The Assignment
Below I've listed the craft books in my own personal
library. Please pick one of these books to study on your own for the semester. Feel free to
borrow it from my library--but you need to return it by the last day of
class, or there will be a (gulp) grade penalty. If you borrow mine, you'll also
have to excuse the notes I've often scribbled in the margins. Or you may want to
purchase your own, clean copy--most of these run about $10-$15. I've included
the Amazon links.
You will be responsible for reading this book from cover to
cover, writing a 1000 word (about 4 page, double spaced) report on the book,
and presenting the information you gleaned from its pages in a craft talk. The
presentation should be around 15 minutes long, so practicing it and timing yourself
is a good idea. You don't have to stage this as a formal, stand-up-and-talk
kind of presentation, however. You can choose to lead a class discussion, or
bring part of the book in to read to the other students and ask them to respond
to them. You can do a PowerPoint, if that's your style. Or bring handouts. Or
you could have the students do an exercise based on or excerpted from the book.
It's up to you how you want to bring forth the material.
In order to get a good grade on this assignment, which is
worth a decent chunk of your assignment grade, your report / presentation
should address the following questions:
What was the most significant thing I learned from this
book? (More than one thing is good, too.)
How do I see myself applying this knowledge to my own
writing?
What are some 3 x 5 card tidbits from the book (i.e., quotes
about writing that would be worth writing down on a 3 x 5 card and taping to
your computer)?
How does the author see the craft of writing--instinctual?
mystical? practical?
How would this writer's view of the craft compare and
contrast to other writers we've discussed?
The Schedule
February 6, Craft Talk #1: Lisa
February 27, Craft Talk #2: E. J.
March 13, Craft Talk #3: Emily
April 3, Craft Talk #4: Cameron
April 17, Craft Talk #5: Ryan
The Books
The Writer’s Notebook:
Craft Essays from Tin House, edited by
Dorothy Allison and Aimee Bender.
This is a collection of
essays from writers who have contributed to the literary journal Tin House,
which is one of those super-star, red-hot journals right now. Allison and
Bender are also very successful writers in their own right.
Click here to see the Amazon page.
Shaping The Story: A Step
By Step Guide To Writing Short Fiction,
by Mark Baechetel.
This one is often used in
classrooms. . .which is why it's like $67.00 on Amazon. But it's a good
solid, pretty basic craft book.
Click here to see the Amazon page.
The Art of Subtext: Beyond
Plot, by Charles Baxter.
I've been a huge Charles
Baxter fan since I read both his stories and his essays on craft (see below)
since my grad school days. I have to say, though, this one might be my
favorite--it is such a key skill, learning how to write subtext, and one not
often discussed among writers.
Bringing the Devil to His Knees: The Craft of Fiction and the Writing Life, edited by Charles Baxter.
This is an awesome collection
of essays by writers who lectured at the Warren Wilson College MFA Program For
Writers, edited by Charles Baxter, and it is . . . awesome. Such good stuff
here!
Click here to see the Amazon page.
Burning Down the House was the book in which I fell in love with Charles Baxter
(in a writerly way, of course). It's a collection of essays that discusses
character, setting, plot--all the normal things--but Baxter takes it way past
what you generally read about in introductory fiction class. It's just a
deeper, closer look at craft in ways I had never considered before.
Honestly, reading this book
changed the way I wrote hugely for the better.
Click here to see the Amazon page.
The Art of War For Writers:fiction writing strategies, tactics, and exercises, by James Scott Bell.
James Scott Bell is the king
of practical writing--he's written probably half a dozen craft books, and
they're all pretty good in just giving you something practical to work with.
Click here to see the Amazon page.
The Passionate, Accurate Story: Making Your Heart's Truth Into Literature, by Carol Bly.
This book is sadly out of print, but you can get a used,
cheap copy on Amazon. This was another one of those books that directly
influenced the way I approached my writing after I read it. I love the idea of
a "heart's truth" in your writing.
This would be a great read in conjunction with her short
story collection, which is on the other list.
Click here to see the Amazon page.
Letters to A Fiction Writer, edited by Frederick Busch.
I love this one. It's a collection of funny, encouraging,
practical letters from some of the giants of the literary writing world (think
Ray Bradbury, Raymond Carver, Joyce Carol Oates, Andre Dubus) written to young
writers.
This book feels like a hug from the writers of the past.
Click here to see the Amazon page.
Ron Carlson Writes A Story, by Ron Carlson.
This is exactly what it sounds like: one of the best
American short story writers ever, Ron Carlson, taking you through exactly how
he writes a story, from the idea to the revision. It's excellent.
Click here to see the Amazon page.
The Art of Perspective: Who Tells The Story, by Christopher Castellani.
This is a great, very detailed look at the subject of
point of view in writing. This is one of the elements I can struggle with most
in a story or novel, so I was particularly enlightened by this book; it
thoroughly examines the idea of psychic distance (the distance between the
characters and the reader) through some of the great writers of the past
like Grace Paley or E.M. Forster.
Click here to see the Amazon page.
The Art of Intimacy: The Space Between. This is a
craft book, I swear. It examines the human connections we can create between
our characters, and also between the writer and the reader.
I thought it was a fascinating read. It'd be good for a
writer who's struggling with the conveyance of emotion in their work.
Click here to see the Amazon page.
Crafting Fiction: In Theory, In Practice by
Marvin Diogenes and Clyde Moneyhun.
This is a terrible picture of the cover, but this is an
amazing book. For a long time, this was my writing BIBLE--it's an awesome
collection of essays on various elements of writing, plus some awesome writing
exercises that I still use to this day.
Click here to see the Amazon page, but it's out of
print and rather expensive.
Aspects of the Novel, by E.M. Forster. This is one of the
classic crafts books, which you should definitely read at some point if you want
to make writing your career. It is about novels, yes, but can be more
broadly applied to all fiction, I think.
I love his discussion of the similarities and differences
between Homo sapiens (people) and Homo fictus (characters). The section on plot
is also golden.
Click here to see the Amazon page.
The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers, by John Gardner.
Speaking of classics, this is pretty much THE craft book
that every single writer has read. I find Gardner a tad dry at times, but I
also think he tends to dig deeper into the craft of writing than most craft
books do these days.
It's worth a read. If only to say you've read
Gardner, the God of All Good Writing.
Click here to see the Amazon page.
On Becoming A Novelist, by John Gardner. This one
is for budding novelists, and it discusses the art and fortitude needed to
write a novel more than more practical advise, but it's an important book, and
if you're writing a novel it will fill you with a sense of the impending
greatness.
There's a third craft book by Gardner, On Moral Fiction,
which is very good, but I don't own this one. *Feels morally deficient.
Click here to see the Amazon page.
The True Secret of Writing: Connecting Life With Language, by Natalie Goldberg.
Natalie Goldberg has written several craft books, but I
think this is the most interesting. In this one she seeks not only to
understand how to write, but WHY we write, and how we can connect ourselves
with our work. Sort of like Carol Bly's "heart's truth."
It's much like Bly, but more current.
Click here for the Amazon page.
Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular,
by Rust Hills. Written by a famous editor of short stories, not a writer, this
is one of the most helpful books I've ever read on crafting short stories. I
often require my advanced fiction students to read this, and they can find it a
bit pretentious at times--Hills likes to scoff at the common folk who don't
appreciate literary fiction-- but they still get an enormous amount out of it.
Click here for the Amazon page.
The Way of the Writer: Reflections on the Art and Craft of Storytelling, by Charles Johnson.
This is a new favorite of mine. Charles Johnson is
amazing--he wrote one of my all-time favorite literary short stories, and I've
always studied his ideas on writing. He thinks of plot as a kind of funnel that
the writer makes with choices, which is such a cool concept. So I was thrilled
to see this new book on craft.
I ate it up. So, too, should you.
Click here for the Amazon page.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King.
This has always been a favorite among my students, as
it's easy to see why: even the story Stephen King tells about how he writes his
books is mesmerizing. It's a memoir of his writing life, but it's also brimming
with practical tips and habits that are useful for young writers to try.
Click here for the Amazon page.
Writing Brave and Free: Encouraging Words For People
Who Want to Start Writing. This one is written for poets and fiction writers
both, and it is just what it sounds like--a big dose of encouragement in the
form of several essays on craft (and even one on publishing.)
It's a slim little book, but full of good advice.
Click here for the Amazon page.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and
Life.
This is one of the most popular books about writing--in
fact, I'd be surprised if you haven't already read this. It's a bestseller for
a reason, though; it is a light-hearted, accessible read, but full of solid
instruction. I particularly like Lamott's discussion of revision, and often
quote her about this.
Click here for the Amazon page.
Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story, by Ursula K. Le Guin.
Ursula K. Le Guin is pretty much the Master of All
Writing, and her craft books are all good. This one is focused more, I find, on
the micro part of writing--the sentence structure, paying attention to the
sound of sentences, that sort of thing. Really useful stuff.
Click here for the Amazon page.
The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out
of the Rejection Pile, by Noah Lukeman.
This one is focused more on the submission of novels to
agents and editors, but it's good advice on that front. Consider if you
are working on a novel.
Click here for the Amazon page.
Thrill Me: Essays in Fiction, by Benjamin Percy.
Ben Percy is a real Renaissance writer--he started out in
literary fiction and enjoyed a lot of success with short stories in magazines.
In fact, one of his stories is in the 100 Years of the Best American
Short Stories anthology--woo! But he's also written screenplays, comic
books, a young adult monster novel, and one I wish I'd written that's an
alternate dystopian retelling of the Lewis and Clark journey.
Very practical and fun craft book.
Click here for the Amazon page.
The Art of Time in Fiction: As Long As It Takes, by Joan Silver.
This is another subject that doesn't get much discussion
among writers, but it is actually a key element of fiction writing--the way the
characters and the reader experiences time in a story. A fascinating read.
Click here for the Amazon page.
How To Grow A Novel: The Most Common Mistakes Writers Make and How to Overcome Them, by Sol Stein.
I'm of the opinion that Sol Stein is a genius--an author,
but also the editor of some of the most famous writers of our time. He has a
number of craft books, but this is my favorite, focused more of novel-writing
but applicable to all fiction writing.
Click here for the Amazon page.
Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies, by Sol Stein.
More Stein. This one is a little more basic, covering all
the elements in their turn, but also includes a really awesome section on
revision that could be wildly helpful during this class.
Click here for the Amazon link.
How Fiction Works, by James Wood.
This is the most thoroughly theoretical of the
theoretical fiction books--it examines how stories and novels actually operate
for us psychologically and philosophically, but doesn't deal out any practical
craft advice.
Still, I found it very interesting. Read if you want to
sound very smart at parties.
Click here for the Amazon link.
What about you? Do you have any suggestions for good craft books? Leave them in the comments below.
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