|
I do have a prejudice with regard to books about writing: books by successful writers offer a level of credibility that is less apparent in books by people that have not achieved success in writing fiction. A book about editing by editors seems credible, but a book about writing good narrative fiction, by someone that doesn't seems much less credible. They might have spent a lifetime studying what makes for good narrative fiction, but if they haven't done it for themselves I am much less inclined to think they will be helpful.
It's like cook books by people that aren't chefs. Or money making books by people that aren't rich. Why should I believe they know what they are saying? In many cases they probably do know - perhaps even more because they have spent their time learning about it rather than wasting time doing it - but without knowing them personally I have no reason to assume they aren't just making it up as they go.
|