Craft on My Commute: Reading Suggestions

[disgruntled_owl]

I started the Craft on My Commute project last year as a sort of self-led course in writing craft and productivity. I commute to work on public transit, so every work day I try to spend one leg of my trip reading craft-oriented books. This approach has helped me to carve out designated time for learning techniques so that I can devote other parts of my day to writing, reading fiction, or staring into space, when needed. It's provided me with encouragement (and sometimes a dash of gentle, healthy guilt) at the top of my day so that I remember to work writing time into my daily life. The hardest part has been figuring out to store the lessons learned for future use, but I'm working on a solution for that.

My completed books include

• Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose (review here)
• The Art and Craft of the Short Story by Rick DeMarinis
• The Joy of Writing Sex by Elizabeth Benedict
• Pen on Fire by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett (review here)
• The Art of Subtext: Beyond Plot by Charles Baxter
• The Art of Character by David Corbett
• Writing 21st Century Fiction by Donald Maass (review here)
• Finishing School by Cary Tennis and Danelle Morton (review here)
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Now that I've connected with some new folks via getyourwordsout and friending memes, I'd like to hear your suggestions for what to read next. What are some books you've read that have helped you become a better writer?

Comments

[jjhunter]

Have you read Ursula K. LeGuin's Steering the Craft: A 21st-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story? It's high on my to-read pile; very much looking forward to ti!

[shadaras]

I was going to mention that one! It's been years and years since I read it, but Steering the Craft is the one craft book that I read as a teen that I still think about now. :)

[bironic]

I have a copy if you'd ever like to borrow it, disgruntled_owl.

[bironic]

Most of the helpful books I've read on writing have focused on nonfiction, unfortunately. Art & Fear being a recent exception, and that was less about style than overcoming mental obstacles to producing writing and other art - but if that's also interesting to you, you're welcome to borrow it.

I continue to watch your list and read your posts with interest.

[disgruntled_owl]

I've passed it on the shelf a number of times in the library, and this time I finally picked it up. Thanks, jjunter and shadaras, for the rec!

[disgruntled_owl]

I was able to find at the library, but if I find myself abusing my renewal privileges (which I often do), I may ask you to lend it to me. :)

[disgruntled_owl]

That's okay! I meant to leave things open-ended because non-fiction books can be useful from research or revision standpoints. This Art & Fear one looks interesting; I may ask you about it sometime.

[rebecca_selene]

The Craft on My Commute project is awesome! I love your reviews. GYWO has been inspiring me to think more critically about my writing and seek out books like this. The Art of books look especially interesting.

[disgruntled_owl]

I really liked The Art of Character in particular, enough to buy my own copy after I read it. It is chock full of great advice. To keep its contents from being overwhelming, the important thing to remember (which Corbett discusses in his introduction) is that you don't have to use every strategy or technique on every character you write. Instead, his intent is to provide a variety of tools you can test out to improve a specific story.