Rachel’s Recommendations
Recommended Reads:
An Eye-Opening Memoir Every Child Should Read (or Be Read)
I picked up Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings, by Margarita Engle, because I’m obsessed with poetry. This was a middle grade memoir written in poetry, and it was a wonderful offering to the literature world. In her memoir, Engle detailed what it was like growing...
A Sweet YA Book About Immigration, Choices, and Love
I picked up The Sun is Also a Star, by Nicola Yoon, a few months ago because I kept seeing it everywhere—in friends’ tweets, on book store display shelves, and in the hands of someone in the coffee shop. The cover reminds me of when I used to play for hours with my...
A Book of Myths that Will Engage You Addictively
Recently Husband and I had a kid-less weekend in which we organized the entire house and tossed half our possessions (not really. But that’s what it felt like). During this organizational process, when Husband and I were working in two separate places, I listened to...
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.