FICTION-WRITING BOOKS: Gold Mine or Slag Heap?

Critics of fiction-writing guides abound, but how-to books offer a treasure of expertise. Part of the controversy dates back to the ancient Greeks, while part reflects a philosophical difference in attitudes toward learning and teaching.

According to Ben Yagoda, in The Sound on the Page, the debate over form versus substance goes back as far as Socrates and Plato on one hand and Gorgias on the other.

That debate continues today between the proponents of literary fiction and the popular genres. Since the proponents of literary works value of the art of fiction over its content, they have little regard for books that advance the craft of fiction.

Among the writers who do value craft, a significant number seem to believe that writers are born, not taught. In Plot and Structure, James Scott Bell describes what he calls the Big Lie: ". . . I had been told that writing could not be taught. Writers are born, people said. You either have what it takes or you don't, and if you don't you'll never get it." According to Bell, that lie cost him "ten years of prime writing life."

Another group of critics seem to think that writing can only be learned by reading the classics or some other set of "good" fiction. Of course, reading fiction has its value. On the other hand, learning the craft of fiction by studying the classics is the equivalent of trying to develop next-generation automobiles by studying the Model T.

According to William Zinsser, in On Writing Well, "You learn to write by writing." By extension, you learn to write novels by writing novels. Of course, that advice only goes so far. Imagine a world where aeronautical engineers and brain surgeons learned their craft by trial and error. In school, they studied textbooks.

Reasonable people can disagree. And those with entrenched notions about how, or even whether, fiction-writing can be learned are not likely to change their minds. But aspiring authors who would like to improve their understanding of fiction and the process of writing novel-length fiction may find a wealth of information in how-to books.

Fiction-writing books vary greatly in content. Some range widely in subject matter, just touching on the topics. Others focus narrowly, penetrating to great depths on specific topics. Many of the books duplicate information and concepts covered by earlier books. Some authors contradict each other. Some books are padded with mind-numbing verbiage that is a chore to slog through. Some of the books promote concepts that just don't stand up to reason or the passage of time. Books by famous authors are often more biographical than technical.

Almost all the books offer at least some insight worth noting for further thought and reference. Studying how-to books is akin to mining. After you have gleaned the basic concepts, the real work begins: separating tons of ore from the nuggets and gems.

Learn more about this author, Mike Klaassen.
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