| 100% | CHEYNEY | 7 | Peter —, British crime writer whose Lemmy Caution novels include This Man is Dangerous and Poison Ivy |
| 80% | CHEYNEY | 7 | Peter —, British crime writer whose Lemmy Caution novels include This Man is Dangerous |
| 27% | ELENAFORBES | 11 | Crime writer whose 2007 debut novel was Die with Me |
| 27% | ELMORELEONARD | 13 | Crime writer whose 1990 novel is the inspiration for 13-Down: 2 wds. |
| 26% | DICKFRANCIS | 11 | British crime writer and former steeplechase jockey known for his novels about 46-Across (2 wds.) |
| 25% | PRIMOLEVI | 9 | Italian chemist and writer of If This is a Man |
| 24% | MIKE | 4 | & 5D Television impressionist whose books include 1974 autobiography And This Is Me |
| 24% | AGATHACHRISTIE | 14 | British writer whose novel "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" was published in 1920 (2 wds.) |
| 24% | NICK | 4 | English writer Hornby whose five novels have been adapted to movies including "Fever Pitch" |
| 23% | SIMS | 4 | Charles —, British painter whose works include 1928's I Am the Abyss and I Am Light |
| 23% | JANE | 4 | English writer Austen whose eight novels have been adapted to movies several times including "Pride & Prejudice" |
| 23% | SPARKS | 6 | American writer Nicholas whose eleven novels have been adapted to movies including "A Walk to Remember" |
| 23% | ALASDAIRGRAY | 12 | "Lanark" writer whose novel "Poor Things" was adapted as a film starring Emma Stone, 17-Across, and 35-Across (2 wds.) |
| 23% | JUSTAVERAGELOOKING | 18 | However, this man was balding, gray-haired and ... |
| 23% | CALEBCARR | 9 | Writer whose novels "The Alienist" and "The Angel of Darkness" were adapted as a TV series starring 16-Across and 32-Across (2 wds.) |
| 22% | HEMINGWAY | 9 | American writer Ernest, who won the Nobel in 1954 and whose debut novel was "The Sun Also Rises" |
| 22% | LIANEMORIARTY | 13 | Australian writer whose novels "Big Little Lies" and "Nine Perfect Strangers" were adapted by 18-Across as miniseries starring 40-Across (2 wds.) |
| 22% | MCNEILE | 7 | H C —, author whose novels, including Mufti and Ronald Standish, were published under the name Sapper |
| 22% | AMORTOWLES | 10 | "The Lincoln Highway" writer whose novel "A Gentleman in Moscow" was adapted as a Paramount+ series starring 14-Across and 45-Across (2 wds.) |
| 22% | JANEHARPER | 10 | 18-Across and 33-Across writer whose novel "The Dry" won the British Book Award for Crime & Thriller Book of the Year 2018 (2 wds.) |
| 21% | GARRY | 5 | & 5D Actor and writer whose roles included Senator Stern in 2010 action film Iron Man 2 |
| 21% | SACKS | 5 | Oliver —, late British neurologist whose books include 1985's The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales |
| 21% | AMYTAN | 6 | Writer whose first novel was adapted as a film by Wayne Wang |
| 21% | DIANAGABALDON | 13 | Writer whose novels are the basis of the "Outlander" TV series (2 wds.) |
| 21% | KATHYREICHS | 11 | Writer whose novels are the basis of the "Bones" TV series (2 wds.) |
| 20% | TESSGERRITSEN | 13 | Writer whose novels are the basis of the "Rizzoli & Isles" TV series (2 wds.) |
| 20% | MUNRO | 5 | Alice —, Canadian short-story writer whose volumes include Open Secrets and Runaway |
| 20% | GIRAUDOUX | 9 | Jean —, French writer whose plays include The Madwoman of Chaillot and Ondine |
| 20% | GUYFAWKES | 9 | British man whose day or night is on November 5th |