http://swshinn.com/writing-tips/how-to-be-a-splendid-writer/ Fiction / Writing Tips / S. W. Shinn's Writing Updates Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:32:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://swshinn.com/writing-tips/how-to-be-a-splendid-writer/comment-page-1/#comment-11 John Desjarlais Sat, 13 Aug 2005 16:38:54 +0000 http://swshinn.com/story-mechanics/how-to-be-a-splendid-writer/#comment-11 I believe this quote about reading books in the way an architect studies buildings comes from John Gardner, whose books "The Art of Fiction" and "On Becoming a Novelist" are two of the very best works in the field. As I recall, Gardner's other analogy is reading books the way a med student observes surgery. His book, "On Moral Fiction," is important for people of faith, too (although Flannery O'Conner is really the person to know, especially her collection of essays on the art of writing, "Mystery and Manners"). I believe this quote about reading books in the way an architect studies buildings comes from John Gardner, whose books “The Art of Fiction” and “On Becoming a Novelist” are two of the very best works in the field. As I recall, Gardner’s other analogy is reading books the way a med student observes surgery. His book, “On Moral Fiction,” is important for people of faith, too (although Flannery O’Conner is really the person to know, especially her collection of essays on the art of writing, “Mystery and Manners”).

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