contrary, she shows how both have a place in our lives. In my reading, the secret lies in balance — recognizing the shoulds that help us structure life, but never forgetting the musts that give us meaning and soul.
Still Writing – Dani Shapiro
This is a book about writing — and what a book. Still Writing, by Dani Shapiro, is a brilliant reflection on the craft of writing, but also on what it means to live as a writer. Throughout the pages, the author dismantles the most common clichés about the literary life, revealing the real, imperfect, deeply human side of those who live by words.
With rare mastery, Dani Shapiro alternates between technical reflections — on structure, beginnings, middles, and endings — and intimate episodes from her life, which intertwine with her creative process. Along the way, she also shares striking quotes and literary references that inspire her, as if she were opening the door to both her library and her heart at the same time.
I read this book when I was still at the beginning of my own writing, and although I didn’t realize it at the time, the way the author speaks of writing as work — requiring discipline, consistency, and not just inspiration — had a profound impact on me. It was as if, silently, she gave me permission to take my writing seriously.
Diz-lhe que não – Helena Magalhães
This was the first published book by writer Helena Magalhães. Even though its theme has nothing to do with mine, the fact that it was written by a writer whose work I deeply admire — and that she managed to publish it, achieving such a huge goal (we used to talk about publishing our own books when we took a Creative Writing course together in 2016, imagine!) — gave me extra strength and motivation to bring my project to completion.
On top of that, Helena helped me immensely in the early stages of my book with priceless advice about how to approach publishers, for which I am very, very grateful!
From College to Career – Lindsey Pollak
This book by Lindsey Pollak — an expert on the professional world of millennials — was, without doubt, one of the most impactful books of my life. In fact, if I had to choose just one title from this list as the main source of inspiration for writing my first book (and here’s an important clue about its theme), it would be this one.
I bought it at a book fair in Porto, in the summer I graduated. I was a bit lost, not sure how to enter the job market or what direction to take. This book appeared like a light in the middle of the confusion: it gave me practical advice, useful ideas, and some of the most valuable tips I could have received at that moment to start building my professional path.
It’s true that some content was clearly geared toward the American context and therefore not always applicable to Portuguese reality. But even with those limitations, it was a transformative read. It wasn’t perfect — but it was exactly what I needed at the time.
#GIRLBOSS – Sophia Amoruso
At first glance, #Girlboss is an unusual choice for this list — not because it doesn’t deserve a place, but because I only started reading it recently, many years after writing my book. Technically, it didn’t inspire me during the process of writing Graduated… Now What?, but it easily could have if I’d discovered it earlier. Still, I decided to include it here because it’s inspiring me now — to be more confident, to recognize my achievements (and own my failures), and to communicate more clearly about topics related to the business world. This book is a breath of fresh air, and I completely understand why it became a bestseller. I’ll be sharing a full review soon — right after the one on Big Magic, of course!
I hope that — if you didn’t know them already — you now feel like picking up some of these books. Who knows if one of them won’t spark in you a wild desire to write your own?
I hope to reveal the theme and title of my book very soon! Anyone wants to take a guess at the subject, at least?
The Incredible and Sad Tale of Innocent Eréndira and Her Heartless Grandmother
