The Writing Life

Dillard discusses the necessity of an unappealing, isolated workspace so the imagination can work at full capacity. From her anecdotes, what are the positive and negative aspects of working in isolation? How can a writer navigate the isolation of work without becoming distanced from reality? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Dillard implores aspiring writers to follow a work wherever it leaves and to never leave an idea for a later project. In what ways does the structure or style of this book mimic her own advice? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Each chapter begins with an epigraph from a famous author. How do these quotations relate to the subject of each chapter? How do they work to tie each vignette together? Use examples from the text to support your answer.