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Elements of Fiction
In his essential writing guide, This Year You Write Your Novel , Walter Mosley supplied aspiring writers with the basic tools to write a novel in one year. In this com-plementary follow up, Mosley guides the writer through the elements of not just any fiction writing, but the kind of writing that transcends convention and truly stands out. How does one approach the genius of writers like Melville, Dickens, or Twain? In The Elements of Fiction , Walter Mosley contemplates the answer. In a series of instructive and conversational chapters, Mosley demonstrates how to master fiction's most essential character and char-acter development, plot and story, voice and narrative, context and description, and more. The result is a vivid depiction of the writing process, from the blank page to the first draft to rewriting, and rewriting again. Throughout, The Elements of Fiction is enriched by brilliant demonstrative examples that Mosley himself has written here for the first time. Inspiring, accessible, and told in a voice both trustworthy and wise, The Elements of Fiction writing will intrigue and encourage writers and readers alike.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published September 3, 2019
144 people are currently reading
1868 people want to read
About the author
Walter Mosley
202 books3,891 followersWalter Mosley (b. 1952) is the author of the bestselling mystery series featuring Easy Rawlins, as well as numerous other works, from literary fiction and science fiction to a young adult novel and political monographs. His short fiction has been widely published, and his nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times Magazine and the Nation, among other publications. Mosley is the winner of numerous awards, including an O. Henry Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, a Grammy, and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
June 15, 2020
Who is this book good for? For a writer who struggles to make her fiction conform to its original intention, or to follow the outline--only to discover that she's throttled the life out of it. It's also for those writers who are too interested in idea, and in thesis, even when writing fiction, and forget to let their stories breathe and meander.
Reading this book feels something like going to a mountaintop to see a great wise holy person, and then thinking you're hearing a lot of sound-of-one-hand-clapping nonsense...and yet, in spite of my skeptical brain having doubts, I came away in the end feeling blessed and enlightened. Opening my mind to Mosley's thinking led to interesting outcomes. The biggest revelation was how important it is to remember--and to really BELIEVE--that the story you're writing is bigger than what you can imagine for it, in your own head, and that you have nothing to lose by letting your story tell itself any damn way it wants to. You can clean it up on the second draft. As a writer who tends to skip any leaps of faith when they come around in my daily writing life, I found this book transformative.
Reading this book feels something like going to a mountaintop to see a great wise holy person, and then thinking you're hearing a lot of sound-of-one-hand-clapping nonsense...and yet, in spite of my skeptical brain having doubts, I came away in the end feeling blessed and enlightened. Opening my mind to Mosley's thinking led to interesting outcomes. The biggest revelation was how important it is to remember--and to really BELIEVE--that the story you're writing is bigger than what you can imagine for it, in your own head, and that you have nothing to lose by letting your story tell itself any damn way it wants to. You can clean it up on the second draft. As a writer who tends to skip any leaps of faith when they come around in my daily writing life, I found this book transformative.
May 23, 2021
“Our job is to pare away the extraneous while accenting the essential without letting it seem that what we’re presenting is anything other than the everyday, the pedestrian experience of life that leads now and then to the unexpected and extraordinary, the satanic and divine.”
There are endless books about writing, and I usually like them all because even one little hint, one specific tip or trick is worth reading a whole book to find. But this slim volume was surprisingly big on revelations.
I particularly appreciated Walter Mosley’s insights into the relationship between the writer and the story. He has a fantastic chapter called “The Novel is Bigger than your Head,” about how what you are writing starts as one thing but may very well become something else you never imagined, as the story drives who the characters become and what happens to them.
I found this a brilliant and memorable insight:
“The novel is like Dorian Gray’s portrait. It starts out beautiful, innocent, and hopeful. But as time passes, and we commit the sins of fiction, the portrait devolves under the decay and putrefaction associated with the hard labor of the writer rewriting the tale and discovering the reality that lies beneath. Absorbing our sins and failures, it loses perfection and instead is imbued with the rot and the stink of truth.”
What I found so unique and wonderful about this book is Mosley talks about the magic of creating a novel, the alchemy involved, but with very approachable ideas. It’s such a difficult thing to put into words, and I admire him for figuring out how to get it across and make it accessible.
Now I’m even more excited to read his fiction.
“The beauty of life is in its flaws and how you deal with them. The beauty of writing is how you deal with those flaws in character and plot, story and Voice, a novel that in the end understands and accepts unavoidable failure.”
There are endless books about writing, and I usually like them all because even one little hint, one specific tip or trick is worth reading a whole book to find. But this slim volume was surprisingly big on revelations.
I particularly appreciated Walter Mosley’s insights into the relationship between the writer and the story. He has a fantastic chapter called “The Novel is Bigger than your Head,” about how what you are writing starts as one thing but may very well become something else you never imagined, as the story drives who the characters become and what happens to them.
I found this a brilliant and memorable insight:
“The novel is like Dorian Gray’s portrait. It starts out beautiful, innocent, and hopeful. But as time passes, and we commit the sins of fiction, the portrait devolves under the decay and putrefaction associated with the hard labor of the writer rewriting the tale and discovering the reality that lies beneath. Absorbing our sins and failures, it loses perfection and instead is imbued with the rot and the stink of truth.”
What I found so unique and wonderful about this book is Mosley talks about the magic of creating a novel, the alchemy involved, but with very approachable ideas. It’s such a difficult thing to put into words, and I admire him for figuring out how to get it across and make it accessible.
Now I’m even more excited to read his fiction.
“The beauty of life is in its flaws and how you deal with them. The beauty of writing is how you deal with those flaws in character and plot, story and Voice, a novel that in the end understands and accepts unavoidable failure.”
March 25, 2022
Brief tips, recommendations and suggestions, reassurances and affirmations, and such on a handful of writing topics geared toward the intermediate writer. Good stuff in a bite-sized format from an author I respect.
January 27, 2022
College books hold no joy 🥲. Even if a book was actually enjoyable you know that it will lead to a paper, discussion or quiz. Why do the feel the need to try to mess with the reading experience is beyond me. With all that being said this was still very well written and a very quick read.
December 26, 2020
Yazmak, özellikle roman yazmak konusunda kısa, kolay okunan, altı çizilebilecek önemli ayrıntılar barındıran güzel bir kitap. Hali hazırda bu tip nice kitap okumuş ya da yazan insanlar için birincil önerim olmaz ama yazmayı planlıyorsanız son derece samimi bir dille, bazı temel noktalara değindiğini söyleyebilirim. Başlangıç için güzel olabilir. Ayrıca direk romana yönelmiş olması bir dezavantaj, bence eğer yazmaya başlayacaksanız romanı hiç düşünmeden kısa öyküler yazmak en iyisi. Adım adım, hata yapa yapa ilerlemek lazım.
December 3, 2020
Here Mosley talks about the characteristics that make fine fiction. I would venture to say this is more a philosophy of writing than a "how to" book, although there is plenty to help a writer ponder and improve. For instance, he discusses what good fiction can have in common with jazz and poetry, and the alchemy that needs to happen between writer and reader. As both a writer and reader of fiction, I loved this book!
July 8, 2020
Easy read especially with font size 16. Yet nothing new, no takeaways to mention.
July 2, 2019
I'm so glad I picked up this advance reader copy from Edelweiss. Mosley's writing is like sitting down with a wise teacher to have a conversation about the literary arts. He frequently addresses us directly, 'my fellow writer,' and starts new chapters by announcing that in re-reading what he's written so far, he realized something new that needs to be addressed. It truly feels like a conversation, like I could almost hear him speaking in my mind as I read.
This is not a guidebook but a reflection and passing on of hard-learned wisdom. Although there is not much in this book that is completely new to those of us who have read many different books by writers on writing, I appreciated his original takes on common themes, straightforward language, and his illustrative examples, which helped me understand those themes more deeply than I did before. For example, he opens the book talking about the child-mind. This is something I've heard before, and I thought I knew what it meant. But he wrote this little tangential, playful description of the child-mind that took my understanding to new depths. Throughout the book, Mosley walks us through the thought process of each important skill of the novelist by literally proposing a storyline and expanding on it in a natural thought process, taking us on the writer's journey with him. I found his examples illuminating, and also reassuring that I'm not the only one who ever struggles with an idea.
The last two chapters in particular were extremely encouraging and felt like the most passionate section in the whole book. Those chapters alone make it worth picking up.
I read this book in one sitting--it's only 128 pages--and I think it's worthwhile for any writer to read and reflect on. I'd especially recommend it to writers who are just setting out, who may not have received the kind of guidance and knowledge that Mosley shares here. Of all the books on writing I've read, I think this is the most direct and easy to understand, while not being prescriptive. Mosley simply offers up his own learning to help us expand our thinking about novel writing, and I personally found it very helpful in shaping my thoughts.
This is not a guidebook but a reflection and passing on of hard-learned wisdom. Although there is not much in this book that is completely new to those of us who have read many different books by writers on writing, I appreciated his original takes on common themes, straightforward language, and his illustrative examples, which helped me understand those themes more deeply than I did before. For example, he opens the book talking about the child-mind. This is something I've heard before, and I thought I knew what it meant. But he wrote this little tangential, playful description of the child-mind that took my understanding to new depths. Throughout the book, Mosley walks us through the thought process of each important skill of the novelist by literally proposing a storyline and expanding on it in a natural thought process, taking us on the writer's journey with him. I found his examples illuminating, and also reassuring that I'm not the only one who ever struggles with an idea.
The last two chapters in particular were extremely encouraging and felt like the most passionate section in the whole book. Those chapters alone make it worth picking up.
I read this book in one sitting--it's only 128 pages--and I think it's worthwhile for any writer to read and reflect on. I'd especially recommend it to writers who are just setting out, who may not have received the kind of guidance and knowledge that Mosley shares here. Of all the books on writing I've read, I think this is the most direct and easy to understand, while not being prescriptive. Mosley simply offers up his own learning to help us expand our thinking about novel writing, and I personally found it very helpful in shaping my thoughts.
October 17, 2022
Walter Mosley'nin bu kitabı, biraz daha ünlü olan "Bu Yıl Romanını Yazıyorsun"u tamamlamak amacıyla kaleme alınmış; bir romanı var eden öğelerin bir yazar adayına yol gösterecek biçimde uygulamalı olarak irdelenmesine dayanıyor.
Açıkçası kitabın arka kapağını bile okumadığım, bir biçimde aklımda kalmış olan kitabı görür görmez aldığım için, daha az pratik bir kitap bekliyordum. Yazma kılavuzlarına karşı genel olarak çekingenim, bu da şimdiye dek okuduğum en ayrıntılı yazma kılavuzu herhalde.
Oysa ben bu kitabı bir kılavuz olarak değil, gerçekten de bir romanın öğelerine ilişkin uygulama ağırlıklı bir tür sohbet olarak okudum ve içtenlikle keyif aldım. Gerçekten roman yazmak isteyip okuyanlar da yararlanacaktır gerçi, ama benim gibi romanlar üzerine keyifli bir kitap okumak isteyen okurlar da bu kitaba bir göz atsalar herhalde pişman olmazlar.
Açıkçası kitabın arka kapağını bile okumadığım, bir biçimde aklımda kalmış olan kitabı görür görmez aldığım için, daha az pratik bir kitap bekliyordum. Yazma kılavuzlarına karşı genel olarak çekingenim, bu da şimdiye dek okuduğum en ayrıntılı yazma kılavuzu herhalde.
Oysa ben bu kitabı bir kılavuz olarak değil, gerçekten de bir romanın öğelerine ilişkin uygulama ağırlıklı bir tür sohbet olarak okudum ve içtenlikle keyif aldım. Gerçekten roman yazmak isteyip okuyanlar da yararlanacaktır gerçi, ama benim gibi romanlar üzerine keyifli bir kitap okumak isteyen okurlar da bu kitaba bir göz atsalar herhalde pişman olmazlar.
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January 21, 2025I liked this a lot more compared to This Year You Write Your Novel. Elements of Fiction was more introspective and less technical on the nature of writing a book. This Year was alot of stuff that I’ve heard and read before, but Elements considered the life-like quality of writing and how stories tend to evolve as they are being created. Imo, much more relevant to the art of writing if you already have the basics down.
Also the vent about expectations placed on writing and writers in the modern day for the chapter Taking a Breather, No2 was weirdly vindicating? I wish the entire book was Mosley telling people who dont know what theyre talking about to shut up.
Also the vent about expectations placed on writing and writers in the modern day for the chapter Taking a Breather, No2 was weirdly vindicating? I wish the entire book was Mosley telling people who dont know what theyre talking about to shut up.
August 26, 2019
Profound and perhaps the best book I've read this year.
Mosley is such a beautiful wordsmith that you enjoy reading his mastery of how he explains things in words, almost irrespective of what he is explaining. On the surface, the book seems to be about writing advice, and in particular, what makes good fiction, good. It is much more than that.
For me, Mosley diminishes the word ineffable slightly, because he explains things I thought were unexplainable via prose. This book can be applied to art, to business, to life, and broadly speaking, to connecting to your subconscious.
It's a phenomenal, short, but deep read.
Mosley is such a beautiful wordsmith that you enjoy reading his mastery of how he explains things in words, almost irrespective of what he is explaining. On the surface, the book seems to be about writing advice, and in particular, what makes good fiction, good. It is much more than that.
For me, Mosley diminishes the word ineffable slightly, because he explains things I thought were unexplainable via prose. This book can be applied to art, to business, to life, and broadly speaking, to connecting to your subconscious.
It's a phenomenal, short, but deep read.
September 10, 2019
Having just read Walter Mosley’s op ed in The New York Times about leaving the writing room of an unnamed TV show, I was interested in his new book, “Elements of Fiction,” because I wanted to hear more about his life and experiences as a writer. But “Elements of Fiction” is not that book—if you pick it up looking for a memoir with writing advice along the lines of “Draft No. 4” by John McPhee or Robert Caro’s “Working,” you might be disappointed. If, however, you’re looking for an inventive take on a writing how-to guide, “Elements” is well worth the read. Mosley writes that “the creation of a novel is akin to a mad scramble up a mountainside layered with loose pebbles. Any handhold or solid ground you can find will be a blessing.” “Elements” is full of those handholds, as Mosley takes the reader through a series of hypothetical plots and characters and poses all the questions a writer needs to ask along the way to producing a finished book. For someone like me, who isn’t planning on writing a book any time soon (or, in fact, probably ever), Molsey’s book was a quick read and an entertaining look at how fiction is constructed. I can imagine that aspiring writers, however, will want to read “Elements” slowly and will be highlighting practically the entire book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Press for providing me an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Press for providing me an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
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February 1, 2020As a struggling novelist myself, I understand perfectly that there is no book of instructions, no program guide, that can tell you how to write a novel. The only way to learn to write a novel is to by writing one. And unfortunately that only works for that particular novel; it doesn't make it easier to write a second one, or so has been my experience at least.
Yet knowing this can't stop me from reading books of writing advice. I guess I keep thinking even one small piece of guidance might help with this voyage into the unknown.
Walter Mosley's contribution to the crowded field is very interesting, because "Elements of Fiction" is written in a way that replicates the confusion, the randomness, the groping around in the dark, that is the experience of writing a novel. Despite this the book is not itself confusing but beautiful and true and even at times funny.
I liked Elements of Fiction a lot, and to see why, look at my highlights.
Yet knowing this can't stop me from reading books of writing advice. I guess I keep thinking even one small piece of guidance might help with this voyage into the unknown.
Walter Mosley's contribution to the crowded field is very interesting, because "Elements of Fiction" is written in a way that replicates the confusion, the randomness, the groping around in the dark, that is the experience of writing a novel. Despite this the book is not itself confusing but beautiful and true and even at times funny.
I liked Elements of Fiction a lot, and to see why, look at my highlights.
November 30, 2019
Such a wonderful quirky book.
It might be an instruction manual on how to write novel, or a long lecture on the same subject matter, or a self-confessional monologue or simply a writer's diary about the nature of fiction and its creation.
I do like the tone. It is as if you are indeed in the presence of Walter Mosley who finds the most beautiful but also approachable way to describe writing as a very intimate process of creation; thus, I felt initiated while I was reading it.
P.S. I really love how he plays on our literary gender stereotypes and expectations, using the pronoun " she" every time an average reader would expect "he", even when he alluded to someone/no one with the capital G, aka G.O.D., he used the pronoun "she", and I found it profoundly hilarious.
It might be an instruction manual on how to write novel, or a long lecture on the same subject matter, or a self-confessional monologue or simply a writer's diary about the nature of fiction and its creation.
I do like the tone. It is as if you are indeed in the presence of Walter Mosley who finds the most beautiful but also approachable way to describe writing as a very intimate process of creation; thus, I felt initiated while I was reading it.
P.S. I really love how he plays on our literary gender stereotypes and expectations, using the pronoun " she" every time an average reader would expect "he", even when he alluded to someone/no one with the capital G, aka G.O.D., he used the pronoun "she", and I found it profoundly hilarious.
January 25, 2021
I thoroughly enjoy the teachings of Mr. Mosley. I am a fan of his writing, so being able to see how his mind works is a gift. His improvisations weave his theories into practice right before your eyes. He takes the reader on a journey of elaborate vocabulary and vivid pictures of voice, plot device and character development. The most important key for any writer is to write every day. The only thing I disagree with is the importance of reading. I understand Mr. Mosley's point about the impact of what you read on words you have yet to put on page. I still believe reading is an education within itself. Nevertheless this book is a great resource and I believe I am a better writer because I read it. (Did you catch that?)
October 10, 2020
This is a motivating, high-level, and non-condescending essay on writing novels. Mosley stresses the importance of curiosity and patience when taking up the task of writing - and he reminds us why it should be a limitless experience rather than a calculated chore.
February 24, 2021
Great examples
Walter Mosley is a great storyteller and an equally great teacher. This gem of a book will help every writer find the right tools to bring your novel to life. I highly recommend.
Walter Mosley is a great storyteller and an equally great teacher. This gem of a book will help every writer find the right tools to bring your novel to life. I highly recommend.
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July 25, 2025Not rated due to my policy of not rating advice/self help books prior to more rigorous vetting
January 29, 2021
Nothing extraordinary or ground breaking about this book - however, it did give my brain a needed boost.
September 10, 2023
Good advice for writing a novel. Would be most useful to writers who are already part of the way through a manuscript and need perspective on why it's so valuable, and in a way deeply satisfying, to do all the laborious and frustrating tinkering and rewriting that gets you closer to a final draft.
August 8, 2022
A great companion piece to This Year You Write Your Novel! Walter Mosley explains more about the craft and gives great examples while he's at it.
I haven't read any fiction by Mosley but I am really curious to read them now. He has a beautiful gift of creating whole universes through short, easy sentences and that is the kind of ease any writer should aspire to. You want to read more about these characters he creates just to elucidate concepts and ideas, so I am sure his fiction would have much more going on.
He also has very interesting ideas about how a novel should grow organically. The book itself is written quite beautifully - the language flows from start to finish! A great and definitely inspiring read for any aspiring writer. Even if you are not one, I think reading this would give you more of an appreciation of the craft and effort it requires to be a writer.
I haven't read any fiction by Mosley but I am really curious to read them now. He has a beautiful gift of creating whole universes through short, easy sentences and that is the kind of ease any writer should aspire to. You want to read more about these characters he creates just to elucidate concepts and ideas, so I am sure his fiction would have much more going on.
He also has very interesting ideas about how a novel should grow organically. The book itself is written quite beautifully - the language flows from start to finish! A great and definitely inspiring read for any aspiring writer. Even if you are not one, I think reading this would give you more of an appreciation of the craft and effort it requires to be a writer.
July 6, 2019
Elements of Fiction was an interesting, entertaining and quick read. Mosley's prose flows nicely and its tone is lyrical. However, I think readers need to be aware of what they are getting from this work. It does include a few tips and suggestions, but on the whole it is a reflection on the writing process, rather than a how-to manual, and anyone approaching it expecting the latter will be disappointed. For me personally, it raised a few interesting thoughts and ideas, and it was a pleasant evening's read, looking at another author's approach to and feelings about the writing process. As such, I am giving it four stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2021
In a world teeming with books on writing, this one doesn’t set itself apart. For the casual, ‘dreamy’ writer.
August 5, 2025
Excellent education on the purpose and meaning of fiction. Brief, unpretentious, entirely useful.
December 29, 2019
I think I will be returning to Elements of Fiction by Walter Mosley, again and again, to reread the advice and suggestions offered in the book. He says for example on 115, the last page, "The purpose of this book has been to show by example and intention how deeply you can go into your mind, excavating a world worth the struggle, the many thousands of hours, and just the right words." "...excavating a world worth the struggle..." I like the phrase and will remember it as I write short stories, poetry, etc. Mosley does say that it is a good resource, useful for those genres too. I'm in the reading mode right now. I've started two other works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2022
İlk kitabın üzerine çok fazla bir şey eklemiyor. Sadece aynı disiplinlerin genişletilmiş bir versiyonu gibi. Yine de okumakta fayda var.
February 25, 2020
What is it that makes people want to write about writing? Part of the reason why, at least to me, is because writing is one of those crafts that has a high degree of impostor syndrome about it, where people self-identify as writers and then seek to justify their identities to themselves and others. When one is engaged in a task where one's achievements are perhaps a bit limited (although that is not the case here) or where one's identity may be called into account, or where the legitimacy of one's efforts are definitely less than obvious, the human tendency to justify oneself is immense and this book is certainly an example of that. The author has a particular perspective and worldview and background and this book shapes that heavily, as the author tries to justify the "truths of his heart" that contradict the objective facts of existence that he finds somewhat unpleasant or even problematic. Perhaps it is unsurprising that this is so, as it would likely be the case for anyone who is writing a book like this. But that is why there are so many efforts like this one where people subjectively, out of their own biases and perspectives, seek to advice others as a means of helping them better justify themselves.
This book is a short collection of the author's thoughts about writing that is a bit more than 100 pages. The author begins with a preface that seeks to frame and justify this work and the author's own perspective on writing and creativity in general. After that the author discusses an introduction where he (as is customary in this sort of effort) also plugs another book he has written. The author then discusses the structure of revelation that appears in the author's writing (not surprising given the author's interest in mysteries) while also wrestling with structure in fiction and the blank page. The author uses his own writings and ideas to address the questions of scope, character, and context in literature. The author spends some time looking at narrative voice and details and spends a few short essays on description. The author also deals with questions of rewriting and originality while also discussing the need to take a breather and the question of both improvising and putting things together. By and large this book feels like it was constructed out of blog entries, which is not the worst thing but is certainly far less universal and far more of a personal essay than the ponderous title would indicate.
That said, just because this book is an exercise in self-justification and that I do not necessarily find the author's work all that edifying does not mean that this work is therefore pointless. Even where (perhaps even especially where) one's own perspective differs greatly from that of an author, a book is worthwhile in providing the point of view of an author, even apart from anything else that the book has to offer. As someone who is not very acquainted with the author's works, I probably did not get as much out of this effort as someone would who was more favorable to his writings. That said, even without a close familiarity with the author's other works, it was clear that the author was drawing upon his own writing (and presumably the body of experience and reading that his writing is informed by) as a way of making general points about writing. As human beings we frequently seek to turn the particular matters we are most familiar with and then turn them into abstract and general truths that we seek to promote as being the case for areas where our experience is extremely partial and limited. If this book speaks to you, use it. If not, then know that it comes from the author's own subjective experience and perspective and seek to find one that speaks to you more.
This book is a short collection of the author's thoughts about writing that is a bit more than 100 pages. The author begins with a preface that seeks to frame and justify this work and the author's own perspective on writing and creativity in general. After that the author discusses an introduction where he (as is customary in this sort of effort) also plugs another book he has written. The author then discusses the structure of revelation that appears in the author's writing (not surprising given the author's interest in mysteries) while also wrestling with structure in fiction and the blank page. The author uses his own writings and ideas to address the questions of scope, character, and context in literature. The author spends some time looking at narrative voice and details and spends a few short essays on description. The author also deals with questions of rewriting and originality while also discussing the need to take a breather and the question of both improvising and putting things together. By and large this book feels like it was constructed out of blog entries, which is not the worst thing but is certainly far less universal and far more of a personal essay than the ponderous title would indicate.
That said, just because this book is an exercise in self-justification and that I do not necessarily find the author's work all that edifying does not mean that this work is therefore pointless. Even where (perhaps even especially where) one's own perspective differs greatly from that of an author, a book is worthwhile in providing the point of view of an author, even apart from anything else that the book has to offer. As someone who is not very acquainted with the author's works, I probably did not get as much out of this effort as someone would who was more favorable to his writings. That said, even without a close familiarity with the author's other works, it was clear that the author was drawing upon his own writing (and presumably the body of experience and reading that his writing is informed by) as a way of making general points about writing. As human beings we frequently seek to turn the particular matters we are most familiar with and then turn them into abstract and general truths that we seek to promote as being the case for areas where our experience is extremely partial and limited. If this book speaks to you, use it. If not, then know that it comes from the author's own subjective experience and perspective and seek to find one that speaks to you more.
September 28, 2019
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Elements of Fiction is a guide/tutorial/master-class on elements of writing aimed at writers (or would-be writers) by well known author Walter Mosley. Released 3rd Sept. 2019 by Grove Atlantic on their Grove Press imprint, it's a concise 128 pages and available in hardcover, ebook, and audio formats.
I've been a fan of Mr. Mosley's crime- and science- fiction for many years and although I don't really have any definite desires to be a writer myself, it's always enlightening to get to see some of the nuts-and-bolts of the process going on behind the scenes. I was hoping for some step-by-step tutorials or hand holding 'start HERE and do this or that' type teaching. This is emphatically not that book. What it is, however, is a conversational treatise on the philosophy of the craft and scattered nuggets of real salient wisdom about what makes a good novel good and sometimes great.
As an almost(?) neurotically active reader, I've often experienced having positive or negative feelings about a narrative and not easily being able to articulate precisely why. There were several gut-punch moments in this book which, for me, shone a light on some of those visceral reactions. I'm tempted to go back and re-read some of those books which confused me with an eye toward deconstructing them in terms of the information in this book.
As a straight up how-to-write-a-novel tutorial, this isn't This Year You Write Your Novel . This book is much less focused on the writing process and more a long conversational essay on writing philosophy. The chapters are very loosely tied together, some of them segueing into the next chapter, some exploring a theme and then petering out. This is not a book with a logical layout and bullet point lists of information. Readers who are looking for easily found info-points, graphs, marketing or any related items will be disappointed. Those who are open to guidance from a lifetime of experience by a gifted writer will find much to assimilate in this book.
Four stars. This is an information rich book, but in a philosophical manner. There are no easy opt-ins for the wisdom Mosley shares, we have to think about what he writes. I recommend it for readers who want to know the 'why' more than the 'how-to' of writing fiction.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
Elements of Fiction is a guide/tutorial/master-class on elements of writing aimed at writers (or would-be writers) by well known author Walter Mosley. Released 3rd Sept. 2019 by Grove Atlantic on their Grove Press imprint, it's a concise 128 pages and available in hardcover, ebook, and audio formats.
I've been a fan of Mr. Mosley's crime- and science- fiction for many years and although I don't really have any definite desires to be a writer myself, it's always enlightening to get to see some of the nuts-and-bolts of the process going on behind the scenes. I was hoping for some step-by-step tutorials or hand holding 'start HERE and do this or that' type teaching. This is emphatically not that book. What it is, however, is a conversational treatise on the philosophy of the craft and scattered nuggets of real salient wisdom about what makes a good novel good and sometimes great.
As an almost(?) neurotically active reader, I've often experienced having positive or negative feelings about a narrative and not easily being able to articulate precisely why. There were several gut-punch moments in this book which, for me, shone a light on some of those visceral reactions. I'm tempted to go back and re-read some of those books which confused me with an eye toward deconstructing them in terms of the information in this book.
As a straight up how-to-write-a-novel tutorial, this isn't This Year You Write Your Novel . This book is much less focused on the writing process and more a long conversational essay on writing philosophy. The chapters are very loosely tied together, some of them segueing into the next chapter, some exploring a theme and then petering out. This is not a book with a logical layout and bullet point lists of information. Readers who are looking for easily found info-points, graphs, marketing or any related items will be disappointed. Those who are open to guidance from a lifetime of experience by a gifted writer will find much to assimilate in this book.
Four stars. This is an information rich book, but in a philosophical manner. There are no easy opt-ins for the wisdom Mosley shares, we have to think about what he writes. I recommend it for readers who want to know the 'why' more than the 'how-to' of writing fiction.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
August 14, 2020
I found the book to be flying at warp speed most of the time, and yet I also frequently found myself having to re-read passages because my mind had wandered. Deceptively basic in format, Mosley's style of communication is at once straightforward and overdone in that he attempts to cut to the core of the things he has to say, but gets in his own way through long sentences and grandiose vocabulary choices. While I do respect that every writer's vocab and style is different, this particular experience
didn't really work for me.
Another aspect that I found unfortunate was Mosley's insistence upon examples, as well as subsequent lengthy explorations of where those snippets of story might lead. While they're intended to serve as illustrations for his points, I found them wearisome and not as informative as if he had simply told us what he meant. As I'm someone who always welcomes examples, this rare instance in which I support telling over showing is surprising to discover.
Nonetheless, I did read the entire (admittedly short) work, and found some good things to think on and employ concerning my own journey in writing. He did give me renewed courage in my decision to not attend a writing grad program in the second to last section, in which he absolutely guts the idea of paying thousands to listen to authors (who are not teachers) look at your work and tell you their subjective experiences. Unfortunately, in the same chapter, he also tells us that, "reading and writing... don't have a whole helluva lot to do with each other" (105). This goes hand-in-hand with his insistence that attending an MFA program is no guarantee of better writing, as only life experience and hard work can do that; yet I have no idea how any writer could conceive of improving themselves in either substance or technical craft without reading widely and hungrily.
I've heard that his prior book on writing ('This Year You Write Your Novel') is perhaps better formed, and I am looking forward to giving that a go. But if his style remains the same, and if he again dismisses the value of reading, I'm not sure how seriously I'll be able to take his advice. While I will appreciate what things I have learned from it, 'Elements of Fiction' will not be a book I return to down the road.
didn't really work for me.
Another aspect that I found unfortunate was Mosley's insistence upon examples, as well as subsequent lengthy explorations of where those snippets of story might lead. While they're intended to serve as illustrations for his points, I found them wearisome and not as informative as if he had simply told us what he meant. As I'm someone who always welcomes examples, this rare instance in which I support telling over showing is surprising to discover.
Nonetheless, I did read the entire (admittedly short) work, and found some good things to think on and employ concerning my own journey in writing. He did give me renewed courage in my decision to not attend a writing grad program in the second to last section, in which he absolutely guts the idea of paying thousands to listen to authors (who are not teachers) look at your work and tell you their subjective experiences. Unfortunately, in the same chapter, he also tells us that, "reading and writing... don't have a whole helluva lot to do with each other" (105). This goes hand-in-hand with his insistence that attending an MFA program is no guarantee of better writing, as only life experience and hard work can do that; yet I have no idea how any writer could conceive of improving themselves in either substance or technical craft without reading widely and hungrily.
I've heard that his prior book on writing ('This Year You Write Your Novel') is perhaps better formed, and I am looking forward to giving that a go. But if his style remains the same, and if he again dismisses the value of reading, I'm not sure how seriously I'll be able to take his advice. While I will appreciate what things I have learned from it, 'Elements of Fiction' will not be a book I return to down the road.
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