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Theory
- The Poetics by Aristotle -- possibly the most important piece of
literary criticism ever. There's a nice, usable summary here.
- Aspects of the Novel by E. M. Forster -- Forster is a little strange but thought-provoking about
how novels work.
- The Wave in the Mind by Ursula K. LeGuin -- This woman couldn't write an unintelligent, unlovely
word if she tried.
- Dreams and Wishes by Susan Cooper -- a wonderful collection of essays and lectures on children's
literature, especially fantasy
Practice
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Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott – for inspiration, getting started, philosophy, and reassurance,
and also the humor and pleasure of her voice
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The second half of On Writing, by Stephen King – a lovely discussion of the tools in a fiction writer’s toolbox
and how they can best be put to use
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The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers, by Betsy Lerner – a former editor and present agent (mostly adult, I think) offers
a commonsense guide through the publication process
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The Fiction Editor, the Novel, and the Novelist by Thomas McCormack – a highly technical but very useful handbook for editing fiction, returning
always to the basic principles of who is this character, what do they want, how is that shown in the action, by a former editor-in-chief
of St. Martin’s Press
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Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom, by Ursula Nordstrom, edited by Leonard Marcus – Ursula Nordstrom edited Where the Wild Things Are, Charlotte's Web, and Harriet the Spy, among
hundreds of other terrific books, and her letters to her writers are brilliant, insightful, and a great deal of fun.
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