As part of my first submission to my advisor for my craft and reflection class, I have been reading How to Write a Sentence by Stanley Fish and How Fiction Works by James Wood. I had read some of the How Fiction Works before, but I am finding both to be helpful as I am writing, causing me to think more about changing my sentences up to make them more effective. Also, in considering metaphors, James Wood discusses the intricacies of using images that seem disparate but are in fact balanced for the meaning of the piece. I found this to be helpful as it caused me to slow down and really put thought into whether my metaphors were as strong as they could be, rather than relying more on instinct, or the feel of the image coming to me.
Taking the time to read craft books has been something I have neglected in the past. I’ll keep posting on the craft books I have scheduled to read this semester and whether I find them helpful and why. I think it’s really inspiring when you can see improvement in your work, either by targeting areas you know are weak points for you, or using craft techniques to spice things up.
