One Writer's Beginnings by Eurdora Welty

Yes, this is the actual cover.  And yes, I spent time reading it in the hot tub at my health club.  It was worth it.

Stephen Koch recommended this book at the end of his (review here) and I'm so glad he did.  The content of "One Writer's Beginnings" was birthed out of a set of three lectures Welty gave at Harvard University in 1983.  It is mostly memoir, while using her life experiences to teach about writing fiction.  The analogies she makes are poignant and well-timed; challenging, yet accessible.  And while it is brief (104 pages), it is also powerful.

Welty focuses mostly on memory and relationships.  Her own memory, she says, "...is the treasure most dearly regarded by me, in my life and in my work as a writer."  She proposes that all of our characters, all of our stories, come from our memories of our life experiences.  We create the unknown from that which is known.  I really appreciate this perspective, because I believe it to be true.  And Welty admits that we may not even realize it until years later, when we read the story again, where the ideas or patterns or themes came from.  "There would be no way to know this," she says, "for during the writing of any single story, there is no other existing." 

Welty's use of language is mesmerizing.  Time after time I shook my head at a simple turn-of-phrase.  "A good snapshot stopped a moment from running away," she says, sharing what photography taught her about writing.  "And I felt the need to hold transient life in words - there's so much more of life that only words can convey - strongly enough to last me as long as I lived."  Welty's dry wit made me smile, and outright laugh, at times.

Welty wrote this book in her seventies and the love and admiration for her family, especially her parents, is clear and powerful.  I didn't notice the dedication to her parents until after I finished the book, but when I saw it, it made all the sense in the world.  She talks a lot about what she learned from her parents, but what struck me most was their desire to facilitate Eudora's love of reading.  If nothing else, I was inspired to start reading "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" to my six-year old son (we read chapter one tonight).  I want my children to read and to love doing it.  I want them to become a part of the stories they read and to be fascinated by words and how they fit together to make things interesting.  I aspire to be to my children who Eudora Welty's parents were to her.

This is a beautifully and intelligently written memoir; one that will engage any fan of the genre. 

The Modern Library Writer's Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction by Stephen Koch

Though I've not ventured far into the forest of fiction writing, Stephen Koch's guide to writing it has prepared me to do so. And though nonfiction writing is where I spend most of my time, Koch reveals the closeness of the two when he says, "It lurks near the secret heart of many a project. There is an unwritten novel silently brooding over most works of nonfiction, just as there is a true story lurking in the shadows of almost every novel or short story. The two hover near each other. To embark on one is to sense the other. This is because of their common source in the merger of imagination and fact. Reach into it and you will touch something alive, something central to the art of storytelling" (p.136). So, regardless of the arena of writing in which you find yourself, expect improvement after reading Koch's guide.

Koch relies heavily on quotes from notable authors (Hemingway, James, King, Highsmith, etc.), which lends credibility to his advice. His writing is clear and concise, not coincidentally two traits he pushes for throughout the book to ensure good writing. The sections about structure, style and voice, and revision/re-writing were particularly strong. Koch gives us permission, as it were, to dispel the fear and trepidation we have as writers by giving us encouragement and confidence that we are not alone in our journey toward improvement. Sometimes we'll get lost and need to re-examine the structure of our work. Perhaps we're worried that our voice will only be a hodge-podge of the authors we admire. Maybe the revision of our work is Everest. Koch helps us understand the normalcy of these worries, and others, and gives us good advice about what to do with them.

Overall, Koch's offering is an indispensable resource for any writer. Additionally, I've already used the index numerous times; an appreciated extra for such a relatively slim volume. This guide may have a long title, but it remains a quick and powerful read that will be pulled from your bookshelf often.