Litopia Writers’ Reading List 2024
Peter Cox, founder of Litopia
I asked our members a simple question.
Which books have had the most profound impact on your development as a writer?
Here’s what they told me. A glorious cornucopia of more than forty definitive titles that ought to be on your reading list.
And note: if you buy them all (why not?) it will still be cheaper than taking one average-priced commercial writing course.
We’ve all enjoyed putting this list together, and we hope you get as much out of it as we have.
Peter Cox
Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates Martin
Our Summary
Everything you could possibly need to know to get your manuscript to submission or self-publishing standards.
What I Learned From It
This book is gold dust. Made me think objectively about everything I've been doing or hope to do.
Vagabond Heart
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Blurb Your Enthusiasm: An A To Z Of Literary Persuasion by Louise Willder
Our Summary
How different blurbs work in different genres from an insider in the business (Willder is a Penguin books blurb writer). Lots of great examples in each genre in terms of what does and doesn't work and why. Willder argues every word matters in a blurb, and so each has to count. Thus, she offers ways to do this.
What I learned From It
How to write a successful blurb from an experienced blurb writer. That is, what will appeal to readers in different genres and why. Use of specific words and phrases that attract readers. The multitude of different examples proved helpful as comparisons to craft your own blurb. As the book is written with humour, it's easy to read. You can also flick to different sections as per the genre you're working in, but I'd recommend you read the whole books to get the full picture.
Rachael Burnett
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Negotiating With The Dead by Margaret Atwood
Our Summary
A collection of essays by a renowned writer on aspects of writing theory and how she became a writer. Entertaining and informative especially if you are already an Atwood fan.
What I learned From It
This isn't a 'how to write' book - it is about 'writing' in a far more general sense. It gave me plenty of food for thought.
Liz Brown
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The Memoir Project – A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text For Writing & Life by Marion Roach-Smith
Our Summary
Rational and literary at the same time, this slim tome is an extremely helpful exploration of how to turn life into memoir -- without boring the pants off the reader.
What I learned From It
A memoir is an illustration of a truth, a single facet of a life rather than a life story. Just because something happened doesn't make it interesting. Narrow the focus, find your voice and write in scenes until you have a vomit draft. Then the real work begins.
Mel L
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The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman And Becca Puglisi
Our Summary
A great one to dip in and out of if you find yourself repeating yourself in terms of showing-not-telling emotions. Gives lots of examples.
What I learned From It
Ideas to avoid repetition and alternative ways to say the same things if emotional reactions are repeated through the story.
Claire G
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The Elements Of Eloquence: Secrets Of The Perfect Turn Of Phrase by Mark Forsyth
Our Summary
This is a book with a clear message (from the blurb): In an age unhealthily obsessed with the power of substance, this is a book that highlights the importance of style.
What I learned From It
About thirty chapters each dedicated to a rhetorical figure. The book is a fun read and has plenty of examples from The Bible, Shakespeare and Tupac ( "Money don't make the man, but man I'm making money")
JohnBertel
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The Art Of Fiction by John Gardner
Our Summary
This is a self-proclaimed book of basics, but Gardner is clearly elitist; this work is aimed at writers aspiring to create art. It covers plot, character, sentence structure, poetic rhythm - all the mechanics of writing fiction - but he's less interested in dictating laws of good writing. "Every true work of art," Gardner claims, "must be judged primarily by its own laws." His primary interest is about how to create a vivid dream to absorb the reader to the end of the story.
What I learned From It
This book is disorganised, but full of important lessons. There is no story until there is a plot capable of expressing it. The primary requirement of a piece of fiction is verisimilitude - that the reader can believe these events happened, or could have happened, or might happen in a slightly different world. And verisimilitude requires vivid detail. Most importantly it taught me to focus less on the technical details of correct writing and more on making the writing vivid and absorbing.
Dan Payne
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Secrets Of Story by Matt Bird
Our Summary
An award-winning screenwriter’s view of journeyman writing. How to hone in on and hone your story.
What I learned From It
Imagine your reader being on a long plane ride. Then imagine you are their seat mate. Are you the engaging stranger who entertains them with your sparkling wit and fascinating adventures? Do they want to take your name and keep in touch thereafter? Or are you the boring Uncle from Derry Girls that makes them consider opening the plane door and shoving you out?
Pamela Jo
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Writing for Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias
Our Summary
It delves into the psychology of the reader and techniques to create emotional scenes within your storytelling, including in dialogue.
What I Learned From It
This author's way of teaching the craft really chimes with me. It's quite an expensive book but worth it in my opinion. For me, this book takes me into a layer above plot and structure.
Hannah F
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The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
Our Summary
First published in 1949, this dense, sometimes impenetrable, and somewhat controversial book on comparative mythology takes a tour through world folklore to tease out common themes and archetypes.
What I learned From It
What George Lucas was thinking when he wrote Star Wars. If you want to understand Hollywood's obsession with this mode of storytelling, you should read this book. If you've heard other writers talk/evangelize/fret about the "Hero's Journey" and you're not exactly sure what they're talking about, you should read this book. If you have even the most passing interest in commercial Western storytelling, you should read this book. Also see "The Writer's Journey" by Christopher Vogler.
Rich.
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Kindred by Octavia Butler
Our Summary
Despite being written 45 years ago, it feels like a modern work. It’s at once Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Speculative, and even Literary. Everything a writer needs to know about sparse and impactful prose can be found in these pages.
What I Learned From It
Pithy writing has power. Take a look at the first paragraph…
“I lost an arm on my last trip home. My left arm.”
We don’t know why Dana lost her left arm - or where she was when it happened. However, most of us would keep on reading to find out.
The minimalist approach doesn’t end with the hook. Throughout the novel, the writing is direct and matter-of-fact. There’s no purple prose to distract the reader.
Butler's worldbuilding is likewise utilitarian. She sets the stage with everything we need to know, and little else. If something more is needed to move a scene forward, she’ll drop it in later so readers aren't overwhelmed.
There is brutality in this world, and Kindred doesn’t shy away from it. Slavery in the US was a cruel business. Still, she conveys the humiliation and suffering of human bondage with an economy of words. There’s no need for intricate detail.
There’s also no need to explain why slavery is wrong. Butler trusts her readers enough not to lecture them.
The author falls into a common conceit of the era - chapter titles. However, she doesn’t abuse that conceit. Each title is short and to the point with neither wit nor irony. There are no spoilers, either. The meanings are clear upon finishing a respective chapter.
Kindred has both a prologue and an epilogue. Few books need one, and even fewer need both. However, this story demands both. There is nothing extraneous about their inclusion here. Unlike many novels, neither feels bolted on to the main narrative. The prologue hooks the reader while the epilogue provides the necessary denouement.
Not everyone agrees Kindred is Science Fiction. If it’s not, there's a lot here for Sci-Fi readers (including myself) to like. If it is Science Fiction, the characters and dialogue are much more realistic than most contemporary works.
Most importantly - this book remains relevant to readers and authors alike.
Bloo✒️
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Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to Ignore by Elizabeth Lyon
Our Summary
Presents in a highly readable, organized way all of the elements of a novel, from the significance of genre and common to lesser-known structures to all the aspects of a writers' craft. Briefly and with amazing clarity, describes potential problems which might arise from each, then follows with suggestions for how to "fix" them. Chapters are organized around particular craft elements and issues, so readers can choose which parts of the book to focus on relative to their personal writing needs. Review checklists of problems and their solutions are included at the end of each chapter.
What I Learned From It
I have now read easily a dozen books on how to write a novel, plus several on revision, and while I've taken away something of value from each, not one of them has given me the breadth of awareness and practical understanding of craft elements, from A to Z and beyond, that this jam-packed, wisely conceived and clearly presented book has given me. It's not prescriptive, nor does it follow the latest trends in fiction writing. Ms Lyons doesn't think she has 'the' answer or make suggestions that make a writer feel like a square peg being forced into a round hole, but rather shows writers how to consider each issue in light of their own writing style, voice and vision for their novel. Check out the Amazon reviews; I'm not the only one who loves this book. It's a keeper! And one to be used over and over.
CarolMS
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Story Genius by Lisa Cron
Our Summary
It’s every novelist’s greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page one rewrite.
What I learned From It
The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this problem: pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot). Story coach Lisa Cron has spent her career discovering why these methods don’t work and coming up with a powerful alternative, based on the science behind what our brains are wired to crave in every story we read (and it’s not what you think).
AnnieSummerlee
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Talking Books by James Carter
Our Summary
Various children's authors talk about craft and how they became professional authors.
What I learned From It
That it was possible to be a writer without being a god. It is a cherished book that sparked the possibility of being a writer for me.
Trey
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Stein On Writing by Sol Stein
Our Summary
With examples from bestsellers as well as from students' drafts, Stein offers detailed sections on characterization, dialogue, pacing, flashbacks, trimming away flabby wording, the so-called "triage" method of revision, using the techniques of fiction to enliven nonfiction, and more.
What I learned From It
I got this in audio and it is like being called into the editors office and being told what goes, what stays. He talks about good writing, higher writing, yes. But always making it clear that you gotta get bums on seats,
Pamela Jo
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What’s Eating Gilbert Grape by Peter Hedges
Our Summary
This is a coming-of-age fiction book about a 24-year-old boy who feels stuck in his small town taking care of his overweight mother and special needs brother, while it feels like his other siblings and friends have moved on outside.
What I learned From It
I really learned alot about voice and character from reading this book. Gilbert Grape is an incredibly flawed character and can be pretty cruel at times, but I loved him. He emotes in ways that feel unconventional to a reader/are far from cliche. Rather than crying when he's sad, he takes it out through acting out at work or little internal jabs at other people. His relationship with his mother and siblings is fascinating to read, because he never says exactly how he feels about them, but his attitude changes throughout the book. Its just a really subtle way to draw a reader in and attach them to a character, even if he can be a jerk.
tmartini
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Write Great Beginnings by Sandra Gerth
Our Summary
Defines "a beginning" and lists do's and don'ts together with pointers on how to achieve the first and avoid the second. Offers exercises based either on an ongoing manuscript or a published work.
What I learned From It
This is a comprehensive and clear overview written in simple terms. The points it makes are self-contained so you can zoom directly to whatever concern you have about the beginning of your work.
Jeanette
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The INFJ Writer by Lauren Sapala
Our Summary
Writing (and living) advice for people whose brains don't work well with logic, plotting etc. Another perspective! (The letters refer to Myers-Briggs type personality indicators, which aren't flawless, but broadly if you tend to be led more by feelings and intuitive reasoning, this might work for you).
What I Learned From It
I'd been getting super snarled up trying to follow advice that just didn't work for me in practice, even though I could see it made theoretical sense. This book gave me a bit of space to trust myself to learn my own process. I've still got a long way to go but I do a lot less bashing my head against a brick wall these days. Sharing it in case anyone else is in the same boat!
Josephine
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Techniques Of The Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain
Our Summary
First published in 1965, Swain's book is a no-nonsense, broad-brush instruction manual for beginners that shows you how to construct a commercial story.
What I learned From It
The basic shape of commercial fiction (and how unchanging that shape has been for more than half a century). Every other writing manual I've ever read has felt like a retelling or offshoot of this book.
Rich.
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On Writing by Stephen King
Our Summary
Leave it to the literary rock star to compose a craft book that’s as entertaining as a good novel. “This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit,” King writes. What follows is a witty, practical, and sometimes poignant guide that is refreshingly devoid of the aforementioned BS. King relates his personal story of becoming a writer, then offers a “toolkit” of clear advice about everything from dialogue and descriptive passages to revisions and the head game. And there’s more: tips for beginning writers on submitting work for publication, a mark-up of one of King’s own manuscripts, and a reading list. You might not be awake at 3 a.m. turning these pages, but we promise On Writing will open your eyes to essential tricks of the trade.
What I learned From It
Just write a story readers will read.
James Charles
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