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
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Our Summary
a series of essays and short stories on the nature of story
What I learned From It
It does a great job of explaining the nature of truth in story. there's a great section which notes that the factually correct war story is not the really true one,
MattScho
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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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Wonderbook (The Illistrated Guide To Creating Imaginative Fiction) by Jeff Vandermeer
Our Summary
For genre lovers. Practical information on plotting, structure, characterization, dialogue, exposition, worldbuilding, and POV while packed with exquisite and imaginative visuals. This is a beautiful, wild, and crazy book with contributions from various well loved authors like Neil Gaiman, Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin and others. Dense and rich and wonderful.
What I learned From It
It encouraged me to not just embrace my imagination, but to push it as far as it will possibly go.
LJ Beck
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