In a post on Writer Unboxed, David Corbett shares writing lessons he learned from a recent story collection by Jess Walter.
Corbett quotes – as did my own first creative writing teacher – the great Saul Bellow: “Writers are readers inspired to emulation.”
“A corollary to this, and something I often say during my classes, is that the best teachers you will find concerning your writing are the writers who’ve inspired you,” Corbett says. “You can learn any number of techniques from writing guides, but seeing them in operation in the context of a work you admire is really the best way to let the lesson sink in.”
Corbett examines what he learned from Jess Walter’s The Angel of Rome, including thoughts on great story ideas, opening lines, description, insights and observations, one-liners, and even writing advice hidden in fiction.
