Reading Like a Writer, A guide for people who love books and for those who want to write them, by Francine Prose.
Just got this book a few days ago and I've already finished reading it. There are several different kinds of how-to writing books. Some focus on plot, or moving a story along, or are just famous writers writing about writing.
Prose takes a different approach, teaching by example: you can learn to write by studying good writing. There are may excerpts from different writers, most of whom I don't recognize. Prose is a "literary" writer, and as such there's no quotes from SF writers.
She begins with a chapter on "Words," moves up to "Sentences," and puts these together in "Paragraphs."
Of course there's more to writing then just putting your carefully chosen words into artistic sentences and your sentences into fully formed paragraphs, so the next topics are "Narration," "Character," and "Dialog."
The rest of the books covers the finer points, and concludes with a list of "Books to Be Read Immediately."
The trade paperback version adds an interview with Prose, and a nice section about her books.
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