Reading about Writing

I really enjoy reading what writers have to say about their writing processes. Not all other writers - walking through Barnes & Noble, I always think that there are too many books written about "how to write" and that the authors of these books are probably failed novelists, scrambling to publish anything they can. On occasion, though, I come across writing about writing that's both educational and entertaining.

I just read an interesting description of Steven Den Beste's process. He outlines it just like he's an engineer - which he is. The only thing that struck me as a little egotistical (which writing about writing often is, somewhat necessarily) is his assumption that his process is drastically different from the processes of other writers. I doubt he meant to imply that the way he does things is better, but it reads a little like he thinks of himself as gifted in a way.

My favorite essay about writing is by William Faulkner and is actually a speech - the one he gave when accepting his 1949 Nobel Prize. It's very short, and I think in part because of it's brevity, intensely inspiring. The first time I read it, in my tenth grade English class, it made such a dramatic impact on me that I remembered the content, in detail, for the next fourteen years. Earlier this year, I looked it up online and found a copy.

When I reread the speech, I realized that I'd remembered it nearly exactly as it was given. Faulkner's words were powerful and clear enough to stick with me. Great writing about writing - that must come from a great writer.