The Definitive

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

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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 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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Write The Fight Right by Alan Baxter

Our Summary

Alan Baxter, a martial arts instructor and author, talks about what makes a good fight scene, and how to write rich scenes that are realistic and engaging for the reader. He discusses hand fighting in depth--techniques used, guarding and blocking, common injuries sustained in fighting, the consequences of a knockout. He explains how a smaller opponent must fight differently than a larger opponent. He discusses the sounds, smells, and yes, tastes of a fight. He discusses how the use of weapons affects the pace and outcome of a fight. Most importantly, he dives into the psychology of a fight--the effects of adrenaline, training, and experience on how people fight and how they react to a fight. All these details are explained in the context of how to convey the chaos and emotion of a fight on the page.

What I learned From It

I learned how to realistically give my characters challenging odds in fights. I also learned how to make a fight scene rich in detail without focusing on the blow-by-blow of a fight. Most importantly, I learned that the key to a fight is the emotional reactions of the characters--how the characters experience and emotionally process the fight is more important than the mechanics of the conflict itself. I also learned how to realistically address the aftermath of a fight--the broken hands, concussions, emotional turmoil--rather than have my characters bounce right back as though nothing happened.

Robinne Weiss

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