I really appreciate the attention to form here -- that writing is not just about finding something to say but figuring out how to say it. I emphasize the kind of reading Alix describes with my first-year composition students: high school English has...

This indeed is an important part of the writing process. I certainly use it, however it may come easier for some than others. Ironically, I just read not long ago another writer expressing how she was better at writing secondary characters because...

somehow left out of this post was the fact that yesterday was publishing day for the PAPERBACK edition. But hey, it's the same cover, so what the hell.