First published 2007
Robert Olen Butler transforms how writers approach fiction in this collection of lectures from his graduate workshops at Florida State University. The Pulitzer Prize winner argues that authentic fiction emerges from emotional depths rather than intellectual planning. Butler guides writers into what he calls the dreamspace, a creative state where honest storytelling becomes possible. He reframes traditional writing techniques through the lens of human yearning and desire. Writers learn to experience their stories as sensual, cinematic sequences of scenes and moments. Butler explores the nature of voice and shows how fiction serves as exploration of the human condition. Editor Janet Burroway, author of the widely used Writing Fiction textbook, presents these transcribed lectures for both beginning and seasoned writers seeking fresh perspective on their craft.
Genres: fiction, literary-criticism, literary-fiction, american-fiction, writing, non-fiction, biography-memoir, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: exploration-of-the-human-condition
Setting: Florida State University
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
288 pages · Kindle Edition · Grove Press