Simi’s Reviews > Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew > Status Update

The writing is a bit difficult to get through just because Le Guin chooses to write in a atypical sentence structures and the delivery is often overcomplicated.

On the flip side, intentional repetition is a thing of beauty. I try to incorporate that in my writing as well. Done right, in the right place within a piece, it can really lift the whole thing to the next level.

Ha! I was just struggling with repetition in a recent writing activity. I am hyperaware of repetition and work to avoid the clunky, unintentional version. But when you're writing without editing, its bound to happen. And because I'm so aware and wary, I hear it more loudly in my writing than others do. It's interesting to realize others aren't necessarily as bothered by poor diversity in words as I might be.

That was rough! I can't tell if she was intentionally messing with the sentences & their structure, or if it was a lack of editing. There are some glaring mistakes, but it breaks my mind to think that Le Guin could make such mistakes & that this guidebook has seen so many reprints without them being caught and fixed.
I had started off thinking I'd want a copy of this book for my shelves, but the more I read it...nah!