title: Illuminating Fiction
author:  Sherry Ellis 
description: Among the 19 authors Ellis interviewed for this book, there are two points of consensus. Almost all of the interviewees call revision the most essential element of successful writing, and in general they agree that a love of reading is the best preparation for a writing career. Ellis (<i>Now Write!</i>) is an astute reader. Her questions show insight and sensitivity. Most of her subjectswho include Jill McCorkle, Edward P. Jones, Paul Lisick, Ron Carlson, Margot Livesey and Julia Glassseem open, candid and eager to talk about their creative process. (Yiyun Li, author of the novel <i>Vagrants</i>, offers the most provocative opinions.) Yet for all of the interesting information, the interviews have a certain sameness, due in part to the q&amp;a format, with the same questions in every interview: how do authors choose a title; what comes first, plot or character; she quotes from authors like Virginia Woolf or Ha Jin in each interview, asking the interviewee to agree or disagree. Those cavils aside, this will be a useful volume to aspiring writers and to readers eager to plumb the creative process of writers whose work they admire. <i>(Nov.)</i> <br />Copyright  Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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  **Praise for**
  
  
  **The Long, Long Afternoon**
  
  
  ‘A tasty, tense page-turning combo of James Ellroy and Kate Atkinson with a
  bit of _Mad Men_ thrown in. Fabulous’
  
  
  **Liz Hyder**
  
  
  ‘Reminiscent of Hollywood noir . . . a tense, gripping exploration of the
  darkness beneath the sunny exterior of 1950s suburbia’
  
  
  **Zoe Somerville, author of _The Night of the Flood_ **
  
  
  ‘A stunning debut . . . I loved every page, evocative of a time in relative
  recent history and yet a world away. The story unfolds intricately, but with
  pace and ease’
  
  
  **Amanda Reynolds, author of _Close to Me_ **
  
  
  ‘Beautifully crafted, claustrophobic and compelling, Inga Vesper’s skilfully
  woven suburban noir is as delicious as a long drink on a hot day’
  
  
  **Stacey Halls**
  
  
  ‘Loved this taut slice of classic noir. Shimmering Santa Monica skies,
  Technicolor 1950s suburbia hiding the darkest of secrets.
  
  
  All set against a backdrop of stifling racial tension’
  
  
  **C.J. Tudor**
  
  
  