Writer’s Desk: Poe

It’s safe to say that whatever else one thinks about Edgar Allan Poe—besides inventing the mystery story and giving sneaky people in Baltimore something to do for many years—his mastery of setting and mood is unassailable.

So when Poe, inThe Philosophy of Composition, decides to proffer some ideas on writing, it’s best to listen up. His advice has less to do with inspiration or imagineering than it does with planning, plotting, and mapping the whole thing out beforehand. Not one for winging i...