Reading Recommendations
When I began teaching workshops, a lot of my lessons came by trail & error. Here’s a couple of my favorites I’ve found through the years.
Bret Anthony Johnston’s Don’t Write What You Know Why we should look beyond our own backyards
George Saunders on What Writers Really Do A great look at how writers weigh decisions, especially during revision process
Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried A masterclass in the importance of exposition
Z Z Packer’s Brownies Fantastic dialogue; group dynamics
Richard Ford’s Optimists The beauty is the contrast between the dialogue and the unsaid
John Cheever’s The Swimmer A slow, careful study in tension (internal vs external). Also a great study of place. I wrote some craft notes about it here.