'Elements of Fiction' by Walter Mosley

Walter Mosley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If Walter Mosley weren’t a writer, he could have been a jazz musician. In his latest treatise on writing, Elements of Fiction, his prodigious skill at improvising story and his mastery of language are on full display. He covers the basic ingredients of the novel: plot, context, characters, description, narrative voice, rewriting. But this small tome is less a textbook than a look into the master’s mind, to watch him do the thing and say what it takes. He demonstrates points by conjuring characters and their stories on the fly, and his descriptions of writing are nothing short of poetry. While instructive, Mosley is not prescriptive, emphasizing the individual nature of novel writing and how one approaches it. A useful book to add to any writer’s shelf, seasoned writers will be reminded of the joys of writing, while newer writers will be inspired to start the journey.

View all my reviews