num_pages: 112
description: Ron Carlson has been praised as “a master of the short story” (Booklist). In this book-length essay, he offers a full range of notes and gives rare insight into a veteran writer’s process by inviting the reader to watch over his shoulder as he creates the short story “The Governor’s Ball.”“This is a story of a story,” he begins, and proceeds to offer practical advice for creating a great story, from the first glimmer of an idea to the final sentence. Carlson urges the writer to refuse the outside distractions—a second cup of coffee, a troll through the dictionary—and attend to the necessity of uncertainty, the pleasures of an unfolding story.“The Governor’s Ball”—included in its entirety—serves as a fascinating illustration of the detailed anatomy of a short story.
language: English
title: Ron Carlson Writes a Story
titlecomplete: Ron Carlson Writes a Story
genres: Crafts, School, Reference, Adult, College, Short Stories, Read For School, Writing, Textbooks, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 1086
publisher: Graywolf Press