Reviews

Letters to a Fiction Writer by Frederick Busch

mandyfish's review

5.0

I'm not a big fan of books on how to write or how to be a writer, but this one is really moving and at times breath-taking. Inspirational, sage, funny, some of these letters have stayed with me, years later.

rosepetals1984's review

4.0

"Letters to a Fiction Writer" is a compilation of letters that renowned writers have sent to each other in correspondence about the art of writing, encouraging words over manuscripts, the profession, among other aspects. I found it interesting to come across this book just before National Novel Writing Month. The various letters varied in quality, from those that drew me in (Rosellen Brown's piece "You Are Not Here Long" is a beautiful example) while others were well written and advisory but didn't hit as hard as others. Nonetheless, I did take comfort in reading quite a few of these passages, and I found something to take with me for each of them, even if in a small amount.

I would recommend this book for writers (or those who love writers) that want a bit of an inspiring read into the profession and some of the things that help those within the field push through barriers of many sorts. I think it not only reflects a bit about writing, but also about life as well.

Overall score: 3.5/5