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159th out of 321 books
—
503 voters
On Teaching and Writing Fiction
Wallace Stegner founded the acclaimed Stanford Writing Program-a program whose alumni include such literary luminaries as Larry McMurtry, Robert Stone, and Raymond Carver. Here Lynn Stegner brings together eight of Stegner's previously uncollected essays-including four never-before-published pieces -on writing fiction and teaching creative writing. In this unique collectio...more
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
December 3rd 2002
by Penguin Books
(first published 2002)
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Even though Stegner sometimes comes off as pompous, this is a helpful book in some aspects. The best and most helpful part of the book is from an interview that Dartmouth College did with Stegner. In it, he explores if one can teach creative writing and how does one go about doing so, bravely saying (or not so bravely—he is retired here) that not everyone is capable of learning how to write.
The other interesting chapter was, “To a Young Writer,” an intimate and honest response to an inquiring w...more
The other interesting chapter was, “To a Young Writer,” an intimate and honest response to an inquiring w...more
Right off the bat Mr. Stegner makes a distinction between what he calls "serious fiction" vs "escapist fiction." I'm honestly tired of the constant bickering between the literature professor type readers and writers who have to bring their ego to everything they read. My opinion is and shall remain that if YOU like the book, then the book is good for YOU. No one else's opinion matters. (Possible exceptions to this standard being books that promote morally shady things such as glorifying violence...more
Wallace Stegner was a writer who hailed from the Western United States. He wrote novels, short stories and I came to know about him while watching Ken Burns' TV Series, "The National Parks" which aired on PBS earlier this year. Further research revealed he was a prolific writer and he wrote passionately about environmental preservation. Educated in the Western US - from his Baccalaureate degree (University of Utah), to his Masters and PhD Degrees from Iowa where he also studied at the Iowa Write...more
Stegner offers up some good advice regarding writing. He would not be a proponent of most of today's writing programs; he would see them as stifling to creativity. The reason I gave this book 3 1/2 stars versus 4 or 5 (I plan to re-read sections at a later date) is because I found the Question & Answer section in the middle tedious at times and the first 40 pages or so were hit and miss. The chapters after the Q&A were helpful, in particular, To a Young Writer and Goin' to Town an Object...more
This is a very fine collection of essays and interviews on the craft of writing fiction by one of the 20th century’s masters—a master writer and a master teacher. Stegner is wise, compassionate, and rigorous in his thinking and with his advice. The book, published after his death, was edited and introduced by his talented daughter-in-law Lynn Stegner. Any would be writer or teacher would do well to not just read but also heed what Stegner (whose writing students included Ken Kesey, Tillie Olson,...more
Maybe better than Atwood's and King's works on writing, this short volume is beautiful, inspiring, challenging and brilliant. If you write or if you teach writing, this should be on your reading list.
Solid collection from a master. Writers will like it, as will teachers of college-level writing. His chapter on profanity is worth the price of admission.
As much about craft as it is about teaching fiction, anyone interested in or currently teaching fiction should have read or should be reading this book.
Not only comes down on the "yes" side of "can writing be taught?" but explains how and why it matters.
"...dictated from the cellar of the subconscious where reality waits to be civilized into fiction."
A collection of essays to inspire and humble.
A collection of essays to inspire and humble.
Apr 17, 2013
Jessica Capelle
is currently reading it
Reading for a workshop this weekend with Sara Zarr.
Has some interesting points....
The man can do no wrong.
What I appreciate most about this book is Wallace Stegner's careful thought on fiction, it's value, and it's production. He takes the craft seriously without coming across as a literary snob. While this book isn't strong in the nuts and bolts of a "how to" manual, it is very strong in theory and advice. The book feels like the wise council of a mentor, which Stegner was for so many young writers while he taught creative writing at the university level.
Apr 08, 2008
Chelsey
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
teachers of fiction writing, fiction writers
Shelves:
staples
Lovely little book. Stegner is full of great wisdom and insight. Many of these "essays" come from interviews or lectures, I think, and the style has an engaging conversational tone, marked by Stegner's typical simplicity and elegance. I starred and underlined like mad. Some of the essays overlap a bit in content, but it's never a bother and often useful to read the reiteration.
I was moved and inspired by this gentle and caring educator. The book is widely mismarketed as a book about writing, but I am glad I found and read it.
"Writers write everyday..." this book is inspiring for those who love the writing process of good literature.
An uneven collection of essays, not a comprehensive guide. But good stuff.
Well, damn...where has this book been all my life?
Many valuable kernels of wisdom from a master.
someday I'll make yah proud Mr. Stegner.
This book means a lot to me personally.
May 14, 2013
Judy Karasch
marked it as to-read
May 02, 2013
Jennifer
marked it as to-read
May 02, 2013
Mickslibrarian
marked it as to-read
Apr 28, 2013
Raudhah
added it
May 16, 2013
Kirsten
is currently reading it
Apr 22, 2013
Iroulito91
marked it as to-read
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Wallace Earle Stegner (February 18, 1909—April 13, 1993) was an American historian, novelist, short story writer, and environmentalist. Some call him "The Dean of Western Writers."
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“By his very profession, a serious fiction writer is a vendor of the sensuous particulars of life, a perceiver and handler of things. His most valuable tools are his sense and his memory; what happens in his mind is primarily pictures.”
—
5 people liked it
“Ideas, of course, have a place in fiction, and any writer of fiction needs a mind. But ideas are not the best subject matter for fiction. They do not dramatize well. They are, rather, a by-product, something the reader himself is led to formulate after watching the story unfold. The ideas, the generalizations, ought to be implicit in the selection and arrangement of the people and places and actions. They ought to haunt a piece of fiction as a ghost flits past an attic window after dark.”
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3 people liked it
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