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A review by mxunsmiley
Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew by Ursula K. Le Guin
5.0
The brevity of this book is deceptive because it contains so much, from thoughts on plot and action to the rudimentary aspects of writing. It's concise but forces you to think about all kinds of possibilities regarding the trajectory of a scene or narrative, and the usage of language itself. I especially liked her blunt tone, and the way she tore down certain widely accepted dogmas regarding writing like passive voice, using "proper" English, etc.
She provides many examples--and I have to note the dominance of excerpts from Virginia Woolf's work, which I can only appreciate more after analyzing the pieces included--that are, for the most part, good representations of what Le Guin discusses in each chapter.
Not only does it provide extremely fun, though restrictive and challenging, exercises, the book engages your curiosity by referring to many works by a range of authors, truly exemplifying how diversely well-read and dedicated to the craft Le Guin was. It's made me want to pay more close attention when I read and, yes, write, because topics like point of view and tense are often easy to overlook in terms of consistency, at least in my experience--I tend to focus on language.
I appreciate this book a lot because it's gotten me to start learning how to identify weaknesses in my writing and holes in my knowledge. Unfortunately, it's also added many books to my to-read list. Definitely a book to return to, and even use in a workshop per the intention.
She provides many examples--and I have to note the dominance of excerpts from Virginia Woolf's work, which I can only appreciate more after analyzing the pieces included--that are, for the most part, good representations of what Le Guin discusses in each chapter.
Not only does it provide extremely fun, though restrictive and challenging, exercises, the book engages your curiosity by referring to many works by a range of authors, truly exemplifying how diversely well-read and dedicated to the craft Le Guin was. It's made me want to pay more close attention when I read and, yes, write, because topics like point of view and tense are often easy to overlook in terms of consistency, at least in my experience--I tend to focus on language.
I appreciate this book a lot because it's gotten me to start learning how to identify weaknesses in my writing and holes in my knowledge. Unfortunately, it's also added many books to my to-read list. Definitely a book to return to, and even use in a workshop per the intention.