This last week on his blog, Nathan Bransford asked which is more important, creativity or craft? I'm not sure exactly what the distinction between the two is -- does "creativity" include experimentation with format or language a la Joyce, for example, or does it merely refer to ideas? -- but I have to say that I'm probably a craft person myself. Like, if you forced me to chose one over the other, I would pick the writer who is a strong writer over the one who has super original ideas.* I'm not exactly sure why I would make that choice, but I'm certain that I would. Maybe it's because I spent so many years studying English and so don't put a premium on "new" ideas (because they're mostly not actually new).** Maybe it's because I don't look for "ideas" in my stories, either the ones I read or the ones I write. I don't respond to the ideas of the story, I respond to the execution of the ideas. It's why I can rea
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