Illuminating Fictionampamp160contains nineteen interviews with fictionwriting luminaries including Edward P. Jonesampamp160 Julia Glass Amy Bloom Jill McCorkle Margot Livesy Ron Carlson and Steveampamp160 Almond.ampamp160 The interviews contain questions about narrative voiceampamp160 character place point of view arc of the storynovel plot and revisionampamp160 questions about the writing process questions about the trajectory of the writers career questions about the role and importance of writing courses and mentoring and also questions that Ellis has drawn from the text of the authorsampamp160 work.ampamp160 Authors describe the challenges they have faced.ampamp160 The reader is able to gain an intimate and specific understanding of the authors works and the authors thought process as they created their novels and short stories.