John McNally, author of America’s Report Card, has included on his website some plainspoken advice for writers which happens to ring true:

You need to learn why one book is great and why another one is crappy, and you need to understand why IT’S NOT ALL SUBJECTIVE! I grow tired of aspiring writers who buy into the myth that everything having to do with writing is all opinion, so let me set the record straight: There are standards for the craft of writing, and some writing does indeed blow, and it’s NOT just a matter of opinion.

To this end, Francine Prose has a new book, Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and Those Who Want to Write Them. The title’s an awkward mouthful, but it sounds like it might be helpful for MFA students who want to perfect the art of close reading with the eyes of a writer.