When the pandemic hit, I expected the public library where I currently work to shut down. Instead, we temporarily closed to the public while employees continued to report to work. We used the time to reorganize the library, sanitize EVERYTHING, and make plans for reopening. I contributed by cleaning all the books in the fiction section and starting a writing blog. This gave me an opportunity to read the library’s collection of reference material for writers. This included two books by author Walter Mosley: This Year You Write Your Novel and The Elements of Fiction.

This Year You Write Your Novel

In this book Mosley provides disciplinary techniques for writers, how to use metaphors and simile in one’s writing, and the difference of showing vs telling (which is a very important). He covers a topic I love (dialogue) and a topic I’m not crazy about )revising and editing). Mosley also answers a question I, like many writers, have asked: When am I finished writing? His answer is: “Never. The novel never attains the level of perfection”. I believe this is true. No matter how much work I put into each of my books, I always find myself reading them long after they have been published and thinking, I could have written that scene differently or I wonder if I could have written that line of dialogue better. Your book will never really be “finished”.

Elements of Fiction

This book dives in pretty deep, and it manages to do it with only 128 pages. Mosley discusses the structure of fiction and the obstacles writers face when writing a book. Obstacles such as which direction the story should take and character development. He also covers narrative voice (first person, third person, etc). I paid particular attention to his views on narrative voice, and I want to try writing stories through different points of view.

Books like these are like having a master class in the palm of your hands. When an award winning author takes the time to share his knowledge of the craft of fiction, you really should consider listening. I appreciate the way Mosley presents his views in more of a conversational manner, rather than writing the book in the form of a text book. Whether you’re a writer or just a fan of Mosley’s work both of these books definitely belong on your shelf.