A review by emily_m_green
Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story by Ursula K. Le Guin

informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

 

A big thank you to Multnomah County Library for allowing me to enjoy the use of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Steering the Craft for a long time. A very looooong time. As in, over a year ago. Over two years ago? In any case, thank you Multnomah County Library. 

Steering the Craft is a book on prose writing, mainly fiction, which helps writers to consider different tools that writers have, including point of view, diction, and syntax. Each chapter addresses a new tool, gives a description of how the subject is important to writing, provides writing exercises, and includes excerpts from famous writings that exemplify good use of the tool. There are also suggestions of how to use the book alone or in writing workshops. 

Le Guin includes authors such as Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen, and Mark Twain. The examples are apt and illustrate the concepts well, and also provide an instructive understanding of how to approach exercises. Because they are so well written, they are a pleasure to read. However, it felt jarring to read a volume that was not terribly inclusive. I have grown accustomed to reading volumes that consciously seek to be inclusive, and to appreciate that inclusivity. Now, I feel the lacking when I read a volume that is not diverse, whereas I might not have noticed ten years ago. It feels good to note that there has been some progress in most newer writing books and anthologies. 

Right now writing exercises seem overwhelming to me because I have such little time to write, and I would rather be working on a longer project, and not quick writes that might not lead to anything publishable. However, I forgot how good writing exercises felt when they generate new ideas coming from untouched places of my imagination. Even if I do not pursue those ideas, just pushing myself to come up with something on the spot feels incredible. I do have reserves of creativity! There is still room for play in my writing! I am reminded of why I love writing so much, without the pressure of coming up with something that must reach an audience. 

What makes Steering the Craft especially pleasurable is Le Guin’s writing. Even when I do not agree with her opinions, it is a joy to read them, because her writing is so clean and so commiserating with the reader. I have not yet read all of Le Guin’s books, and it makes me want to read more of her books. Can you ask any more of a book?

Would I teach Ursula K. Le Guin’s Steering the Craft? I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, felt it was helpful to my own writing, and learned about implementing different writing techniques. It would certainly be a valuable teaching tool. In the past, I have not often used textbooks or books on writing in creative writing courses. Instead, I relied upon anthologies and reading many short stories with students, and then giving vocabulary and discussing techniques during class. It was my thought that textbooks in some way detracted from the focus on reading and writing. While I might still feel that way, at least a little bit, I have been using textbooks in my writing instruction long enough to also see the value in using them. So, yes, there is a good chance that I would teach Steering the Craft in a fiction workshop.