Rachel’s Recommendations
Recommended Reads:
When You Need an Author Who Tells Great Adult Stories
On My Shelf I just got done reading The Husband’s Secret, by Liane Moriarty. I discovered Moriarty about a year ago when I picked up her book Big Little Lies and loved it. So I thought I’d try another. The Husband’s Secret is a story about three families that come...
Echo: A Kid-Lit Novel that Brings Up A Host of Issues
I’ve been working my way through this year’s award winners, and Echo, by Pam Munoz Ryan, has been sitting on my shelf for a while, mostly because I read it aloud to my 4-year-old twins. We had to do it in tiny little pieces, because they don’t sit still for more than...
‘Saving Lucas Biggs’ is a Study in Inspirational Sci-Fi
Saving Lucas Biggs (MG sci-fi), by Marisa de los Santos and David Teague, has been on my reading list for a while. I listened to half of this one on audio book and then read the rest of it, because I found it hard to jot down notes and locate quotes when I was only...
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.