The Ultimate Book List on Storytelling
I have been reading books on storytelling for 20 years.
Here is the list with the books/audiobooks that helped me understand more about this topic.
Updated April 2022 // List in alphabetical order
1. A Creator’s Guide to Transmedia Storytelling: How to Captivate and Engage Audiences across Multiple Platforms by Andrea Phillips
2. Art Of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives by Lajos Egri
3. Brand Bewitchery: How to Wield the Story Cycle System to Craft Spellbinding Stories for Your Brand by By Park Howell
4. Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
5. Business Communication 9 Steps to Help You Engage Your Audience by Harvard Business Review
6. Business Storytelling For Dummies by Karen Dietz
7. Character: The Art of Role and Cast Design for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert Mckee
8. Circle of the 9 Muses: A Storytelling Field Guide for Innovators and Meaning Makers by David Hutchens
9. Create Story Conflict: How to increase tension in your writing and keep readers turning pages by Eileen Cook
10. Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland
11. Creating Character Bringing Your Story to Life by William Bernhardt
12. Creating Characters: How to Build Story People by Dwight V. Swain
13. Creating Life – The art of world building by Randy Ellefson
14. Daemon Voices: Essays on Storytelling by Philip Pullman
15. DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story by Nancy Duarte
16. Dazzling Description: Painting the Perfect Picture by William Bernhardt
17. Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert Mckee
18. Digital Storytelling: A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment by Carolyn Handler Miller
19. Do Story: How to Tell Your Story so the World Listens by Bobette Buster
20. Dwight Swain: Master Writing Teacher by Dwight Swain
21. Effective Business Writing for Success: How to convey written messages clearly and make a positive impact on your readers by Jane Smith
22. Finish the Script: A College Screenwriting Course in Book Form by Scott King
23. Getting Started in Transmedia Storytelling: A Practical Guide for Beginners by Robert Pratten
24. Great Mythologies of the World by Grant L. Voth, Julius H. Bailey, Kathryn McClymond and Robert André LaFleur
25. Houston, We Have a Narrative: Why Science Needs Story by Randy Olson
26. How Great Science Fiction Works by Gary K. Wolfe
27. How to Write a Series: A Guide to Series Types and Structure plus Troubleshooting Tips and Marketing Tactics by Sara Rosett
28. How to Write Selling Humor by Peter Mehlman and Mel Helitzer
29.Ink Spots: Collected Writings on Story Structure, Filmmaking and Craftsmanship by Brian McDonald
30. Interactive Narratives and Transmedia Storytelling: Creating Immersive Stories Across New Media Platforms by Kelly McErlean
31. Interactive Stories and Video Game Art: A Storytelling Framework for Game Design by Chris Solarski
32. Interactive Storytelling for Video Games: A Player-Centered Approach to Creating Memorable Characters and Stories by Josiah Lebowitz, Chris Klug
33. Interactive Storytelling: Techniques for 21st Century Fiction by Andrew Glassner
34. Into The Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them by John Yorke
35. Invisible Ink: A Practical Guide to Building Stories that Resonate by Brian McDonald
36. Let the Story Do the Work: The Art of Storytelling for Business Success by Esther K. Choy
37. Magnetic Stories: Connect with Customers and Engage Employees with Brand Storytelling by Gabrielle Dolan
38. Master Storytelling: How to Turn Your Experiences into Stories that Teach, Lead, and Inspire by Mark Carpenter and Darrell Harmon
39. Masterful Storytelling by Lance F. Muxel, narrated by Benjamin Miller
40. Memo from the Story Department: Secrets of Structure and Character by David McKenna, Christopher Vogler
41. Murder Your Darlings by Roy Peter Clark
42. My Guide to RPG Storytelling by Aron Christensen,
43. Narrative as Virtual Reality: Immersion and Interactivity in Literature and Electronic Media by Marie-Laure Ryan
44. Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral and Drive Major Economic Events by Robert J. Shiller
45. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser
46. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
47. Perfecting Plot: Charting the Hero’s Journey by William Bernhardt
48. Poetics by Aristotle
49. Power Stories: The 8 Stories You Must Tell to Build an Epic Business by Valerie Khoo
50. Putting Stories to Work: Mastering Business Storytelling by Shawn Callahan
51. Retellable: How Your Essential Stories Unlock Power and Purpose by Jay Golden
52. Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter’s Guide to Every Story Ever Told by Blake Snyder
53. Save the Cat! Strikes Back: More Trouble for Screenwriters to Get into … & Out by Blake Snyder
54. Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need by Jessica Brody
55. Save the Cat! Writes for TV: The Last Book on Creating Binge-Worthy Content You’ll Ever Need by Jamie Nash
56. Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder
57. Screenwriting for Hollywood by Michael Hauge and Writer’s AudioShop
58. Sell with a Story: How to Capture Attention, Build Trust, and Close the Sale by Paul Smith
59. Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell by Mike Adams
60. Story 10x: Turn the Impossible Into the Inevitable by Michael Margolis
61. Story Engineering: Character Development, Story Concept, Scene Construction by Larry Brooks
62. Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel by Lisa Cron
63. Story Intelligence: Master Story, Master Life by Richard Stone and Scott Livengood
64. Story or Die: How to Use Brain Science to Engage, Persuade, and Change Minds in Business and in Life by Lisa Cron
65. Story Physics: Harnessing the Underlying Forces of Storytelling by Larry Brooks
66. Story Proof: The Science Behind The Startling Power Of Story by Kendall Haven
67. Story Structure: The Key to Successful Fiction by William Bernhardt
68. Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee
69. Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction by Jack Hart
70. Storynomics: Story-Driven Marketing in the Post-Advertising World by Robert Mckee and Tom Gerace
71. Storyscaping: Stop Creating Ads, Start Creating Worlds by Gaston Legorburu, Darren McColl
72. Storytelling Across Worlds: Transmedia for Creatives and Producers by Tom Dowd, Michael Niederman, Michael Fry and Josef Steiff
73. Storytelling For Financial: How to Tell Your Story and Differentiate Your Brand by George Diamond
74. Storytelling for Job Interviews: How to Use Stories, Nail an Interview and Land Your Dream Job by Gabrielle Dolan
75. Storytelling for User Experience: Crafting Stories for Better Design by Whitney Quesenbery and Kevin Brooks
76. Storytelling in Business: Relating to People to Grow Your Business by Elizabeth Graham
77. Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic
78. Storyworld First: Creating a Unique Fantasy World for Your Novel by Jill Williamson
79. Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling by Matthew Dicks
80. Telling the Story: The Heart and Soul of Successful Leadership by Geoff Mead
81. The 24 Laws of Storytelling by Jonathan Baldie
82. The Art of Creative Writing by Lajos Egri
83. The Art of Storytelling: From Parents to Professionals by Hannah B. Harvey
84. The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative by H. Porter Abbott
85. The Craft of Character: How to create deep and engaging characters your audience will never forget by Mark Boutros
86. The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface by Donald Maass
87. The Four Core Fiction by Shawn Coyne
88. The Greatest Stories Ever Played: Video Games and the Evolution of Storytelling by Dustin Hansen
89. The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage or Fiction by Erik Bork
90. The Laws of Brand Storytelling: Win―and Keep―Your Customers’ Hearts and Minds by Ekaterina Walter, Jessica Gioglio
91. The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative by Stephen Denning
92. The Mythology Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained
93. The Narrative Gym: Introducing the ABT Framework For Messaging and Communication by Randy Olson
94. The Plot Thickens: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life by Noah Lukeman
95. The Power of Storytelling: Captivate, Convince, or Convert Any Business Audience Using Stories from Top CEOs by Jim Holtje and Sean Pratt
96. The Power of Visual Storytelling: How to Use Visuals, Videos, and Social Media to Market Your Brand by Ekaterina Walter and Jessica Gioglio
97. The Routledge Companion to Transmedia Studies by Matthew Freeman, Renira Rampazzo Gambarato (Editors)
98. The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr
99. The Sea We Swim In: How Stories Work in a Data-Driven World by Frank Rose
100.The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction by David Schmid
101. The Story Engine: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Content Strategy and Brand Storytelling Without Spending All Day Writing by Kyle Gray
102. The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and Persuasion through the Art of Storytelling by Annette Simmons
103. The Story Paradox: How Our Love of Storytelling Builds Societies and Tears them Down by Jonathan Gottschall
104. The Storyteller’s Secret: From TED Speakers to Business Legends, Why Some Ideas Catch On and Others Don’t by Carmine Gallo
105. The Storytelling Edge: How to Transform Your Business, Stop Screaming into the Void, and Make People Love You by Shane Snow and Joe Lazauskas
106. The Transmedia Way: A Storytellers, Communicators and Designers’ Guide to the Galaxy by Max Giovagnoli
107. The Way of the Writer: Reflections on the Art and Craft of Storytelling by Charles Johnson
108. The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler
109. Thinking Theme: The Heart of the Matter by William Bernhardt
110. Transmedia 2.0: How to Create an Entertainment Brand Using a Transmedial Approach to Storytelling by Nuno Bernardo
111. True Story: How to Combine Story and Action to Transform Your Business by Ty Montague
112. Unleash the Power of Storytelling: Win Hearts, Change Minds, Get Results by Rob Biesenbach
113. Video Game Storytelling: What Every Developer Needs to Know about Narrative Techniques by Evan Skolnick
114. Winning the Story Wars: Why Those Who Tell and Live the Best Stories Will Rule the Future by Jonah Sachs
115. Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence by Lisa Cron
116. Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VanderMeer
117. Writing Creative Nonfiction by Tilar J J. Mazzeo
118. Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques by James Hynes
119. Writing Romance in the 21st Century: Plotting and Planning by Vanessa Grant
120. Writing the Great American Screenplay by Richard Walter and William Froug
121. Writing to Persuade: How to Bring People Over to Your Side by Trish Hall
122. You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Story: The 21st Century Survival Guide To Not Just Telling Stories, But Building Super Stories by Houston Howard and Steven Long Mitchell
123. Your Story, Well Told: Creative Strategies to Develop and Perform Stories that Wow an Audience by Corey Rosen
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