There are author's out there any writer should read to help better understand how to write short stories, longer works, or even poems.

This includes Ray Bradbury, Neil Gaiman, Charles Dickens, Silvia Plath, Flannery O'Connor, Emily Dickinson, Agatha Christie, John Scalzi, Isaac Asimov, Terry Pratchett, Shakespeare (Duh), Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Tennessee Williams, Hayao Miyazaki

I believe that these writers, whether you like their work or not, will help any blossoming writer understand the writing process and how to structure and develop your own style. If you have any other suggestions please add to the list!

Norton's Anthology of English Literature, 9th Edition, kids! You can pick it up second hand for about $40 on a used book site, but it's worth it's weight in gold. Even us who write contemporary fiction have a good foundation in the classics