How Writers Work

Ralph Fletcher, author of A Writer's Notebook and the ALA Notable Book Fig Pudding, argues that good writing does not come from luck or inspiration. It comes from a series of deliberate steps that give writers control over their sentences and let their words do what they intend. This guide pulls back the curtain on how authors actually produce their work and helps newer writers build a process of their own.

Written with classrooms in mind, the book speaks mainly to young writers, though people of any age who write can take something from it. Fletcher acknowledges that every writer struggles with the process from time to time, and his practical advice is meant to help readers get through those rough patches.

The book covers the main stages of writing. It shows how to find story ideas in ordinary daily life so a writer never runs out of things to write about, offers techniques for getting past writer's block and quieting the inner critic that stalls progress, and explains how to revise a messy first draft into a polished piece. It also includes interviews with working authors Gordon Korman and Ben Mikaelsen, offering a look at how professional writers approach their own work.