Books

These are a few of the books I’ve written, cowritten, or contributed to over my career as a writer.


THE ART OF THE ESSAY: FROM ORDINARY LIFE TO EXTRAORDINARY WORDS

“For those of us who still want to write as a person, the time is now.”

AVAILABLE: Currently available from Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle, from Barnes & Noble in Paperback and Nook, from Smashwords in multiple digital formats, and in bulk wholesale from Ingrams.

PUBLISHERT.S. Poetry Press . . . Masters of Fine Living Series

SYNOPSIS: What kind of writer are *you*? asks Charity Singleton Craig, as she opens you to a journey of discovery about the art of essay writing that explores both practical and reason-for-writing concerns.

From a near hummingbird disaster to a secret foray into hilarity, you’ll find yourself inspired alongside the author— to reimagine the simple stuff of your life as a starting point for thoughtful, sometimes amusing, always voice-infused writing that’s your very own … as well as being a true gift to the world.

A great title for personal writing journeys, classrooms, and writers groups.

REVIEW: “This is a narrative that’s written to me as a writer from a writer who loves what she does and wants other writers to love what they do. She knows that many times you are writing for an audience of one, yourself, and you do it because you love the rhythm, flow, and beauty of arranging words. And you do it because you simply need to do it. That understanding alone is worth a dozen or more of most writing books.” – Glynn Young, author of Poetry at Work and The Dancing Priest series

“This book has inspired me anew in my own writing.” – Sandra Heska King


ON BEING A WRITER: 12 SIMPLE HABITS FOR A WRITING LIFE THAT LASTS

“A genial marriage of practice and theory. For writers new and seasoned. This book is a winner.”

—Philip Gulley, Bestselling Author of Front Porch Tales and The Harmony series

“… this title’s strong point is helping a writer build a sustainable writing life amidst life’s many responsibilities and competing dreams.”

Huffington Post

AVAILABLEOn Being a Writer is available from Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle, from Barnes & Noble in Paperback and Nook, and in bulk wholesale from Ingrams.

AUTHORS: Ann Kroeker and Charity Singleton Craig

PUBLISHER: T.S. Poetry Press

SYNOPSIS: Is your writing life all it can be?

Let this book act as your personal writing coach, to explore the writing life you already have and the writing life you wish for, and close the gap between the two. Gain insights through helpful stories from the authors’ established writing careers. Explore twelve simple (but vital) habits—through journaling, writing prompts, bonus activities, and discussion questions—that will help you build a more sustainable and satisfying writing life.

REVIEWS“On Being a Writer is that rare guide to writing that is both practical and inspiriting. Ann Kroeker and Charity Singleton Craig show—wisely and winsomely—how the habits of writing are inextricably connected to the habits of being.”—Karen Swallow Prior, author of Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me and Fierce Convictions—The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More: Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist

“Ann and Charity bring a terrific mix of professionalism, wisdom, and FUN to the writing life! You could use their insights in this book to help you individually or in a group setting. You could use this book to run your own writing workshop. Keep a copy next to your keyboard (or pen), and make writing a seamless part of your living.”—Monica Sharman, from an Amazon Review

“Opening the pages of this book feels a bit like sitting in the office of your favorite college professor, donning his tweed jacket with elbow patches. Knowing. Approachable. Craig and Kroeker weave threads of sage advice for the writer who is longing to truly live a writer’s life.”—Elizabeth Marshall, from an Amazon Review

“Because I’m a writer, I am regularly asked this one question by other aspiring writers: ‘Where do I begin?’ Lately, I have been recommending On Being a Writerby Ann Kroeker and Charity Craig. I recommend it to anyone who aspires to be a writer, anyone who has begun to seriously explore publication, and anyone who already has years of experience under his or her writing belt.” —Jennifer Dukes Lee, author of Love Idol: Letting Go of Your Need for Approval and Seeing Yourself through God’s Eyes


POETRY AND PROSE ON THE PRAIRIE: A NATURE JOURNAL OF PROPHETSTOWN STATE PARK

“What about this land made it so enticing for so many willing to fight for it?”

AVAILABLE: Currently available from Amazon.com in paperback.

PUBLISHER: Glendale Press

SYNOPSIS: At the confluence of the Wabash and Tippecanoe Rivers, Prophetstown certainly offered access to waterways. But it also boasted a diverse landscape of edible and medicinal plants, as well as the birds and animals that found their habitat there. The rich soil also proved fertile for planting crops, and when the prairie plants dried up, creating a thick, tangled mat, fire (either from lightning or from controlled burns) released nutrients into the soil and controlled the landscape for hunting.

The land and its ecosystem are different now, after decades of mechanical farming, tile draining, and receding rivers. But the land is also the same, with a more complicated story now. The land has been ravaged and cared for; it’s seen flooding and drought. It’s known the sharp cutting of plow and disk, as well as the gentle nurturing of hand-planted grasses and wildflowers. Fire still serves the land, primarily with controlled burns, and mostly, the land continues to produce good things for the world, good things you can see for yourself when you come. Let Poetry and Prose on the Prairie be your guide.

This book was made possible with support by the Indiana Arts Commission and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources through a 2019 Arts in the Parks and Historic Sites Grant. To learn more about my 2019 grant project, that included this book and other activities, visit the Poetry and Prose on the Prairie grant page.


MY YEAR IN WORDS

“My Year in Words is significant because I paid attention, I kept track, and I wrote it down. What are you missing by not doing these things?”

AVAILABLE: Currently available from Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

AUTHORS: Charity Singleton Craig

PUBLISHER: Glendale Press

SYNOPSIS: One word a week for one year; one life changed forever. This memoir walks through a year in the life of the author as she reflected on a word of the week.

It seemed like such an ordinary year at the time. We planted a garden, we celebrated holidays, we watched the seasons change, and we went on vacation. But we also moved and made career changes and experienced life in all of its everyday, miraculous glory. If I hadn’t been recording it along the way, we might have missed it.