IST 605: Creative Writing: Craft & Industry Resources

For writers looking to learn the essentials of fiction craft, "Writing Fiction" is an accessible option to consider. Author Janet Burroway divides her work into chapters themed on craft concepts like "Showing and Telling," "Setting" and others. But she also demonstrates the interconnectivity of these elements, illustrating her ideas with references to literary fiction examples. The language is not always direct, instead aiming to convey a story, the story of fiction.

Kardos' writing guide is an approachable resource on writing fiction. Chapters are organized around the process of writing, some titled "Starting Your Story," "Creating Scenes," "Organizing Your Story" and so on. Kardos weaves craft elements into each and concludes his work with a brief anthology of relevant short stories. This compact work is ideal for students seeking a focused introduction to writing fiction. It can be requested for borrowing at UAlbany Libraries or you can check for availability at your local library at WorldCat.

Writer and professor George Saunders drew on his decades-long experience teaching Russian literature coursework in crafting A Swim in the Pond in the Rain. This work includes seven short stories from four famous Russian writers: Anton Chekhov, Ivan Turgenev, Nikolai Gogol and Leo Tolstoy. Each story is followed by a craft essay unpacking the techniques and other authorial choices comprising them. Because all of the literature analyzed in this text is included in full, A Swim in the Pond in the Rain is more approachable than other craft works that usually only reference or excerpt pieces analyzed. Students interested in Russian literature traditions and short story craft are sure to learn a lot from A Swim in the Pond in the Rain.

Doubling both as an exploration of writing craft and pedagogy, Matthew Salesses’ Craft in the Real World investigates how creative writing has been historically taught and workshopped and considers how these learning experiences can become more inclusive of diverse voices. The first part “Fiction in the Real World” reimagines craft concepts like audience, plot, and tone, while the second part, “Workshop in the Real World” delves into how classroom workshops can better serve the students sharing their work there. The book ends with an appendix of writing and revision exercises. Writers and instructors of writing alike are sure to take inspiration from Craft in the Real World; that said, this work may not prove as relevant to those developing their craft away from a classroom setting.

The Best American Short Stories is an annual collection of top American short stories, selected by guest editors and published by HarperCollins Publishers' Mariner Books imprint. This series provides insights on contemporary fiction authors, stories and publishers, as well as emerging styles and discussions within the genre. The 2024 edition was guest-edited by Lauren Groff and featured work from authors including Paul Yoon, Laurie Colwin, Jamel Brinkley and more. For "Mystery & Suspense" or "Science Fiction & Fantasy" stories specifically, Best American offers additional book series tailored to these subjects. Books in this series can be requested for borrowing at UAlbany Libraries or browsed on WorldCat or the HarperCollins website.

Poet Mary Oliver wrote A Poetry Handbook with both writers and readers of poetry in mind. Oliver draws on her experiences writing and teaching poetry and references fellow poets like Robert Frost and Elizabeth Bishop to illustrate her ideas. Each chapter is titled and themed around specific writing concepts, including “Sound,” “Diction, Tone, Voice,” and “Imagery,” among others. Coming in at around 130 pages, A Poetry Handbook is an accessible introductory work on poetic craft, which readers will also appreciate for its succinctness in navigating technical ideas.

In The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry, poets Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux explore both the writing and experience of writing poetry. Addonizio and Laux divide their work into three primary sections, “Subjects for Writing,” “The Poet’s Craft” and “The Writing Life.” These are followed by a briefer “Twenty-Minute Writing Exercises” section and four appendixes of additional craft resources. Readers will enjoy the breadth of The Poet's Companion and the interactivity of its many writing exercises. This book can be requested for borrowing at UAlbany Libraries or you can check for availability at your local library at WorldCat.

In "The Ode Less Travelled," Stephen Fry writes: "I believe poetry is a primal impulse within all of us. I believe we are all capable of it and furthermore that a small, often ignored corner of us positively yearns to try it." This work aims to demystify the art of poetry, inviting readers to both understand and enjoy it. Fry discusses various poetic elements and forms and includes exercises for readers to practice them. This book is recommended to both student poets and general readers curious to learn more about poetry. "The Ode Less Travelled" can be requested for borrowing at UAlbany Libraries or you can check for availability at your local library at WorldCat.

The Best American Poetry is an annual collection of top American poems, selected by guest editors and published by Simon & Schuster's Scribner imprint. This series provides insights on contemporary poets, poems and relevant publishers, as well as emerging styles and discussions within the genre. The 2024 edition was guest-edited by Mary Jo Salter and features work from authors including Billy Collins, Kim Addonizio, Louise Glück and more. Books in this series can be requested for borrowing at UAlbany Libraries or browsed on WorldCat or the Simon & Schuster website.

In Tell it Slant, Brenda Miller studies the experience of writing creative nonfiction, tapping into memory, family, setting, identity and other influences on one’s writing. This work also includes dedicated sections on creative nonfiction forms and craft and concludes with an anthology of relevant examples of creative nonfiction writing and useful appendixes. The writing in this book is inviting and serves as a great introductory work for those interested in developing their creative nonfiction craft. This book can be requested for borrowing at UAlbany Libraries or you can check for availability at your local library at WorldCat.

Creative nonfiction writing involves rendering real-life events into stories; such works can take many forms and approaches, which Philip Gerard discusses in Creative Nonfiction. Here, Gerard tackles forms like essays, memoirs, journalistic forms and more. Additionally, this book explores how traditional storytelling elements can be applied to creative nonfiction, ethical concerns when covering real-life subjects, and revision advice. Perfect for those interested in learning about creative nonfiction forms and craft, students will find Creative Nonfiction a thorough examination of the genre. This book can be requested for borrowing at UAlbany Libraries or you can check for availability at your local library at WorldCat.

In this essay collection, novelist and essayist Alexander Chee navigates his experience of drawing on personal experiences to craft stories. Some essays achieve this implicitly through exploration of life experiences, such as his essay "The Writing Life" which describes his time as a student of the writer Annie Dillard (the title is a nod to a writing book of the same name by Dillard). Others more explicitly broach the task of intertwining the real with the unreal. This book doubles as a multi-genre craft text and an example of creative nonfiction writing. Students looking to explore either fiction or creative nonfiction writing alike are sure to enjoy and learn from this essay collection It can be requested for borrowing at UAlbany Libraries or you can check for availability at your local library at WorldCat.

The Best American Essays is an annual collection of top American essays, selected by guest editors and published by HarperCollins Publishers' Mariner Books imprint. This series provides insights on contemporary creative nonfiction authors, essays and publishers, as well as emerging styles and discussions in the genre. The 2024 edition was guest-edited by Wesley Morris and featured work from authors including Teju Cole, Yiyun Li, James McAuley and more. For writing on "Food & Travel" or "Science & Nature" specifically, Best American offers additional book series tailored to these subjects. Books in this series can be requested for borrowing at UAlbany Libraries or browsed on WorldCat or the HarperCollins website.

Susan Bell's work is an investigation of the breadth and history of editing. The Artful Edit includes author interviews, quotes and case studies, most notably editor Max Perkins' collaboration with F. Scott Fitzgerald on editing "The Great Gatsby." Bell also pairs this content with advice and self-editing exercises. Recommended for writers interested in learning about editing their or other's work, this book can be requested for borrowing at UAlbany Libraries or you can check for availability at your local library at WorldCat.

The Art of Revising Poetry includes contributions from 21 poets on their revision processes. Each poet has shared the first and final drafts of one of their poems with a complementary essay on how they approached their revisions. Both poets and teachers of poetry can learn from the diverse and nuanced perspectives offered. This book can be requested for borrowing at UAlbany Libraries or you can check for availability at your local library at WorldCat.

A continuation to Blake Snyder's popular screenwriting methodology also titled Save the Cat!, Jessica Brody applies this approach to novel writing. In this work, Brody offers guidance on plot and character development, focusing her advice on different steps of the writing process. Ideal for novelists looking to overcome writer's block and understand traditional modes of storytelling, writers will find Brody's advice practical though limited in the range of novel structures included. This book can be requested for borrowing at UAlbany Libraries or you can check for availability at your local library at WorldCat.

This work investigates traditional modes of describing story structures in search of fresh ways to consider plot and structure. Drawing on literary examples from W. G. Sebald, Gabriel García Márquez, Anne Carson, and others, Alison divides her work into two sections: "Primary Elements," or visualizations of story, and "Patterns" of plot structures. "Meander, Spiral, Explode" will interest readers, writers and teachers of fiction alike, but is most useful to those already familiar with the authors referenced there.