Introduction Summary and Analysis

Damon Knight, author of "Creating Short Fiction," is a professor who teaches how to write fiction courses, specializing in short story writing. He struggles with the debate between whether it is possible to "teach" someone to write and if such teaching actually might inhibit, or in fact, destroy creativity. Many writers have not been taught "how to write." They just do so and break all the rules. However, Knight finally came to the conclusion some years back that it is possible, to a degree, to teach students how to write. While he cannot pump enthusiasm into his students, he can let them know what they are in for and can at least help them acquire the skills that turns an amateur writer into a professional.

Stories are not disconnected pieces of information. Stories are comprised of components, each one as important...