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About Writing: Seven Essays, Four Letters, & Five Interviews
Essential reading for the creative writer.
Award-winning novelist Samuel R. Delany has written a book for creative writers to place alongside E. M. Forster's Aspects of the Novel and Lajos Egri's Art of Dramatic Writing. Taking up specifics (When do flashbacks work, and when should you avoid them? How do you make characters both vivid and sympathetic?) and generalities (How are novels structured? How do writers establish serious literary reputations today?), Delany also examines the condition of the contemporary creative writer and how it differs from that of the writer in the years of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and the high Modernists. Like a private writing tutorial, About Writing treats each topic with clarity and insight. Here is an indispensable companion for serious writers everywhere.
Award-winning novelist Samuel R. Delany has written a book for creative writers to place alongside E. M. Forster's Aspects of the Novel and Lajos Egri's Art of Dramatic Writing. Taking up specifics (When do flashbacks work, and when should you avoid them? How do you make characters both vivid and sympathetic?) and generalities (How are novels structured? How do writers establish serious literary reputations today?), Delany also examines the condition of the contemporary creative writer and how it differs from that of the writer in the years of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and the high Modernists. Like a private writing tutorial, About Writing treats each topic with clarity and insight. Here is an indispensable companion for serious writers everywhere.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 2006
About the author
Samuel R. Delany
275 books2,023 followersSamuel Ray Delany, also known as "Chip," is an award-winning American science fiction author. He was born to a prominent black family on April 1, 1942, and raised in Harlem. His mother, Margaret Carey Boyd Delany, was a library clerk in the New York Public Library system. His father, Samuel Ray Delany, Senior, ran a successful Harlem undertaking establishment, Levy & Delany Funeral Home, on 7th Avenue, between 1938 and his death in 1960. The family lived in the top two floors of the three-story private house between five- and six-story Harlem apartment buildings. Delany's aunts were Sadie and Bessie Delany; Delany used some of their adventures as the basis for the adventures of his characters Elsie and Corry in the opening novella Atlantis: Model 1924 in his book of largely autobiographical stories Atlantis: Three Tales.
Delany attended the Dalton School and the Bronx High School of Science, during which he was selected to attend Camp Rising Sun, the Louis August Jonas Foundation's international summer scholarship program. Delany and poet Marilyn Hacker met in high school, and were married in 1961. Their marriage lasted nineteen years. They had a daughter, Iva Hacker-Delany (b. 1974), who spent a decade working in theater in New York City.
Delany was a published science fiction author by the age of 20. He published nine well-regarded science fiction novels between 1962 and 1968, as well as several prize-winning short stories (collected in Driftglass [1971] and more recently in Aye, and Gomorrah, and other stories [2002]). His eleventh and most popular novel, Dhalgren, was published in 1975. His main literary project through the late 1970s and 1980s was the Return to Nevèrÿon series, the overall title of the four volumes and also the title of the fourth and final book.
Delany has published several autobiographical/semi-autobiographical accounts of his life as a black, gay, and highly dyslexic writer, including his Hugo award winning autobiography, The Motion of Light in Water.
Since 1988, Delany has been a professor at several universities. This includes eleven years as a professor of comparative literature at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, a year and a half as an English professor at the University at Buffalo. He then moved to the English Department of Temple University in 2001, where he has been teaching since. He has had several visiting guest professorships before and during these same years. He has also published several books of criticism, interviews, and essays. In one of his non-fiction books, Times Square Red, Times Square Blue (1999), he draws on personal experience to examine the relationship between the effort to redevelop Times Square and the public sex lives of working-class men, gay and straight, in New York City.
In 2007, Delany was the subject of a documentary film, The Polymath, or, The Life and Opinions of Samuel R. Delany, Gentleman. The film debuted on April 25 at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival.
Delany attended the Dalton School and the Bronx High School of Science, during which he was selected to attend Camp Rising Sun, the Louis August Jonas Foundation's international summer scholarship program. Delany and poet Marilyn Hacker met in high school, and were married in 1961. Their marriage lasted nineteen years. They had a daughter, Iva Hacker-Delany (b. 1974), who spent a decade working in theater in New York City.
Delany was a published science fiction author by the age of 20. He published nine well-regarded science fiction novels between 1962 and 1968, as well as several prize-winning short stories (collected in Driftglass [1971] and more recently in Aye, and Gomorrah, and other stories [2002]). His eleventh and most popular novel, Dhalgren, was published in 1975. His main literary project through the late 1970s and 1980s was the Return to Nevèrÿon series, the overall title of the four volumes and also the title of the fourth and final book.
Delany has published several autobiographical/semi-autobiographical accounts of his life as a black, gay, and highly dyslexic writer, including his Hugo award winning autobiography, The Motion of Light in Water.
Since 1988, Delany has been a professor at several universities. This includes eleven years as a professor of comparative literature at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, a year and a half as an English professor at the University at Buffalo. He then moved to the English Department of Temple University in 2001, where he has been teaching since. He has had several visiting guest professorships before and during these same years. He has also published several books of criticism, interviews, and essays. In one of his non-fiction books, Times Square Red, Times Square Blue (1999), he draws on personal experience to examine the relationship between the effort to redevelop Times Square and the public sex lives of working-class men, gay and straight, in New York City.
In 2007, Delany was the subject of a documentary film, The Polymath, or, The Life and Opinions of Samuel R. Delany, Gentleman. The film debuted on April 25 at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
July 14, 2016
This is a collection of pieces written at various times and for various purposes and there is some overlap between them, which is a little annoying, but in general this book is great-- just packed full of interesting ideas and stories. I especially liked the part about The Red Badge of Courage and how it got into the canon. Amazing story! Anyway, yeah, this is one of those rare books that makes you want to dedicate your life to being smarter than you are. Which we all could do with a lot more of.
March 8, 2022
A lot to think about here.
Stand outs for me: 1. short essay about writing at the sentence level. 2. A couple of the interviews.
Stand outs for me: 1. short essay about writing at the sentence level. 2. A couple of the interviews.
December 31, 2014
I’m teaching part of an AS Level English Literature class this year, including the creative writing component. As I finally got around to reading this, I couldn’t stop thinking, “Why didn’t I read this at the beginning of the school year? I could teach practically the whole class using this.” As it is, I ended up photocopying three of the essays for my students to mull over. About Writing, despite its embrace of the traditionally generic title, stands above many other “how to write” books. Samuel R. Delany brings the same skill he has for fiction writing to his non-fiction, making for passionate and intelligent discourse on the art of writing.
And I mean discourse. The letters and interviews portions of the book are Delany responding directly to someone—whether it’s a single person, or the questions posed by an interviewer or panel. Most of his essays, too, are framed as some kind of response. Delany brings to bear his considerable experience not just as a writer but as a critic and a professor of literature. As a result, he delivers advice at a very high level, using concepts and syntax that would definitely daunt the beginning writer (or reader). This is not a book for a beginning writer! For writers looking to deepen their writing, however, and for readers who would like to think more explicitly about what makes writing good, Delany has produced in this a book a valuable voice in that discussion.
I love how authentic Delany sounds. He never professes to have the one true word on what makes writing good; he never says, “These are the rules.” Instead, he leads the reader on a didactic journey in which he models different types of writing—good and bad—and analyzes for us why some writing works and other writing does it. He emphasizes that it all comes down to the effect the writer tries to achieve. Perhaps more importantly, he reminds the writer that it’s the reader doing most of the work—and the reader isn’t always going to assemble the same vision for a story that the writer has in their mind.
This model of the writer–reader interaction is a valuable component to About Writing. Delany takes a very psychological approach to storytelling. It’s not sufficient to put interesting words on a page; the writer needs to anticipate how a reader will react to those words. There is no way to force a certain reaction, no guarantee that the reader is going to see a character or a scene the same way that the writer does. Instead, the best a writer can do is hint and manipulate with all the tools at their disposal.
Delany extends the idea of the model to encompass different methods of constructing novels. This is consistent with that acceptance of a multiplicity of ways of writing. There is no one perfect structure. Rather, what matters most is that the writer acknowledges such structures exist and internalizes those structures by reading them. Then one can recreate the structure one wants to use, or create new variations. And though it’s fine to experiment, Delany emphasizes time and again that the writer needs to anticipate the reader’s reaction—and readers like structures that they can figure out.
Delany’s discussion of the story process, the literary marketplace, and the importance of such entities as the “canon” all take place at a very high level, verging at times upon the academic. This is not a beach read. It’s not even something I would recommend reading all the way through in a few consecutive sittings. Its very nature—seven essays, four letters, five interviews—makes it very easy to read over a few weeks, maybe a month. I didn’t do that, of course, because I am an incorrigible, impatient bibliophile who swallows books whole and burps out the bindings. But you should know better….
About Writing also provides insight into Delany himself, of course. I find this valuable because his fiction is so interesting but also often challenging. Now that he has made explicit some of the choices he made while writing it, I feel like I might understand it more if I go back and re-read it (or tackle another one of his works). Moreover, now I can see that his work is even more intertextual than is initially apparent—and though I am quite well read, I am far behind Delany in that regard, and I have a lot of work ahead of me if I ever want to get most—let alone all—of the allusions and symbolism latent in his text.
Indeed, this is an excellent book for writers who want some guidance on how to think about their craft. (Notice I didn’t say, “aspiring writers” or “beginning writers”. I wish I read this book before teaching creative writing, and I’m sharing some of the essays, but I would never just toss it in the hands of a new writer and say, “Read it.”) Yet About Writing is more than a book for writers: it has a lot of value for active readers as well. Readers who are interested in the aesthetics of the craft, who want to think about how and why writers make the choices they do, will learn a lot from this book.
Highly recommended for writers and readers alike, About Writing is one of my favourite works of Delany’s that I’ve read to date. And now I feel more prepared to read some more.
And I mean discourse. The letters and interviews portions of the book are Delany responding directly to someone—whether it’s a single person, or the questions posed by an interviewer or panel. Most of his essays, too, are framed as some kind of response. Delany brings to bear his considerable experience not just as a writer but as a critic and a professor of literature. As a result, he delivers advice at a very high level, using concepts and syntax that would definitely daunt the beginning writer (or reader). This is not a book for a beginning writer! For writers looking to deepen their writing, however, and for readers who would like to think more explicitly about what makes writing good, Delany has produced in this a book a valuable voice in that discussion.
I love how authentic Delany sounds. He never professes to have the one true word on what makes writing good; he never says, “These are the rules.” Instead, he leads the reader on a didactic journey in which he models different types of writing—good and bad—and analyzes for us why some writing works and other writing does it. He emphasizes that it all comes down to the effect the writer tries to achieve. Perhaps more importantly, he reminds the writer that it’s the reader doing most of the work—and the reader isn’t always going to assemble the same vision for a story that the writer has in their mind.
This model of the writer–reader interaction is a valuable component to About Writing. Delany takes a very psychological approach to storytelling. It’s not sufficient to put interesting words on a page; the writer needs to anticipate how a reader will react to those words. There is no way to force a certain reaction, no guarantee that the reader is going to see a character or a scene the same way that the writer does. Instead, the best a writer can do is hint and manipulate with all the tools at their disposal.
Delany extends the idea of the model to encompass different methods of constructing novels. This is consistent with that acceptance of a multiplicity of ways of writing. There is no one perfect structure. Rather, what matters most is that the writer acknowledges such structures exist and internalizes those structures by reading them. Then one can recreate the structure one wants to use, or create new variations. And though it’s fine to experiment, Delany emphasizes time and again that the writer needs to anticipate the reader’s reaction—and readers like structures that they can figure out.
Delany’s discussion of the story process, the literary marketplace, and the importance of such entities as the “canon” all take place at a very high level, verging at times upon the academic. This is not a beach read. It’s not even something I would recommend reading all the way through in a few consecutive sittings. Its very nature—seven essays, four letters, five interviews—makes it very easy to read over a few weeks, maybe a month. I didn’t do that, of course, because I am an incorrigible, impatient bibliophile who swallows books whole and burps out the bindings. But you should know better….
About Writing also provides insight into Delany himself, of course. I find this valuable because his fiction is so interesting but also often challenging. Now that he has made explicit some of the choices he made while writing it, I feel like I might understand it more if I go back and re-read it (or tackle another one of his works). Moreover, now I can see that his work is even more intertextual than is initially apparent—and though I am quite well read, I am far behind Delany in that regard, and I have a lot of work ahead of me if I ever want to get most—let alone all—of the allusions and symbolism latent in his text.
Indeed, this is an excellent book for writers who want some guidance on how to think about their craft. (Notice I didn’t say, “aspiring writers” or “beginning writers”. I wish I read this book before teaching creative writing, and I’m sharing some of the essays, but I would never just toss it in the hands of a new writer and say, “Read it.”) Yet About Writing is more than a book for writers: it has a lot of value for active readers as well. Readers who are interested in the aesthetics of the craft, who want to think about how and why writers make the choices they do, will learn a lot from this book.
Highly recommended for writers and readers alike, About Writing is one of my favourite works of Delany’s that I’ve read to date. And now I feel more prepared to read some more.
June 28, 2016
This is basically the one writing book you need on your shelf. You can learn all those rules about style and grammar on the internet. This book delves deep into all the other stuff you didn't even realize was interesting or important until you hear Delany's opinion on it.
I got through the intro and thought, "Wow. How can the rest of this be this good?" Then thought the same thing at the end of the essays. Then thought the same thing at the end of the letters. Each section somehow kept getting better.
He discusses everything from his ideas on the misuse of flashbacks to establishing reputation/joining the "canon" (and what the heck this amorphous, ever-changing canon is). He talks about his own struggles and breakthroughs and doesn't sugar coat anything. I recall something along the lines of "It isn't even that most writers don't make it. Most great writers don't make it." He included himself amongst those who didn't make it.
He discusses talent and his ideas about teaching people to write at writing workshops. The importance of reading and what types of things to read. The use and abuse of experimental writing. The failings of Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. The politics of identity (black, gay, etc) on writing. Genre and its historical bonds and how sci-fi fits into the literary world at large.
On and on it goes. I'm tempted to start right over and do a complete read-through again. No book about writing comes close to this. Only in the Appendix does he finally get around to that stuff other "writing" books spend the whole time on. Get this now if you have any interest.
I got through the intro and thought, "Wow. How can the rest of this be this good?" Then thought the same thing at the end of the essays. Then thought the same thing at the end of the letters. Each section somehow kept getting better.
He discusses everything from his ideas on the misuse of flashbacks to establishing reputation/joining the "canon" (and what the heck this amorphous, ever-changing canon is). He talks about his own struggles and breakthroughs and doesn't sugar coat anything. I recall something along the lines of "It isn't even that most writers don't make it. Most great writers don't make it." He included himself amongst those who didn't make it.
He discusses talent and his ideas about teaching people to write at writing workshops. The importance of reading and what types of things to read. The use and abuse of experimental writing. The failings of Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. The politics of identity (black, gay, etc) on writing. Genre and its historical bonds and how sci-fi fits into the literary world at large.
On and on it goes. I'm tempted to start right over and do a complete read-through again. No book about writing comes close to this. Only in the Appendix does he finally get around to that stuff other "writing" books spend the whole time on. Get this now if you have any interest.
October 2, 2011
First off, I really like Samuel R. Delany's sf novels. They are so wonderfully well written, so disparate in their approach to languange, that I just collect him and read him off and on, knowing that his books will all entertain and get me excited.
So I found out about this book and had to buy it. I had to read what one of my favorite writers said about writing. It would be the same thing if Harlan Ellison wrote a book on writing. Or Hubert Selby Jr. These would be things to acquire and learn from.
Note now, Delany's book is meant for the honed creative writer who is looking to create publishable work. This is not meant for the beginning writer who thinks of good stories and wants some tips on getting those stories down (the appendix provides those tips, but the bulk of this book is not meant for them). This is not meant for the writer who does not want to ever publish. This is meant for the serious writer looking for an abstract discussion of what makes great books great and how good books can become great ones.
With that in mind, the essays are just about indispensable. The critique on "The Beach Fire" is fantastic and so are a lot of the other pieces. Delany does a good job of describing the way he writes and why he writes that way. He also discusses throughout the essays and the appendix how to edit what has been written (for him, the editing is not only concurrent with the writing, but also important after the writing to sharpen the images).
The letters are interesting, but only two of them really feel like they have any advice for writers (the one critiquing Toni Morrisons' The Bluest Eye, and the other discussing the writer's reputation). A third is short and may be nice if expanded (the last letter) but the first is there as a primer for the interviews.
Yes, the interviews. Really and truly, I disagree with the order they are presented in. "A Silent Interview" and "A Black Clock Interview" are the two most important pieces in that they really delve into writing. The first Para*Doxa interview is nice for the experimental writer (and discusses at length what it means to write experimental fiction/non-fiction), but Delany never really answers any of the questions being asked. In fact, for many of them, Delany comes off sounding more cantankerous than Harlan Ellison, which is a pretty mean feat. Still, there are pieces of worth there.
The Appendix is amazing and I will go about seeing if my high school Humanities teachers want to use the information. Nowhere have I read so well presented an argument on grammar, basics, and a little beyond the basics of creative writing. The beginning writer who purchases this book now starts reading back there. After a couple of pieces and experiments with the basics, then they go to the essays. And they should probably take those essays in an order other than that presented.
Overall, this was a very interesting read. One that spoke more abstractly about writing than I expected, but it was just about what I needed after Natalie Goldberg's piece. In fact, to use a pop-culture reference, Writing Down The Bones says "Everyone Can Write," and Delany's About Writing says, "But not everyone writes well." This book may not give you all the tools you need to write well, but it definitely points out the paths between the best written and the worst written.
As a final note, for a book on writing, there were certainly a lot of clunky sentences outside of the examples used. That was unfortunate.
So I found out about this book and had to buy it. I had to read what one of my favorite writers said about writing. It would be the same thing if Harlan Ellison wrote a book on writing. Or Hubert Selby Jr. These would be things to acquire and learn from.
Note now, Delany's book is meant for the honed creative writer who is looking to create publishable work. This is not meant for the beginning writer who thinks of good stories and wants some tips on getting those stories down (the appendix provides those tips, but the bulk of this book is not meant for them). This is not meant for the writer who does not want to ever publish. This is meant for the serious writer looking for an abstract discussion of what makes great books great and how good books can become great ones.
With that in mind, the essays are just about indispensable. The critique on "The Beach Fire" is fantastic and so are a lot of the other pieces. Delany does a good job of describing the way he writes and why he writes that way. He also discusses throughout the essays and the appendix how to edit what has been written (for him, the editing is not only concurrent with the writing, but also important after the writing to sharpen the images).
The letters are interesting, but only two of them really feel like they have any advice for writers (the one critiquing Toni Morrisons' The Bluest Eye, and the other discussing the writer's reputation). A third is short and may be nice if expanded (the last letter) but the first is there as a primer for the interviews.
Yes, the interviews. Really and truly, I disagree with the order they are presented in. "A Silent Interview" and "A Black Clock Interview" are the two most important pieces in that they really delve into writing. The first Para*Doxa interview is nice for the experimental writer (and discusses at length what it means to write experimental fiction/non-fiction), but Delany never really answers any of the questions being asked. In fact, for many of them, Delany comes off sounding more cantankerous than Harlan Ellison, which is a pretty mean feat. Still, there are pieces of worth there.
The Appendix is amazing and I will go about seeing if my high school Humanities teachers want to use the information. Nowhere have I read so well presented an argument on grammar, basics, and a little beyond the basics of creative writing. The beginning writer who purchases this book now starts reading back there. After a couple of pieces and experiments with the basics, then they go to the essays. And they should probably take those essays in an order other than that presented.
Overall, this was a very interesting read. One that spoke more abstractly about writing than I expected, but it was just about what I needed after Natalie Goldberg's piece. In fact, to use a pop-culture reference, Writing Down The Bones says "Everyone Can Write," and Delany's About Writing says, "But not everyone writes well." This book may not give you all the tools you need to write well, but it definitely points out the paths between the best written and the worst written.
As a final note, for a book on writing, there were certainly a lot of clunky sentences outside of the examples used. That was unfortunate.
July 30, 2020
mind blowing thank you king
April 1, 2020
I know when a book on the craft of fiction writing is good because I start turning down the bottom corners of pages so I can come back and pillage ideas to use in my own novels and stories, in essays on writing, and in the classes I teach at Grub Street and the Newport MFA in Creative Writing. This doesn’t happen as often as it used to, which no doubt reflects that 1) I’ve read quite a few craft books over the years and 2) I don’t read them very often any more.
Well, in this book I found myself turning down quite a few pages, especially in the essays on character and narrative structure. There’s a lot of fascinating and strikingly original thinking about fiction writing in this book, a mixed collection of essays, letters, and interviews written over the course of Delany’s long career as a critic, a teacher of writing, and one of the legitimate giants of American science fiction.
On the minus side, Delany is an incorrigible contrarian with a penchant for over-generalization and for making absolutist/dictatorial pronouncements about what can and cannot fly in fiction. There are certain authors that MUST be read, and rules of writing that MUST be followed, and many other things that should NEVER be attempted.
Really, you know, there are no rules in fiction writing. The rules are only there to save us trouble, and to provide easy shortcuts that keep us from having to make difficult choices as we write, something Delany refers to as “housekeeping.” But the writing and reading of fiction are matters of preference and taste, not of irreducible properties passed down to the masses from on high. Fiction writing isn’t easy and it’s not meant to be, which is why every writer, in my view, should be suspicious of advice that is presented in the form of hard and fast rules. Delany’s tendency to issue such sweeping promulgations, his divine certitudes, often rubbed this particular reader the wrong way.
In short, this book is not for the faint of heart, and it should be consumed with ample grains of salt. But it should definitely be consumed, especially by those fiction writers who consider themselves “advanced.” There is the electricity of legitimate genius running through these pages, and reading them has given me fresh ways of looking at the writing and reading of both literature and what Delany calls “paraliterature.” If I were less reluctant to make an absolutist pronouncement of my own, I might call it required reading.
Well, in this book I found myself turning down quite a few pages, especially in the essays on character and narrative structure. There’s a lot of fascinating and strikingly original thinking about fiction writing in this book, a mixed collection of essays, letters, and interviews written over the course of Delany’s long career as a critic, a teacher of writing, and one of the legitimate giants of American science fiction.
On the minus side, Delany is an incorrigible contrarian with a penchant for over-generalization and for making absolutist/dictatorial pronouncements about what can and cannot fly in fiction. There are certain authors that MUST be read, and rules of writing that MUST be followed, and many other things that should NEVER be attempted.
Really, you know, there are no rules in fiction writing. The rules are only there to save us trouble, and to provide easy shortcuts that keep us from having to make difficult choices as we write, something Delany refers to as “housekeeping.” But the writing and reading of fiction are matters of preference and taste, not of irreducible properties passed down to the masses from on high. Fiction writing isn’t easy and it’s not meant to be, which is why every writer, in my view, should be suspicious of advice that is presented in the form of hard and fast rules. Delany’s tendency to issue such sweeping promulgations, his divine certitudes, often rubbed this particular reader the wrong way.
In short, this book is not for the faint of heart, and it should be consumed with ample grains of salt. But it should definitely be consumed, especially by those fiction writers who consider themselves “advanced.” There is the electricity of legitimate genius running through these pages, and reading them has given me fresh ways of looking at the writing and reading of both literature and what Delany calls “paraliterature.” If I were less reluctant to make an absolutist pronouncement of my own, I might call it required reading.
September 6, 2023
Delany is a font of knowledge not only in the realm of Science Fiction, but the literary canon, literary history, the nuances of grammar, contemporary fiction and the zeitgeist, the craft of writing, education, and countless other subjects. There is so much accumulated knowledge that it's a wonder his head doesn't split open (though, some passages tend to spiral into long, wild tangents. And if his head won't literally split open, anyone who has seen a picture of his living spaces knows these open wounds are made physical in other ways).
His encyclopedic knowledge of writers going back centuries is genuinely inspiring. The raw tonnage of books he's read rivals anyone I can even think to name. He's the kind of person who says they read the final 600 pages of War and Peace in a 36 hour binge at thirteen years old and I believe him with no suspicion of exaggeration.
I don't know if I can exactly call him an eloquent speaker and lecturer when he rambles so often, but they were designed for a book like this. He is at least exhaustive and erudite in his subject matters, of which there are many.
Those going in expecting mostly thoughts on Science Fiction are about to get brained by an incredible amount of M.Forster and W.H. Auden. There are some juicy opinions about the genre that brought Delany fame as a writer, but it lives in the shadow of extensive surveys of books like The Red Badge of Courage, The Bluest Eye, and James Joyce's Ulysses.
Delany is a firm teacher. He seems to give the reader ample opportunities to go no further when giving writing advice, explaining that the world is always in need of electricians and tree planters. Not everyone is cut out to be a writer: it's one of the hardest jobs imaginable. He can't help but deliver these messages as bluntly as possible, but a determined writer looking to learn will emerge vaccinated and well-equipped.
The most important advice, as he underlines it in several sections, is understanding that each book is a system unto itself. It's a physical experience as well as a mental one. For putting this concept into words, I think I have to label it one of the more important books on writing one can have on hand.
There are tighter books on literature but this is an essential read for those devoting their life to literature in some way or another.
His encyclopedic knowledge of writers going back centuries is genuinely inspiring. The raw tonnage of books he's read rivals anyone I can even think to name. He's the kind of person who says they read the final 600 pages of War and Peace in a 36 hour binge at thirteen years old and I believe him with no suspicion of exaggeration.
I don't know if I can exactly call him an eloquent speaker and lecturer when he rambles so often, but they were designed for a book like this. He is at least exhaustive and erudite in his subject matters, of which there are many.
Those going in expecting mostly thoughts on Science Fiction are about to get brained by an incredible amount of M.Forster and W.H. Auden. There are some juicy opinions about the genre that brought Delany fame as a writer, but it lives in the shadow of extensive surveys of books like The Red Badge of Courage, The Bluest Eye, and James Joyce's Ulysses.
Delany is a firm teacher. He seems to give the reader ample opportunities to go no further when giving writing advice, explaining that the world is always in need of electricians and tree planters. Not everyone is cut out to be a writer: it's one of the hardest jobs imaginable. He can't help but deliver these messages as bluntly as possible, but a determined writer looking to learn will emerge vaccinated and well-equipped.
The most important advice, as he underlines it in several sections, is understanding that each book is a system unto itself. It's a physical experience as well as a mental one. For putting this concept into words, I think I have to label it one of the more important books on writing one can have on hand.
There are tighter books on literature but this is an essential read for those devoting their life to literature in some way or another.
January 30, 2020
Delany's "book about writing" is intelligent and erudite to the point of being frightening.
In my twenties, the reading lists that popped up here and there throughout the text were a matter of some concern. Not having much of a taste for classical literature myself, I got the impression that Delany had probably read more as an adolescent than I had in my life up to that point (and gotten more out of it, as well).
Now, in my thirties, I still feel the same way.
That isn't too say that Delany is some kind of snob, only that he sets the highest possible standards for himself and anyone else who sets out to write fiction. He takes it seriously, and so should you.
I don't know how much I've really learned from this book after multiple readings. Due to the breadth and depth of the ideas explored in its pages, I still have the sense of being a swimmer looking down into murky waters that may, for all I know, conceal a vast, sunken city that is the site of illimitable knowledge and arcane truths.
It's a humbling experience, to be sure.
In my twenties, the reading lists that popped up here and there throughout the text were a matter of some concern. Not having much of a taste for classical literature myself, I got the impression that Delany had probably read more as an adolescent than I had in my life up to that point (and gotten more out of it, as well).
Now, in my thirties, I still feel the same way.
That isn't too say that Delany is some kind of snob, only that he sets the highest possible standards for himself and anyone else who sets out to write fiction. He takes it seriously, and so should you.
I don't know how much I've really learned from this book after multiple readings. Due to the breadth and depth of the ideas explored in its pages, I still have the sense of being a swimmer looking down into murky waters that may, for all I know, conceal a vast, sunken city that is the site of illimitable knowledge and arcane truths.
It's a humbling experience, to be sure.
January 22, 2017
This was not the book for me.
As a self pubbed young adult and romance author I found this book condescending and the techniques not applicable for my work.
As a self pubbed young adult and romance author I found this book condescending and the techniques not applicable for my work.
January 8, 2017
Delany refers to his book here as a guide for more advanced writers. The book is a solid mix of general advice, detailed unpacking of techniques, interviews, and a few old school grammar overviews. A couple years ago I was not prepared to read this. It struck me as too dense and full of lists of writers who I had never heard of nor cared to spend the time reading. But time has passed and I found myself in need of a firm hand.
Delany's About Writing goes in on how to avoid thin, cluttered, and cliché writing through a number of techniques that serve to focus transmitting the image in ur head to the reader as best can be done.
His attitude, gracious flavor of snark, and discerning tone with which he discusses all manner of things related to writers, institutionalized writing programs, writing techniques, etc, makes for enjoyable reading (although at times can get tedious). Delany is unfathomably well read and has a fierce authoritative intellect, and it comes across as he speaks to the reader in this volume. Definitely put me on to a number of things i need to practice and reconsider with my own methods.
I'd rank it as a mid-level apprentice wizard type book for the wordsmith in training.
Delany's About Writing goes in on how to avoid thin, cluttered, and cliché writing through a number of techniques that serve to focus transmitting the image in ur head to the reader as best can be done.
His attitude, gracious flavor of snark, and discerning tone with which he discusses all manner of things related to writers, institutionalized writing programs, writing techniques, etc, makes for enjoyable reading (although at times can get tedious). Delany is unfathomably well read and has a fierce authoritative intellect, and it comes across as he speaks to the reader in this volume. Definitely put me on to a number of things i need to practice and reconsider with my own methods.
I'd rank it as a mid-level apprentice wizard type book for the wordsmith in training.
September 21, 2007
I am of the opinion that Samuel Delany’s Dhalgren is one of the most important novels of the last forty years. It is as challenging as Gravity’s Rainbow, but much more rewarding and politically complicated. And a friend said once, it makes you feel kind of funny when you read it.
I love most of Delany’s work, the essays on french theory, the memoirs on growing up black, queer and dyslexic in New York City, the science fiction, most of the gay porn (though not even I can stomach Hogg). When I saw this volume of his collected writings on writing, I had high hopes. I was disappointed. Delany on just about anything other than writing is an interesting, but here, I think he fell short. Good books on writing are hard to come by, beyond the technical nature of writing, there is little that can really be imparted in an essay, and especially and essay by a guy who is more comfortable with Lacan and spaceships than he is with self help talk of finding the writers voice.
If you’re looking for some good Delany, instead of About Writing, read Dhalgren, Nova, Longer Views, The Motion of Light in Water and 1984
I love most of Delany’s work, the essays on french theory, the memoirs on growing up black, queer and dyslexic in New York City, the science fiction, most of the gay porn (though not even I can stomach Hogg). When I saw this volume of his collected writings on writing, I had high hopes. I was disappointed. Delany on just about anything other than writing is an interesting, but here, I think he fell short. Good books on writing are hard to come by, beyond the technical nature of writing, there is little that can really be imparted in an essay, and especially and essay by a guy who is more comfortable with Lacan and spaceships than he is with self help talk of finding the writers voice.
If you’re looking for some good Delany, instead of About Writing, read Dhalgren, Nova, Longer Views, The Motion of Light in Water and 1984
April 27, 2009
I was really excited to stumble on this collection of essays and letters by one of my favorite writers on the craft of writing, but it doesn't quite live up to my hopes.
I haven't read the whole book yet, but the parts I have read are like meeting a fascinating person at a party who gets distracted and never finishes all the great ideas and stories they start. Delany has an incredibly agile mind though, and there is a lot to get out of these essays. A few tidbits:
The German idea of Begeisterung, (which he explains as "inspiration/enthusiasm") as the most important thing for a work, providing the endurance to get through difficult parts of work by passion, reason or both.
He talks a fair bit about the larger structuring of fiction, of the importance of understanding story structures, literary models and genre.
Not wholeheartedly recommended, but has excellent bits for writers who have moved past simple models and are looking to bump their fiction up to the next level. (Aka me.)
I haven't read the whole book yet, but the parts I have read are like meeting a fascinating person at a party who gets distracted and never finishes all the great ideas and stories they start. Delany has an incredibly agile mind though, and there is a lot to get out of these essays. A few tidbits:
The German idea of Begeisterung, (which he explains as "inspiration/enthusiasm") as the most important thing for a work, providing the endurance to get through difficult parts of work by passion, reason or both.
He talks a fair bit about the larger structuring of fiction, of the importance of understanding story structures, literary models and genre.
Not wholeheartedly recommended, but has excellent bits for writers who have moved past simple models and are looking to bump their fiction up to the next level. (Aka me.)
February 20, 2016
In this book, Mr. Delany offers many in-depth essays about the art and craft of writing fiction. Unlike many books that cover the same subject, this book goes into very fine detail of every aspect of writing. For those of you who have read Delany's work before, you already know of the man's intelligence. For newbies, be prepared: He does not let you play catch up; this is for serious writers or those who want to read long and complex analyses of the craft. For those looking for simple and general writing advice, STAY AWAY as this is not that. For the remainder of you, enjoy.
March 10, 2020
Если вы читаете эту рецензию, значит мне всё-таки удалось добавить данную книгу на сайт, и стать первым человеком на LiveLib, который не только прочитал её, но и отрецензировал; с гораздо большей вероятностью, рецензия никогда не увидит свет, потому что: а) на самом деле я её не писал б) я не закончил её, потому что лень в) после нескольких статей Сэмюэля Дилэни о писательстве мне было слишком стыдно выкладывать её на обозрение, ибо теперь я знаю, чем отличается «плохое» писательство от «хорошего», но это не помогает мне писать хорошо.
Всенепременно желая стать писакой, что разит не мечом, а пером, я перерыл кучу литературы в поисках одной универсальной формулы, которая приведёт меня у желаемому. В расход пошли «Как писать книги» Стивена Кинга, «Как стать писателем» Никитина, «Как написать гениальный роман» Фрея, «Искусство беллетристики» Айн Рэнд, «Птица за птицей» Ламотт и другие, и на каком-то этапе я понял, что одной формулы просто нет, что все писатели пишут по-разному, и, что, в общем-то, писательству нельзя научиться, читая подобное. И вот, однажды, совершая марш-бросок по номинантам различных литературных премий, я наткнулся на изумительное руководство для юных графоманов там, где меньше всего ожидал его обнаружить − в секторе научной фантастики...
Как известно, научная фантастика − не особо почётный жанр, так, быстрое бульварное чтиво на вечерок, но пролистав «Вавилон-17» и «Пересечение Эйнштейна», я почуял какую-то интригующую инаковость и решил поглотить всю библиографию оного писателя, среди которой, привлекая мое внимание, призывно блестел небольшой томик под названием «About Writing», который я, не отрываясь, прочел за несколько дней и убедился, что из всех книжек об искусстве письма именно эту стоит держать на своей полке.
То, как жестко Дилэни подходит к написанию своих романов и критике чужих, не совсем сходится с привычной простотой научной фантастики, но, если знать, что он опубликовал девять романов до двадцати пяти лет, за два из которых получил премии «Хьюго» и «Небьюла», а после написал свой экспериментальный магнум опус «Дальгрен» (первую главу из которого перевёл Энтони Шумов), вышедший почти одновременно с «Радугой тяготения» и не причисляемый многими к сайфаю вообще, то всё встанет на свои места. Перед нами усердно работающий писатель, настоящий писатель, который пашет денно и нощно, и в данной книге он дает множество мудрых советов, чтобы помочь умелым писателям стать в своем деле еще умелее. Уже из вступления становится ясно, насколько наше представление о профессии отличается от действительности; по опыту Дилэни, это тяжелейшая работа. Не то, что многие хорошие писатели часто не становятся успешными, но даже многие великие писатели навечно застревают в андерграунде (это отпугнет юных графоманов, меня уже точно испугало). Но давайте вернемся к нашим мечтаниям.
В семи эссе Дилэни обсуждает практически все аспекты написания хорошей прозы, начиная от структуры, заканчивая созданием персонажей, и даже позволяет на мгновение заглянуть в писательскую голову за работой, что для меня было самым интересным. А его осведомленность о мировой литературе просто поражает воображение, но не так сильно, как тот факт, что в тринадцать лет он не спал в течение тридцати шести часов, чтобы дочитать «Войну и мир» Толстого, поскольку просто не мог оторваться. В одном моменте он, конечно, называет Джозефа МакЭлроя «Джеймсом», но потом исправляется, так что простим старика, уж очень много хороших книг он советует, в том числе и более ранние руководства для писателей, на которых он учился сам, к примеру «ABC of Reading» by Ezra Pound и «Aspects of the Novel» by E. M. Forster. И прочие-прочие-прочие.
Скажу от себя: почерпнул из книги много, она явно хочет, чтобы читатель стал умнее, чем он есть; обязательно приобрету издание в мягкой обложке и буду держать его под рукой на все случаи писательских ступоров. А для юных графоманов небольшой совет: после покорения этой книги попробуйте перечитать свои наработки, не сгорев от стыда.
В конце привожу хохмочку в произвольном пересказе:
Книжный магазин. Седобородый Дилэни подходит к молодой девушке, которая сжимает в руках «Ratner`s Star» Дона Делилло.
− А вы в курсе, что эту книгу можно преспокойно поставить на полку в разделе научной фантастики? − говорит он, улыбаясь.
Она выглядит напуганной, потом натужно улыбается.
− Нет, нет, эта книга, на самом деле, довольно хороша.
Из чрева Дилэни исторгается смешок.
− Она хороша только на три четверти. В концовке автору просто надоедает писать её, и он превращает всё в сказочку по типу Сэмюэля Бекетта. На самом деле, это не работает.
− Ну нельзя же относить книжку к научной фантастике только из-за концовки!
В рот Дилэни снова попадает смешинка.
− Концовка и делает ее литературой. Остальная часть книги − всего лишь очень правдоподобный отчет молодого математика, который работает на правительство, пытаясь расшифровать послания с далекой звезды. Можете отнести свою книжонку в раздел сайфая.
С ее лица не сходит нахмуренный взгляд.
− Нет, − повторяет она, − это правда, правда-правда хорошая книга. Я ее прочла − она довольно прекрасна.
− Я ее тоже читал, − говорит Дилэни, − и она мне очень понравилась. Но потому я и говорю − это научная фантастика ...
Девушка выкрикивает не только в лицо седобородого Дилэни, но и на весь читальный зал:
− Это же просто БЕЗУМИЕ!
Затем она отворачивается и начинает бездумно перебирать книги на полках, что-то злостно бормоча себе под нос, и когда Дилэни смотрит на нее в последний раз, то видит, что в ее глазах стоят слезы. Слезы!
Всенепременно желая стать писакой, что разит не мечом, а пером, я перерыл кучу литературы в поисках одной универсальной формулы, которая приведёт меня у желаемому. В расход пошли «Как писать книги» Стивена Кинга, «Как стать писателем» Никитина, «Как написать гениальный роман» Фрея, «Искусство беллетристики» Айн Рэнд, «Птица за птицей» Ламотт и другие, и на каком-то этапе я понял, что одной формулы просто нет, что все писатели пишут по-разному, и, что, в общем-то, писательству нельзя научиться, читая подобное. И вот, однажды, совершая марш-бросок по номинантам различных литературных премий, я наткнулся на изумительное руководство для юных графоманов там, где меньше всего ожидал его обнаружить − в секторе научной фантастики...
Как известно, научная фантастика − не особо почётный жанр, так, быстрое бульварное чтиво на вечерок, но пролистав «Вавилон-17» и «Пересечение Эйнштейна», я почуял какую-то интригующую инаковость и решил поглотить всю библиографию оного писателя, среди которой, привлекая мое внимание, призывно блестел небольшой томик под названием «About Writing», который я, не отрываясь, прочел за несколько дней и убедился, что из всех книжек об искусстве письма именно эту стоит держать на своей полке.
То, как жестко Дилэни подходит к написанию своих романов и критике чужих, не совсем сходится с привычной простотой научной фантастики, но, если знать, что он опубликовал девять романов до двадцати пяти лет, за два из которых получил премии «Хьюго» и «Небьюла», а после написал свой экспериментальный магнум опус «Дальгрен» (первую главу из которого перевёл Энтони Шумов), вышедший почти одновременно с «Радугой тяготения» и не причисляемый многими к сайфаю вообще, то всё встанет на свои места. Перед нами усердно работающий писатель, настоящий писатель, который пашет денно и нощно, и в данной книге он дает множество мудрых советов, чтобы помочь умелым писателям стать в своем деле еще умелее. Уже из вступления становится ясно, насколько наше представление о профессии отличается от действительности; по опыту Дилэни, это тяжелейшая работа. Не то, что многие хорошие писатели часто не становятся успешными, но даже многие великие писатели навечно застревают в андерграунде (это отпугнет юных графоманов, меня уже точно испугало). Но давайте вернемся к нашим мечтаниям.
В семи эссе Дилэни обсуждает практически все аспекты написания хорошей прозы, начиная от структуры, заканчивая созданием персонажей, и даже позволяет на мгновение заглянуть в писательскую голову за работой, что для меня было самым интересным. А его осведомленность о мировой литературе просто поражает воображение, но не так сильно, как тот факт, что в тринадцать лет он не спал в течение тридцати шести часов, чтобы дочитать «Войну и мир» Толстого, поскольку просто не мог оторваться. В одном моменте он, конечно, называет Джозефа МакЭлроя «Джеймсом», но потом исправляется, так что простим старика, уж очень много хороших книг он советует, в том числе и более ранние руководства для писателей, на которых он учился сам, к примеру «ABC of Reading» by Ezra Pound и «Aspects of the Novel» by E. M. Forster. И прочие-прочие-прочие.
Скажу от себя: почерпнул из книги много, она явно хочет, чтобы читатель стал умнее, чем он есть; обязательно приобрету издание в мягкой обложке и буду держать его под рукой на все случаи писательских ступоров. А для юных графоманов небольшой совет: после покорения этой книги попробуйте перечитать свои наработки, не сгорев от стыда.
В конце привожу хохмочку в произвольном пересказе:
Книжный магазин. Седобородый Дилэни подходит к молодой девушке, которая сжимает в руках «Ratner`s Star» Дона Делилло.
− А вы в курсе, что эту книгу можно преспокойно поставить на полку в разделе научной фантастики? − говорит он, улыбаясь.
Она выглядит напуганной, потом натужно улыбается.
− Нет, нет, эта книга, на самом деле, довольно хороша.
Из чрева Дилэни исторгается смешок.
− Она хороша только на три четверти. В концовке автору просто надоедает писать её, и он превращает всё в сказочку по типу Сэмюэля Бекетта. На самом деле, это не работает.
− Ну нельзя же относить книжку к научной фантастике только из-за концовки!
В рот Дилэни снова попадает смешинка.
− Концовка и делает ее литературой. Остальная часть книги − всего лишь очень правдоподобный отчет молодого математика, который работает на правительство, пытаясь расшифровать послания с далекой звезды. Можете отнести свою книжонку в раздел сайфая.
С ее лица не сходит нахмуренный взгляд.
− Нет, − повторяет она, − это правда, правда-правда хорошая книга. Я ее прочла − она довольно прекрасна.
− Я ее тоже читал, − говорит Дилэни, − и она мне очень понравилась. Но потому я и говорю − это научная фантастика ...
Девушка выкрикивает не только в лицо седобородого Дилэни, но и на весь читальный зал:
− Это же просто БЕЗУМИЕ!
Затем она отворачивается и начинает бездумно перебирать книги на полках, что-то злостно бормоча себе под нос, и когда Дилэни смотрит на нее в последний раз, то видит, что в ее глазах стоят слезы. Слезы!
February 8, 2009
Not just a book on writing instruction or a memoir of the writing life (although both of that is in here), but also a thorough examination of Delany's literary theory and criticism. It is a complete engagement with literature, and once again reveals a thoughtful, intelligent, and astute academic observer of the entire literary (and paraliterary) experience. (Full review here.)
May 12, 2009
Some of the best essays on writing and aesthetics to be found anywhere.
September 22, 2023
An essay typically consists of three main parts: the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. The introduction should provide some background information and present your thesis statement, which is the main point or argument of your essay. The body paragraphs will support your thesis with evidence and examples. Each paragraph should focus on a single idea and flow logically from one to the next. Finally, the conclusion should summarize your main points and restate your thesis differently. Don't forget to cite your sources properly to avoid plagiarism. Use a citation style like MLA, APA, or Chicago, depending on your assignment's requirements. Now, here's a useful resource I stumbled upon: https://writersperhour.com/blog/teach.... It offers some great insights into the evolution of modern essays, which can help you understand the context and trends in essay writing. Remember, practice makes perfect. The more essays you write, the better you'll become at it.
October 11, 2020
I'll be revisiting this book shortly, if nothing else to re-read some passages that unlocked and cleared away a decades-old reluctance towards reading works of fiction, an unease I unintentionally saddled myself with at university: reading fiction wasn't "useful" for my studies, thus to be avoided.
The solution to this self-inflicted daftness lies in what Delany calls "reading for information". That'd be reading for the information with wich a writer can infuse a scene, a description, what have you. For some reason, this attitude towards reading works of fiction helped me tremendously in regaining an appreciation of litterature, and not being a non-fiction-hermit.
The book's been on my shelf since 2012-ish, damned if I know how it took me so long to get around to it...
The solution to this self-inflicted daftness lies in what Delany calls "reading for information". That'd be reading for the information with wich a writer can infuse a scene, a description, what have you. For some reason, this attitude towards reading works of fiction helped me tremendously in regaining an appreciation of litterature, and not being a non-fiction-hermit.
The book's been on my shelf since 2012-ish, damned if I know how it took me so long to get around to it...
August 23, 2022
4.5
Was agog after finding out Samuel Delany, of all people, had written a book about writing for young writers.
Out of all the creative writing stuff I’ve read over the past few months, the essays in the first 1/3 of this book have been the most helpful.
Letters and interviews get a little long, but they’re always compelling. Delany has such an authoritative voice that you want to hear him out even if you disagree with him. (He rips into The Bluest Eye for almost the entirety of one letter, for instance.)
Another book that convinced me I need to read everything by an author. (Well, most everything—not sure I can handle some of Delany’s more, uh, explicit material.)
Was agog after finding out Samuel Delany, of all people, had written a book about writing for young writers.
Out of all the creative writing stuff I’ve read over the past few months, the essays in the first 1/3 of this book have been the most helpful.
Letters and interviews get a little long, but they’re always compelling. Delany has such an authoritative voice that you want to hear him out even if you disagree with him. (He rips into The Bluest Eye for almost the entirety of one letter, for instance.)
Another book that convinced me I need to read everything by an author. (Well, most everything—not sure I can handle some of Delany’s more, uh, explicit material.)
May 7, 2020
There's some good stuff in here for folks interested in creative writing, particularly sci-fi and experimental writing. There's also some good stuff here for fans of Delany's writing - and the writing itself is good here too. So I can imagine recommending pieces from this collection for one group or the other, but I can't really recommend the whole book unless you're both a Delany fan and a creative writer yourself. When Delany talks about what it means to be a Great Writer here, he can also occasionally be a bit of a Pretentious Twat.
January 24, 2020
I enjoyed some of the advice of the first part of the book, but the rest was not as interesting. Delany’s writing style was full of long lists of names, never ending paragraphs (repeatedly interrupted by parentheses), more names, (more parentheses), etc.
Worst of all, I was really put off by the author's voice. Delany's take on writing seemed very elitist. His constant focus on "talent", and "genius" did not make great advice on craft.
Worst of all, I was really put off by the author's voice. Delany's take on writing seemed very elitist. His constant focus on "talent", and "genius" did not make great advice on craft.
August 21, 2022
I think there are writing guides for the writing student, and then there are writing guides for the professional author. I think that, in some homage to Delany's beloved Continental Philosophy, the first kind will teach you how to build a city, and the second kind will teach you how to think about the city. I have my misgivings about the first kind - I think that an avid reader would learn how to write by reading, and I think that a professional author would learn how to write better from reading and from challenging himself against his older work, so I think the main justification for their existence, like writing workshops, is to show the novice writers the ropes and mostly - give them the assurance that their work has merit and has room in the world, that they are not doing anything "wrong".
However, since an avid reader already has the instincts to recognize good writing - at least what they consider good writing - and since there's no way to get it "wrong" when one is serious about one's art, the first kind of writing guides are training wheels, or better yet - your father running after you, holding the bike rack - at some point you should only realize he'd let go by looking back and seeing the mileage you covered by yourself.
The second kind is the one that should help you think about your craft differently. I have a friend who wrote his Ph.D. thesis about "The rider and the bicycle as a cybernetic entity", and I think that this is what this book is compared with the training wheels example above. It's not trying to be nice, it's not trying to be easy, and it most certainly not trying to make you feel good about your writing (one of the letters in the book is about how one must have some talent to write, which is the complete opposite of what most guidebooks will tell you), but it will make you THINK, and figure out how the things are relevant to your work.
It's not an easy read. I’ve owned this book for years, it’s now crumpled from having been carried hither and thither across cities and countries, and there are parts I still haven’t read, but it is highly recommended for the professional and serious writer who’s willing to take a more intellectual approach.
However, since an avid reader already has the instincts to recognize good writing - at least what they consider good writing - and since there's no way to get it "wrong" when one is serious about one's art, the first kind of writing guides are training wheels, or better yet - your father running after you, holding the bike rack - at some point you should only realize he'd let go by looking back and seeing the mileage you covered by yourself.
The second kind is the one that should help you think about your craft differently. I have a friend who wrote his Ph.D. thesis about "The rider and the bicycle as a cybernetic entity", and I think that this is what this book is compared with the training wheels example above. It's not trying to be nice, it's not trying to be easy, and it most certainly not trying to make you feel good about your writing (one of the letters in the book is about how one must have some talent to write, which is the complete opposite of what most guidebooks will tell you), but it will make you THINK, and figure out how the things are relevant to your work.
It's not an easy read. I’ve owned this book for years, it’s now crumpled from having been carried hither and thither across cities and countries, and there are parts I still haven’t read, but it is highly recommended for the professional and serious writer who’s willing to take a more intellectual approach.
November 18, 2022
This has a lot of good information, but it's dense. It's hard to digest all of it. It is also majorly influenced by the fact that Delaney is a highly critical reader; I had difficulty connecting with his advice even before he mentioned 15% of the way in that he DNFed 19 out of 20 books he started reading. I might come back to this later to read more of it, but for now I've had all I care to read of this book.
May 25, 2018
Dense but valuable ruminations on the art, craft, and business of writing. I found the book, a compilation of interviews, articles, and speeches Mr. Delany had delivered, to be packed with gems. Not everything was new, but it's comforting to see one's own ill-formed ideas validated by someone with the ability to form coherent rules. Not an easy read, but a rewarding one.
August 18, 2019
Although some of this (especially the appendix at the end) is about how to write well, most of it is literary criticism, musings on the literary canon, the state of literature today and specifically SF. As a popular author in several genres, critic, and English professor, Delany is incredibly knowledgeable so most of the essays and interviews are enlightening if that's your cup of tea.
February 25, 2019
If I could recommend one book to those wishing to write well, it would be this book. I've used this book constantly when writing professionally for games, to publish my own fiction, and when teaching writing fiction.
November 24, 2020
This was extremely helpful and quite insightful. It's just what it claims to be in the title- a book about writing somewhat generally, rather than an instructive manual. Well written and extremely intuitive.
June 21, 2022
There are some nuggets of gold in these essays. There's also some ivory tower pontificating that I'm not really interested in. What makes it an interesting read is that no two readers will likely agree on which parts are gold and which are dross.
October 17, 2023
Incredibly dense and with a style in which he likes to meander in his arguments, (and I'm uncertain if I like some of them either tbh lol) the start and ending section of this book is the strongest writing advice I've read in quite a while. Definitely recommend it.
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