On the shelf.
Books we point writers at. Craft texts, memoirs on writing, poetry, short fiction. Curated, not algorithmic. Buying through these links helps fund the contest prize pool.
Memoir on writing
Books we point people at. Buying through these links helps keep the cafe lit.
On WritingStephen KingMemoir + craft, half each. The chapters on tools and adverbs are the most-quoted for a reason.
Bird by BirdAnne Lamott"Shitty first drafts" gave a generation of writers permission. The whole book is permission.
The Writing LifeAnnie DillardThe hardest, most luminous 100 pages on what the writing day actually is.
Letters to a Young PoetRainer Maria Rilke"Live the questions now." Re-read every few years; it changes meaning.
Why I WriteGeorge OrwellFour essays on language, politics, and the writing impulse. Short; permanent.
Slouching Towards BethlehemJoan DidionThe essays that taught a generation what observation looked like on the page.
Affiliate disclosure: links go to Amazon and include our affiliate tag (hivejournal-20). Purchases help fund the contest prize pool.
Craft
Books we point people at. Buying through these links helps keep the cafe lit.
On Writing WellWilliam ZinsserNonfiction craft bible. Cut every other word and the sentence gets stronger.
StoryRobert McKeeSubstance, structure, style. Written for screenwriters; useful for any narrative.
Save the Cat! Writes a NovelJessica BrodyA 15-beat structure for novels. Skeptics flip after they've tried diagnosing one stuck draft with it.
The Art of FictionJohn GardnerReads like a master class on the sentence level. Demanding; worth the demand.
Steering the CraftUrsula K. Le GuinExercises that change how you hear your own prose. POV chapter alone earns the price.
Several Short Sentences About WritingVerlyn KlinkenborgNo paragraphs, just sentences. About sentences. The form is the argument.
Reading Like a WriterFrancine ProseRe-teaches you how to read close. Chapters on words, sentences, paragraphs, dialogue, gesture.
The Anatomy of StoryJohn Truby22 building blocks for stories that actually move. Pairs nicely with Save the Cat.
Wired for StoryLisa CronWhat your brain does when it reads — and what writers can do about it. Practical, not woo.
Stein on WritingSol SteinA working editor's field manual. Chapter on showing-and-telling alone is worth the buy.
How to Write One SongJeff TweedyA songwriter on the small thing that becomes a song. Useful for any writer trying to start.
Affiliate disclosure: links go to Amazon and include our affiliate tag (hivejournal-20). Purchases help fund the contest prize pool.
Short fiction
Books we point people at. Buying through these links helps keep the cafe lit.
★ pick
The Last FiveSJ AndersonFive short stories from the bento. New ones replace old ones as winners come in. Curated, not bought.
Where Reasons EndYiyun LiA novel that demonstrates what dialogue can do that nothing else can.
The Stories of John CheeverJohn CheeverRead "The Swimmer" once a year. The architecture of a perfect short story.
Dear LifeAlice MunroLate Munro; she said this would be her last. Time-skip technique to study line by line.
Honored GuestJoy WilliamsStories that don't resolve and don't apologize for it. A masterclass in tone.
The Best American Short Stories 2024Lauren Groff (ed.)A current snapshot of the form — different editor, different sensibility, every year.
Affiliate disclosure: links go to Amazon and include our affiliate tag (hivejournal-20). Purchases help fund the contest prize pool.
Poetry & language
Books we point people at. Buying through these links helps keep the cafe lit.
DevotionsMary OliverHand-picked across her life. Read one a morning before you write.
FelicityMary OliverLate Mary Oliver. Mostly love poems. The book to read at the kitchen table on a Sunday.
The CarryingAda LimónLiving, hurting, going on. By the current US Poet Laureate; you'll mark every page.
Affiliate disclosure: links go to Amazon and include our affiliate tag (hivejournal-20). Purchases help fund the contest prize pool.
Creative life
Books we point people at. Buying through these links helps keep the cafe lit.
Big MagicElizabeth GilbertA book about creativity that is mostly about how to keep showing up when you can't see why.
The War of ArtSteven PressfieldOn Resistance — the inner force that keeps you from doing the work. Short, clarifying.
Daily RitualsMason CurreyHow 161 great minds spent their days. You'll feel less alone in your weird routine.
Steal Like an ArtistAustin Kleon10 things nobody told you about being creative. Short; you'll re-read it.
Show Your Work!Austin KleonOn working in public. The case for sharing the process, not just the polished thing.
Keep GoingAustin Kleon10 ways to stay creative in bad times. The third book in his trilogy; the most needed one.
Atomic HabitsJames ClearNot a writing book — but the system writers use to actually write daily.
The Artist's WayJulia CameronMorning Pages started here. A 12-week course; the structure is as much of the medicine as the writing.
Affiliate disclosure: links go to Amazon and include our affiliate tag (hivejournal-20). Purchases help fund the contest prize pool.
Business of writing
Books we point people at. Buying through these links helps keep the cafe lit.
The Business of Being a WriterJane FriedmanDemystifies advances, royalties, agents, platforms. Read before signing anything.
Affiliate disclosure: links go to Amazon and include our affiliate tag (hivejournal-20). Purchases help fund the contest prize pool.