Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft
Janet Burroway & Elizabeth Stuckey-French, Longman, 2007. The definitive guide to fiction. Meaning: a must-have text for all writers of literary fiction. Introduces the writing process, outlines the elements of narrative craft, and ends with a discussion of revision (Re-Visioning the work). A mega-appendix for further reading. Any edition will do.
Imaginative Writing
Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft
Janet Burroway, Longman, 2003. This text has it all. Whether you want to write plays, stories, essays, novels, or poems, Burroway has it covered. The first part of the book is divided by elements of craft (e.g. image, character, voice). Each chapter presents a lesson/explanation, exercises to try, then examples from the 4 genres. The second part of the book focuses chapter by chapter on each of the 4 genres separately. Highly recommended.
James Wood, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2008. Wood casts a critic’s eye on the process of creating fiction. The book is written for the layperson as well as the curious writer. It’s easy to understand and, in some places, quite funny. Wood examines narrative voice, characterization, why and how fiction moves us as readers, and more. This is one of my favorite little books.
Creating Poetry by John Drury
John Drury, Writer’s Digest Books, 1991. A really wonderful introduction to poetic craft. The text includes a map of poetic terms, 6 chapters devoted to elements of poems (e.g. image, syllabics, patterns), advice for preparation and completion of writing, and sources for inspiration. Drury includes an extensive recommended bibliography for each chapter, and there’s about 200 exercises to practice and play with.
Ed. Ron Padgett, Teachers & Writer’s Collaborative, 2000. Poetic forms A-Z! (actually, A-W). Starts with Abstract Poem & Acrostic, ends with Walk Poem & Word Play. There’s some pretty interesting forms in here I didn’t know existed like the Senryu, Eclogue, and Insult Poem. A handy-dandy guide to have on your shelf.
Rules for the Dance by Mary Oliver
Mary Oliver, Mariner, 1998. The best text around on metrical verse by Pulitzer Prize and National Book award winning poet Mary Oliver. It’s a small book and simple to read. I was initially confused by metrical verse because in high school my textbooks made it seem so confusing and complicated. Oliver speaks of metrical verse with passion and illustrates feet, patterns, and line with both traditional and contemporary examples.
The Sounds of Poetry: A Brief Guide: Robert Pinsky, Farrar…, 1998. I like it that Pinsky is our guide here. It reads like you’re sitting in an interesting–and entertaining!–lecture. No mumbo-jumbo here. Easy to understand, a celebration of breath and voice.
The Art of the Poetic Line: James Longenbach, Graywolf Press, 2007. Examines the relationship between syntax and line–how the line contributes to the feeling and thrust of the poem–and includes examples from free verse, syllabic and metered verse, prose poetry, and more. The only book on line I’ve found yet.
