Rachel’s Recommendations

Recommended Reads:

Delightful young adult reads, a sweet MG and interview television

Delightful young adult reads, a sweet MG and interview television

Here are five things worth sharing this month: 1. Reading: I recently finished the middle grade historical novel, Brother’s Keeper, by Julie Lee. It’s about two North Korean kids who flee their part of the country for Busan in South Korea to escape the war...

Funny MG, immersive YA, and Ted Lasso

Funny MG, immersive YA, and Ted Lasso

Here are six things worth sharing this week: 1. Reading: Have you read Rob Harrell’s book, Wink? It’s SO GOOD! Harrell is the author of the Life of Zarf series, which I have not read. But I picked up his book, Wink, because someone mentioned it to me as a great...

Superb fiction, mysteries, and a heartwarming show

Superb fiction, mysteries, and a heartwarming show

1. Reading: I recently finished Karah Sutton’s magical middle grade debut, A Wolf for a Spell, and it was delightfully enchanting! Full of magic and wolves and Baba Yaga and love and the power of community. I couldn’t wait to share it with my eight-year-old...

Writing resources

On Story

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.