| 100% | ELEGIST | 7 | Writer of pieces in passing? |
| 54% | ESSAYIST | 8 | Writer of short pieces |
| 53% | EDGE | 4 | Kind of piece in a jigsaw puzzle |
| 52% | STONE | 5 | Piece in the game of go |
| 51% | DALAILAMA | 9 | Writer of the autobiography "Freedom in Exile" |
| 51% | LEG | 3 | Piece in a bucket of fried chicken |
| 50% | BOBDYLAN | 8 | Writer of Civil Rights songs in the 1960s |
| 50% | ANNERICE | 8 | Writer of vampire novels based in New Orleans |
| 50% | SALINGER | 8 | Writer of Catcher in the Rye, J.D. __ |
| 50% | PAWN | 4 | Piece in front of a king or queen |
| 49% | QUEENSROOK | 10 | Piece in the lower left corner of the board |
| 49% | CAPOTE | 6 | Truman __, US writer of In Cold Blood |
| 49% | TILE | 4 | A piece in a game of Mahjong |
| 48% | CARROLL | 7 | Lewis ___, writer of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" |
| 48% | FALLADA | 7 | Hans __, German writer of film Alone in Berlin |
| 48% | CERVANTES | 9 | Spanish writer of Don Quixote, published in 1605 |
| 48% | GADD | 4 | Richard, writer of and actor in Baby Reindeer |
| 48% | BIT | 3 | Small portion or piece in terms of quantity |
| 48% | FOSSIL | 6 | Piece of prehistory preserved in rock |
| 48% | SPEEDBAG | 8 | Piece of training equipment in boxing |
| 48% | PAD | 3 | Piece of protective gear in sports |
| 48% | PLANK | 5 | Piece of timber used in building |
| 48% | SOP | 3 | Piece of bread dipped in gravy |
| 48% | LEI | 3 | Piece of graduation wear in Hawaii |
| 48% | RAFT | 4 | Piece of toast, in dinerese |
| 47% | PROUST | 6 | Novelist Marcel, writer of In Search of Lost Time |
| 47% | SATIE | 5 | "Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear" composer |
| 47% | APEAR | 5 | 21-Across's "Three Pieces in the Shape of ___" |
| 47% | HEMINGWAY | 9 | American writer of "A Farewell to Arms" in 1929 |
| 47% | SUSANHILL | 9 | British writer of horror novel The Woman in Black |