Writing fiction is truly mysterious.

Some extremely talented individuals seem to be able to create it intuitively, as if it flows out of them effortlessly. However, for the rest of us, the words of those who have managed to figure out a part of this mystery and are kind enough to share can be of great benefit.

This is not just light reading; rather, it is like a goldmine for anyone who is attempting to crack the mysteries of the fiction-writing craft.

Take this sentence for example: “The plot goes forward at the pace of its own necessity, its own heartbeat. Its way ahead, its line of meaning, is kept clear and unsnarled, stretched tight as a tuned string.”

Not only is this sentence beautiful in itself, but it is also filled with wisdom that can be extremely useful for writers. And this little book is full of such precious gems.

Some writing books are highly academic, others are filled with arguments and theories, and some are quite entertaining and funny. This particular writing book, however, is writerly. It feels as if Eudora Welty crafted it with the same meticulous care that she put into her own fiction. What a wonderful gift it is.

This slim little volume is a treasure trove that contains a collection of seven essays on writing. These essays were penned by the renowned Eudora Welty between 1949 and 1973. The topics covered are diverse and fascinating. Some of the subjects include place, short stories, voice, language, and time in fiction.

In the essay 'Words into Fiction', Welty makes a profound statement. She asserts that the mystery of fiction lies in the use of language to express human life. She further elaborates, "In writing, do we try to solve this mystery? No, I think we take hold of the other end of the stick. In very practical ways, we rediscover the mystery. We even, I might say, take advantage of it."

There is an abundance of wisdom to be found within these pages for both the critical reader and the committed writer. It offers valuable insights and perspectives that can enhance one's understanding and appreciation of the art of writing. Whether you are a novice or an experienced writer, this collection of essays is sure to inspire and inform.

Here is the expanded article:

An Elegant Few Chapters from an Elegant Writer

This collection presents an elegant few chapters penned by an equally elegant writer. The focus is predominantly on the novel, but in essence, it delves into the profound aspects of life, meaning, and art. The writer's words flow gracefully, painting vivid pictures and inviting readers to explore the intricate tapestry of the literary world. Each chapter is a gem, offering unique insights and perspectives that engage the mind and touch the heart.

It is a must-read for those who appreciate the beauty and power of the written word. Whether you are a lover of novels, a seeker of meaning in life, or an admirer of art, this work has something to offer. Recommended without hesitation.

The only reason I managed to finish this book in such a haste is that it is due back at the library today. As a result, I had to dash pell-mell towards the end. I would be dishonest if I were to claim that perhaps having a longer time to read it would enhance my score.

I firmly believe that this book was excellent for many individuals. I'm certain they found it captivating, profound, and wise. I'm positive they truly relished it.

The book consists of a series of seven essays that convey very little within its 106 pages. Here and there, there are nuggets of wisdom (such as time in fiction should not be "then and then" but rather "therefore" or "nevertheless"), but uncovering them is as scarce and exasperating as scouring the entire Atlantic Ocean for genuine pearls. Yes, I may seem harsh, but I have a valid reason for being so: the essays are "deep" yet devoid of meaning. It is充斥着abstract philosophy that is neither useful, enlightening, nor even remotely interesting to me, a young writer. Matters that could be expressed succinctly are stretched out over page after page of needless elaboration. Coincidentally, the finest essay in this collection is also the briefest one: "Is Phoenix Jackson's Grandson Really Dead?"

This book simply failed to resonate with me. I have never perused Welty's work before, and her style does not align with my reading preferences.

2/5 stars

Money quotes:

"Each story, it seems to me, thrives in the course of being written only as long as it seems to have a life of its own." This profound statement emphasizes the importance of allowing a story to develop organically. When writing, it's essential to let the narrative take on a life of its own, guiding the author rather than being forced. This approach often leads to more engaging and authentic stories that resonate with readers.

"To write honestly and with all our powers is the least we can do, and the most." Writing with honesty requires courage and vulnerability. It means laying bare our true thoughts, feelings, and experiences, even if they are uncomfortable or unpopular. By doing so, we can connect with readers on a deeper level and create works that have a lasting impact. Writing with all our powers means giving our best effort, honing our skills, and不断探索 new ways to express ourselves. It's not always easy, but it's the only way to create truly great writing.

Faulkner looms so large, and deservedly so.

However, he has almost completely obscured two other southern writers who I count among my favorites: Eudora Welty and Flannery O'Connor.

Here, Welty, in her role as a critic, offers a palate of vibrant and characteristically subtle observations on writers ranging from Chekhov to Hemingway.

She is an aesthete who stands defiant in contrast to our current moment.

As a book on writing, Welty's work presents the standard uphill battle. After all, you can't teach art.

This book is much better regarded as a collection of essays instead.

It shows Welty's breadth as an essayist in addition to her timeless talent as a novelist.

Her insights and perspectives provide a valuable addition to the literary canon, and offer readers a unique and engaging look at the world of literature and writing.

Overall, Welty's work is a testament to her skill and passion as a writer and critic, and is well worth reading for anyone interested in the art of literature.

The challenge to writers today, I think, is not to disown any part of our heritage.

Whatever our theme in writing, it is old and tried. For instance, themes like love, loss, and hope have been explored countless times.

Whatever our place, it has been visited by the stranger, and it will never be new again.

However, it is only the vision that can be new; but that is enough. A writer with a unique vision can breathe new life into an old theme or a familiar place.

Indeed, learning to write may be part of learning to read.

For all I know, writing comes out of a superior devotion to reading. Reading exposes us to different styles, voices, and ideas, which we can then incorporate into our own writing.

It was my first-year Latin teacher in high school who made me discover I'd fallen in love with grammar.

It took Latin to thrust me into a bona fide alliance with words in their true meaning.

Learning Latin fed my love for words upon words in continuation and modification, and the beautiful, sober, accretion of a sentence.

I could see the achieved sentence finally standing there, as real, intact, and built to stay as the Mississippi State Capitol at the top of my street.

Grammar became my tool for constructing sentences that were not only correct but also beautiful and meaningful.

This little book consists of seven essays penned between 1943 and 1974. All of them focus on the acts of writing and reading fiction. Each one is deeply subjective, almost having the nature of diary entries. Consequently, the writing is (for Ms. Welty) unusually opaque. Some passages are nearly impenetrable. However, as always, when she hits the jackpot:

Great fiction, we are very much afraid, is rife with what leads to confusion; it generates it, being on a scale that copies life, which it faces. It is very rarely neat, tends to sprawl and break free from bounds, is capable of contradicting itself, and is not immune to humor. There is absolutely everything in fiction except a clear answer.

If the personal vision could be made to order, then we would lose, both writer and reader alike, our own gift for perceiving, seeing through the fabric of everyday life to what is a unique thing for each pair of eyes on earth. We would accept life exactly like everyone else, and thus, of course, be content with it. We should not even miss our vanished novelists. And if life ever became not worth writing fiction about, that, I believe, would be the first sign that it wasn't worth living.

We in the South are a despised people these days; we were first hated for specific and actual reasons, and now we may be hated even more in some vast, unspecified way. I believe there must be such a thing as sentimental hate. Our people hate back.

From the simplest to the most incredibly complicated, a plot is a device inherent in human struggle, designed for the exploration of human truth. It is highly sensitive to time from the very beginning, it acts within time, and it is in its time that we ourselves see it and follow it.

CAVEAT: I have only perused about 40% of this book. It simply doesn't resonate with me (at least not at present).

SUMMARY OF MY REVIEW: I am not seeking emotionally charged prose to learn how to pen such writing. Instead, I desired more straightforward, lucid, and instructional guidelines. Even though on a local level, I admired her remarkable skill.

ENTIRE REVIEW:

I had anticipated something more explicitly instructive. I discovered this to be more of a review of works, along with her responses to them, combined with instruction deeply embedded in poetic writing. The education within the initial 40 - 50% appeared strictly at a level that I would describe as intuitive, ethereal, emotional, and poetic, among other things. I felt as if I understood, yet had to observe closely and interpret a great deal of emotional writing to extract the (quite excellent) instructions. This made it a laborious task with a certain risk of missing her points. FURTHERMORE, since it lacked a narrative arc like a story, it was more challenging to remain engrossed in it, despite my efforts. (One who adores this book might accuse me of being simple-minded and easily bored - well, who am I to dispute that?)

FOR EXAMPLE, on page 39 (Kindle location 609) in "Place in Fiction," she states, "Place is one of the lesser angels that watch over the racing hand of fiction, perhaps the one that gazes benignly enough from off to one side, while others, like character, plot, symbolic meaning, and so on, are doing a good deal of wing-beating about her chair, and feeling, who in my eyes carries the crown, soars highest of them all and rightly relegates place into the shade."

OK, I largely concur and understand. (Some outstanding books are not written in this manner, but she still makes a valid point.) She could have imparted the instruction with far fewer words, more precisely, and then provided her (excellent) example of a more "feeling" based version. I would have LOVED that. I desire instruction to be direct. I am NOT looking for emotionally charged writing to learn how to create emotionally charged writing.

Having stated my preference, I will say that she is highly skilled, and her ability to convey a point in a way that can elicit emotional reverberations in the reader is truly remarkable. However, it falls short in communicating the core concepts of precisely HOW to do what she is attempting to teach.

On first being drawn into the expansive world of a new author, I generally have a portal, which is that author's best known, best loved, and/or first book.

In some cases, due to particular circumstances, I might start off on a minor work. Willfully transporting myself for lack of an adequate device, I build up my traveling one by one by dimensions. However, by the rule of habit, a book of literary criticism by a fiction author is a late point of encampment on a typical excursion.

As much as I adhere to such a convention, I would also make a point of convening on bucking conventions based on an inner or a social duty.

So, with Eudora Welty, I took a different path. I first began her On Writing and part way through it, diverged into her little abode of symbolism, A Worn Path. Having diverged, the trip ahead is planned. I have an idea of what to expect, so many landmarks will not come as a surprise as they would or might to an unadvised traveler. But as much as this prior expectation must come, there is also the happy fortune of having them exceeded.

Prior to On Writing, I knew of Eudora Welty as a prize-winning author. Her Southern embodiment and human landscape are visible in the rural work of Alice Munro. But it was a nice discovery to find that Welty also preceded Munro in temperament and attention, as well as in subject and the importance of place.

A writer may perhaps pick this up cursorily for practical tips on writing, but an education at that level is not to be found here. That said, there are lessons to be taken carefully, and particularly those that, I think, are more important - lessons for which Welty is ideal as a teacher. Her writing contains every kind of vibrancy and color, so that a traveler who takes her up as their guidebook must inevitably and swiftly become seasoned.