RON CARLSON WRITES A STORY

Ron Carlson Writes A Story, Ron Carlson, Graywolf Press, 2007, 112 pp


I also learned of this book through a book review. The author is a short story writer and teaches creative writing at UC Irvine. In this short volume, he takes the reader through his day of writing a particular story, showing his process.

I liked the book and the story he wrote was just OK. The main point he made was to "stay in the room"; meaning don't blow from the process and you will keep the creative mind open and flowing. The other point, which helped me the most, is that as a writer, I don't have to know how a story is going to end until I get there. Ha. Somehow I thought I did have to know that.