I am almost finished my reading. I will have finished the pile of fiction for the single column and it will be written up as soon as yontef is out and I will feel terribly, terribly virtuous. This means that tomorrow's first book (or tonight's last) will be The Gentleman's Art of Dressing with Economy (published by The British Library - I think this is my first BL review book). I don't know why this little volume is such a spur, but it is the one that pushed me into that big catchup. The big catchup all being fantasy novels (mostly relatively epic) helped. My unlearned opinion is that Mark Chadbourn really knows his craft. This unfortunately meant I didn't have to read all three of his books, but the remainder can be a special treat for another day. and a special treat they will be, for craftmanship guarantees a good read.
I'm collecting books that teach craft skills, and Chadbourn's work is so much going on my mental list. Also Kate Elliott's, I think and Chaz Brenchley's (who won't notice this mention of him, for I say so). This is my resolution for today.
Far too many books I've been reading recently would be improved by a little more attention to the flow of ideas and who owns them, to introducing the world at the right pace for the reader and the narrative, to having sufficient small detail of the world so that it comes to life. We're getting a lot more fiction on our shelves where the writer has some rather nice talent and some neat ideas and a tremendous love of story, but hasn't sat down and learned the craft. I don't care if the learning is done through courses, through apprenticeship, through beta criticism or through simply reading widely and thoughtfully. The books lacking in it make me very sad, for they could so easily be totally magic. I want to edit some books and teach other writers in a class and just shake the shoulders of those who are lazy.
If anyone else also feels strongly about this, please feel free to comment on favourite aspects of craft and give examples of the books that illustrate them for you, and I'll put a post up summarising it all and we can send writers to that post. Also, I can read the books I haven't read and learn the aspects of craft that are lacking in my work and my own novels will improve. All laudable aims.
I shall also take your thoughts and my thoughts on board and add to them and write them up at greater length here (eventually), or for an article somewhere (if someone wants a longer article on the subject) or for teaching notes or for all three. This is because I am greedy and want more books of higher quality in my reading life and getting the word out there that there are skills that can help and techniques that can be learned will help, I suspect.
Have I earned a cup of tea yet?
PS Look Ma, no footnotes!
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