Rachel’s Recommendations
Recommended Reads:
A Beautiful Adult Novel about Hope, Principles, and Life
I cannot get enough of Fredrik Backman. I’m not the kind of person who reads obsessively any adult author, because I prefer kid-lit and young adult books. But him, well. He is fantastic. A Man Called Ove was the first of his books I read, because my book club chose it...
A Riveting Zombie Story You Must Read
I’d seen a couple of my writer friends talking about The Girl With All the Gifts, by M.R. Carey, and thought I would give it a try. I’m so glad I did. I haven’t read many zombie books, because they don’t really strike my fancy. But this book was a zombie must-read....
A Sweet MG Story About Hurricane Katrina
One of my boys picked up Zane and the Hurricane, by Rodman Philbrick, because it was on the 2015-2016 Bluebonnet award list (an award given annually by the Texas Library Association). It looked so interesting that I stole it from him (he was taking too long to read...
Writing resources
On Story
- Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting, by Robert McKee
I know this is a screenwriting book, but it’s probably the most comprehensive book on storytelling. A great resource! Dense reading, but full of great information. - The Hero With a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell
Another dense read, but Joseph Campbell is one of my favorite commentators on story and story structure. Every writer should read this one at least once. - The Power of Myth, by Joseph Campbell
This was actually a series of interviews Campbell did. It’s better to listen to the audio version or watch the DVD. He’s so passionate about story, and that’s contagious!
On Writing (general)
- Wired for Story, by Lisa Cron
Great book on the science of the brain and how to craft well-told stories that will appeal to the storytelling side of the brain. I got this book years ago but still pull it out every now and then to refresh my memory. - Steering the Craft, by Ursula Le Guin
This one’s not so much a technique kind of book as it is a book reminding writers of their obligation to their readers. Some of her ideas are a bit old-fashioned, but most of them are still valuable today. - The Fire in Fiction, by Donald Maass
Another great one on creating books that appeal to readers. Again, I always read these kinds with a grain of salt–because my goals are a bit different, but we all want readers, so I think we can always find value in the suggestions offered, even if we don’t become hardcore users of them.