Tactics

Relays

Writing a book is a craft. One of the first things to do in learning how to write a book is to look at a few examples that seem to work well, and extract from them their poetics. It is important to select workable models, to locate the basic template--something doable, relatively modest. At least two examples (to discern by similarity/difference). How are they organized? What is the large question addressed? How is the question contextualized? What is foregrounded and what is simply assumed (unstated)? How are the chapters organized? How is continuity established from chapter to chapter? What constitutes "evidence"? What is the relation (ratio) between narrative and exposition?

• Introduction
• Bibliographic Essay
• Prospectus
• Tactics
• Notes
• Sentences
• Talk
• Write
• Oblio

General Readings | Seminars 1990s | Chora-l | Veterans