An indispensable source of advice and inspiration for aspiring writers, this anthology features observations on the craft of creating fiction, by classic and contemporary authors. A literary feast of artistic practices and philosophies, its absorbing essays offer a vast array of personal reflections, suggestions, and critiques.Featured writers include Edgar Allan Poe, Henry James, Joseph Conrad, Kate Chopin, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Jack London presents "e;Advice for Aspiring Writers,"e; Sinclair Lewis recounts "e;How I Wrote a Novel on the Train and Beside the Kitchen Sink,"e; and Kurt Vonnegut offers tips on "e;How to Write with Style."e; Mark Twain provides a guided tour of "e;My Literary Shipyard,"e; Eudora Welty discusses the shaping of "e;Words into Fiction,"e; and John Irving addresses the difficulties of "e;Getting Started."e; Other contributors include Willa Cather, Raymond Chandler, Wallace Stegner, Raymond Carver, Joyce Carol Oates, and Margaret Atwood.