I’ve been reading Ursula Le Guin’s book, ‘Steering the Craft’ for the past week and a half and it is amazing. I was not expecting such a thorough book. Going in, I was expecting something more like ‘On Writing,’ a book about writing, but not a book that teaches you to write. Boy was I wrong. I haven’t read much Le Guin, but one thing I learned about her in a science fiction course I took in college was that she is known for a firm grasp on the audience. She knows who she is writing for and how best to create a work of substance to keep them reading. ‘Steering the Craft’ is nothing but. It grabbed me immediately because it is so well-positioned as a book for more advanced writers, people looking to take their game to the next level by, well, having their craft steered in the right direction. Through a plethora of textual examples from famous literature, exercise after exercise, and a personable yet authoritative voice, Le Guin draws the reader a map to sail right through all the rockiest shores the craft of creative writing could possibly threaten you with. I’m only halfway through and I’ve learned so much from this book that I can’t help but share with the blog.
Le Guin begins with a disclaimer explaining that the book is aimed at more advanced writers who have already cut their teeth on a few stories. She says that basic grammar is a prerequisite, but kindly takes the time to cover basic sentence structure and punctuation anyway. I honestly don’t think this book could hurt you if you haven’t already started your writing journey, but the control over the craft that some of the exercises require might make things difficult. Worth it though.
The exercises are just the best. ‘Steering the Craft’ was written as a course book for a class that Le Guin herself taught on the subject, and was later revised as a more standalone workbook that anybody can use on their own to improve their writing. I’ve been steadily working through the exercises on rhythm, sentence length, perspective, person, tense, and all the other basic things that can easily be taken for granted if you’re not careful. Attempting to write, for example, a whole story with sentences that are seven words or less, then writing that same story with one giant sentence, is just one of the many ingenius methods Le Guin has to stretch out your mind and break patterns that you didn’t know you had. Every single chapter has taught me something I didn’t know I didn’t know. The best way to enjoy the process is as a group though …
Yes, it does suggest you make some writer friends to take full advantage. Reading your stuff aloud to others is definitely the most intimidating part of the book and is why it’s aimed at more seasoned writers. You can safely use this book by yourself though, and that’s why I said it probably can’t hurt you. Thankfully for me, this book came highly recommended from some friends of mine. With a few people to work through the exercises with, the benefits of the novel are multiplied. Critique, both giving and receiving, is critical to your improvement as a writer and reader too. There is always a hole or two in your craft you can’t see that someone else will find obvious, and as soon as they point it out, you’ll just want to slap your forehead and go ‘Duh!’ The great thing about it is that you’ll never miss it again though. I highly recommend working through this book with a partner in crime or two to get the most out of it.
I cannot praise this book enough. Best craft book I’ve ever read, bar none.
Thank you for reading,
Benjamin Hawley
Dangerous Day Job 