| 100% | EDGARALLAN | 10 | First two of a short-story writer and poet |
| 58% | ARTHURCONAN | 11 | First two of a mystery writer |
| 55% | RALPHWALDO | 10 | First two of an essayist and poet |
| 48% | ROBERTLOUIS | 11 | First two of a novelist |
| 48% | ERICHMARIA | 10 | First two of a novelist |
| 48% | DACTYL | 6 | A poetic unit of one long and two short syllables |
| 47% | CZECH | 5 | Nationality of a poet and playwright who became the first president of his country |
| 47% | DIALOHENRY | 10 | Ring up a short story writer? |
| 47% | SOLPLAATJE | 10 | South African writer and politician; a founder member and first General Secretary of the SANNC |
| 45% | POE | 3 | Writer of a short story that ends, “I admit the deed!—tear up the planks! here, here!—It is the beating of his hideous heart!” |
| 44% | LEDE | 4 | First sentence of a news story |
| 43% | SYNOPSIS | 8 | A short summary of a story |
| 42% | ABEL | 4 | "Cain and ___," a biblical story of two brothers |
| 42% | SUGAR | 5 | "The Wonderful Story of Henry ___," fantasy short film ... and a sweet ingredient to make a traditional Thanksgiving dessert |
| 42% | ATALE | 5 | First two words of a Dickens novel |
| 42% | ZIG | 3 | First part of a two-part turn |
| 42% | INTRO | 5 | First paragraph of a speech, for short |
| 42% | OHENRY | 6 | Famed short story writer behind "The Gift of the Magi" |
| 42% | INITIALS | 8 | First letters of a first and last name |
| 42% | IAM | 3 | First two words of "Green Eggs and Ham" |
| 42% | AGATHA | 6 | First name of a crime and mystery author |
| 41% | SELMALAGERLOF | 13 | Swedish novelist and short story writer who was the first woman honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature (2 wds.) |
| 41% | SINCLAIRLEWIS | 13 | Minnesota novelist and short story writer who was the first American honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature (2 wds.) |
| 41% | GOGOL | 5 | Writer of the short story "The Overcoat" |
| 41% | BARTHELME | 9 | Postmodern short-story writer of Sixty Stories |
| 41% | POE | 3 | Writer of eerie short stories, Edgar Allan ___ |
| 41% | SNOWS | 5 | Title surfaces of a Hemingway short story |
| 41% | TSELIOT | 7 | Writer and poet, known for "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock": 3 wds. |
| 40% | THIEN | 5 | Madeleine ___, Canadian short story writer and novelist known for her novel "Do Not Say We Have Nothing" |
| 40% | BRA | 3 | Top piece of a two-piece, for short |