Page 2 - Bad Decline News Today

Counter Craft The long and short of novel lengths Share We like to pretend that art is art. That an author writes what they are inspired to write, with no concern but the voice of the muse. This is a useful fiction. It is good for writers to focus on the art when writing and worry about the business side later. But it is a fiction. Writers are aware of market demands, what kinds of novels get buzz, and what subjects award judges gravitate towards. Even writers with high artistic aspirations a...

"A Swim in a Pond in the Rain" offers a master class in reading and writing.

(Random House via AP) By ANN LEVIN, Associated Press Get the weekly rundown Email* “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain,” by George Saunders (Random House) Have you ever wondered what makes a story great? George Saunders has, and at Syracuse University, where he has taught for more than 20 years, he takes his students under the hood of great fiction to show them how it works. Now, for the price of his latest book — a lot cheaper than an MFA —he’ll do the same for you. “A ...

“A Swim in a Pond in the Rain,” by George Saunders (Random House)Have you ever wondered what makes a story great? George Saunders has, and at Syracuse Unive

Have you ever wondered what makes a story great? George Saunders has, and at Syracuse University, where he has taught for more than 20 years, he takes his students under the hood of great fiction to show them how it works. Now, for the price of his latest book —

“A Swim in a Pond in the Rain,” by George Saunders (Random House) Have you ever wondered what makes a story great? George Saunders has, and at Syracuse University, where he has taught for more than 20 years, he takes his students under the hood of great fiction to show them how it works. Now, […]

On the Shelf A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life By George Saunders Random House: 432 pages, $28 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores. About a decade back, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Colson Whitehead had a nice sideline poking fun at people who make pronouncements about good writing. In a speech, he caricatured the plummy, officious...