Books for Prep | |
 - A Refreshing Text on Creative Writing"Steering the Craft" is a surprisingly good and practical book on creative writing. I was surprised because books and essays on writing by established authors can be downright patronizing and intentionally vague. Le Guin, on the other hand, uses lucid language and a gentle tone to explain the essential elements of good prose writing. The examples she uses are eye-opening, perhaps because I keep seeing the same examples from the same group of contemporary authors in most recent books on writing. Her exercises are also innovative, especially those intended to help fiction writers recognize the subtle "music" in prose, and how that is different from poetry. Scattered throughout the book are several opinion pieces where Le Guin discusses various trends in contemporary prose writing. This is where you decide whether her book is right for you--Le Guin definitely has some strong views: she believes that immediacy of the present tense narrative is an illusion and is equally skeptical about hybrid genre prose. If you are in agreement with her or can live with those views, then I have no qualms about recommending this little gem. Rating: - An excellent book on craftI've been a big fan of Ms. LeGuin's for a very long time. This book on the craft of story telling has been extremely helpful. I'm a lawyer and I write stories on behalf of endangered species every day: now I hope to write them better! I strongly advise a re-read of Strunk and White (I've found used copies for about 85 cents in San Francisco) in conjunction with her book. If you're a LeGuin fan, just read it for pure enjoyment. I think every book reveals something of an author, and everything she reveals is delightful, intricate, and honest. If you're interested in developing your writing skills, this is a great lesson and excersice book. But don't expect her to be easy on on you: she'll hold you to a hight standard! She will also get you thinking about language as an art, which is a good thing. Let out your sheets and run downwind with this gem. Rating: - A Journey Well Worth TakingVery, very few writers these days will share their knowledge of how to Le Guin says that while the "gift" can't be earned, the craft of writing can. All artists practice and work at their craft: musicians, painters, sculptors, dancers....even writers. The craft can be developed and Le Guin shows us how. You won't find any pie-in-the-sky philosophies about writing in this book, just practical information which, if followed, will make you a better writer. Le Guin's chapters include: The Sound of Your Writing Sentence Length and Complex Syntax Repetition Adjective and Adverb Point of View and Voice Changing Point of View and much more. Each chapter contains writing exercises specific to the chapter topic. (Le Guin also suggests many titles for further reading.) This book will become a gold mine to any writer of fiction or creative non-fiction. It's the perfect book to use for a writers' group or peer group. Thank you, Ms. Le Guin, for sharing your gift with us. Rating: - Help from a masterLong a favorite writer of mine, I was delighted to see Le Guin's offering on story writing. Her love of language comes through in these excercises as it does in her prose and poetry. Not a guide for crafting plot or character, the excercises focus on honing your experience with the words that are the bones of your writing. While a delightful read, the true value of the book comes in working through the excercises either alone or as part of a writer's group. You'll stretch your skills as a writer as you explore the uncharted waters. Ms. Le Guin will strain your creative muscles by leading you into breaking the "rules" you were taught. Whether it is writing a page of narrative with no punctuation, a paragraph with at least three repetitions of the same noun, verb, or adjective, or carefully crafting a sentence at least as long as this one, the excercises get you thinking about why you write the way you do and provide the tools necessary to accomplish what you want with your prose. Full of good advice, good examples, and good descrptions of how a writer does what they do, this book is a boon to every beginning writer and likely of use to even seasoned professionals. Rating: - An excellent book for those who want to writeIf you want to start writing, this is the book that will help you start. Ursula Le Guin is an excellent author and she gives great advice to those who want to be one. She includes several exercises to help you start writing and she gives excellent tips to help improve technique. She also gives several examples of what good writing looks like and how to get there. If you don't want to write, this is still great reading because as you read this book you will also gain a better appreciation for good writing, plus, Le Guin's writing is, as always, exceptional and fun to read. In association with Amazon.com | |