7 Writing Lessons From the Best-Selling Fiction Authors of All Time

“Swagger” wasn’t invented by Jay-Z, but by William Shakespeare!

A simple look at the top ten best-selling fiction authors of all time reveals names that are all quite obviously legends in the literary world. From the timeless plays and poetry of William Shakespeare to the fantasy fiction of J.K. Rowling, these authors cater to all kinds of audiences.

While most of us can only dream about getting the success these writers achieved, what we can do is take a leaf out of their wealth of knowledge and writing styles, and strive to adopt them in our own work.

Here are my most valuable learnings from seven of these top 10 authors that are timeless and remain relevant to anyone aspiring for some writing success. I’ve left out Georges Simenon, Enid Blyton, and Gilbert Patten (#6, #7, and #10, respectively, on the all-time list) for lack of familiarity with their works.

#1 — William Shakespeare — Creative Invention

Probably the most influential writer of all time — the great William Shakespeare is credited to have invented or introduced over 1,700 words to the English language.

You’d think that most of his inventions are archaic words that don’t really apply to the modern English language but that is far from the truth. Some very common words that he invented include eyeball, bedroom, gossip, lonely, worthless, among others. Yet, one of the more surprising words that he invented is the word “swagger” which is probably a term most of us probably relate most with the Rap and Hip Hop music industry. According to the Macmillan dictionary,

Swagger first appeared in Shakespeare’s plays including A Midsummer Night’s Dream and King Lear. Use of the word to describe a way of walking dates to the 1580s, its use meaning ‘to brag or boast’ is from the 1590s, and the use of swagger as a noun used to describe a high level of confidence is from 1725.

So next time you use the word swagger, don’t think of the rap star Jay-Z as the man who made the word mainstream, but the legend that Shakespeare was who really gave the word meaning centuries ahead of its time! But more importantly, being a writer gives you the creative license of being inventive in what you do — so next time you set out to write — invent a word, and make it your own!

#2 — Agatha Christie —Persistence & Passion

Agatha Christie is arguably the best crime author the world has ever seen, which also shows in the fact that only the Bible and William Shakespeare have outsold her in any form of writing — which is quite an achievement. She’s also believed to have been hindered by Alzheimer’s disease in the later parts of her life, and some analyses suggest the use of vocabulary in her novels had signs of the impact of the disease.

According to the authors of the study Dr. Ian Lancashire and Dr. Graeme Hirst,

“We found statistically significant drops in vocabulary, and increases in repeated phrases and indefinite nouns in 15 detective novels from The Mysterious Affair at Styles to Postern of Fate. These language effects are recognised as symptoms of memory difficulties associated with Alzheimer’s disease.”

The most abrupt decline was seen in a novel Christie wrote aged 81, Elephants Can Remember. The book according to the researchers showed 30% fewer word types than Destination Unknown, which she wrote aged 63, 18% more repeated phrases, and almost three times as many indefinite words.

Yet, the very fact that she was still writing novels at the age 81, suffering from a significant progressive brain disorder like Alzheimer’s, is something that teaches us persistence and devotion towards the love of writing.

#3 — Barbara Cartland — Definition of Prolific

You may or may not be a fan of romantic novels, but if you take literature even half-seriously, Barbara Cartland is a name you must know. Barbara Cartland wrote a total of 723 novels in her 98-year-old lifetime, and also holds the Guinness World Record for the most number of novels published in a single year — 23 novels in the year 1977 — an average of about two novels in a month.

If there is ever a writer that truly defines what prolific writing truly means, it has to be Barbara Cartland. Her consistency and pace of churning out one novel after another, most of them also hits, is a commendable quality we can all learn from.

#4 — Danielle Steel — Romanticizing & Surrealism

There are very few authors that can match Danielle Steel in the art of writing romance that touches people of all ages and generations. Her stories usually revolve around characters that are often too over-the-top for real life, yet they tend to be loved by her loyal fans.

Steel doesn’t really try to even keep her romantic fiction novels tied to the real world — most of her situations aren’t your everyday romance. She is typically known to involve her main characters in circumstances of crisis, that threatens the relationship, and it is that crisis that eventually strengthens the relationship.

More than twenty of her novels, for that very reason, have also been adapted into television movies, a couple of which have also received Golden Globe nominations.

#5 — Harold Robbins — Merging Personal Experiences With Fiction

Often referred to as the “Playboy of the Literary World” or nicknames of a similar nature, Harold Robbins was asked by a radio host about the greatest compliment he had ever been paid. “‘You’re a great fuck,’” he replied. The host asked about the worst insult he’d ever endured. “‘You’re a lousy fuck,’” he replied.

Harold Robbins was a novelist who would almost always be in the midst of controversy for his lifestyle as well as writing style. His novels were often a hyperbole of his own life experiences combined with the backdrops such as the film industry, aviation, and other such contexts that were full of melodrama, sex, and glamor.

As writers, we often struggle in striking a balance between reflecting too much of our own personalities into our writing that we feel too vulnerable and too little, that our writing might lack soul. Harold Robbins was an example of a writer who struck the balance perfectly, and took parts of his personal life, and weaved them into a fictional story, often so well that you couldn’t tell truth from fiction.

#6 — Sidney Sheldon — Mastering the Crime Thriller

For anyone that loves crime thrillers, in addition to Agatha Christie, Sidney Sheldon is probably another author that you cannot have missed. From the romantic thrills of Master of the Game to the true-crime-inspired Tell Me Your Dreams, Sheldon knew the art of telling a story in a way that kept the reader hooked on from the first page till the last.

The reason there are two crime authors in the top 10 sellers of all time is the fact that a well-written crime novel is often unputdownable. Sheldon mastered the art of tying in the crime thriller to plots and backdrops that had a mix of romance, drama, occasional comedy, and a whole host of other shades to it. That made him truly multi-dimensional in his writing style. This is also apparent in the fact that, in addition to being a legendary novelist, he also had great success with Broadway and Hollywood as a writer, director, and producer.

#7 — J.K. Rowling — Pushing the Boundaries of Imagination

If you’ve been alive in the twenty-first century, and have not heard of the name J.K. Rowling, you’ve probably been living under a rock. Whether you’ve read any of the Harry Potter series or watched any of the subsequent films the series was adapted into, it is quite unlikely you aren’t aware of who J.K. Rowling is. Despite the legends that are on this distinguished list, J.K. Rowling would arguably be the most known and admired novelist of her time.

The sheer depth and breadth of her imagination are unparalleled. She masterfully created a parallel universe that many of us grew up reading or watching in the form of the Harry Potter novels and movies. Rowling is able to create a world so far removed from reality and so complex, and yet is able to make us all a part of it as if we’d always lived in the world of Hogwarts, wizards, even though we are all in her terminology “muggles”.

Her writing clearly teaches a lesson that for anyone dabbling into the world of fantasy fiction, there are no limits to how wild your imagination can go while still remaining relatable to a reader.

Each of these authors I’ve listed above has written works that are probably more than what is possible in a lifetime of reading. But if you do get a chance, do try to get your hands at some of their most brilliant works, and you’ll be left with an extremely enriching experience, whether you’re an aspiring writer or just an avid reader.