What is the author's style in On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner?

John Gardner packs into On Becoming a Novelist the wisdom and experience aimed at keeping the young would-be novelist inspired to stay on his or her chosen path. As he says in the final paragraph, the true novelist does not quit and in the end reaps spiritual benefits that no non-novelist can understand. His purpose is to gather together the most pressing questions that he has encountered in years of teaching and lay fears to rest. He consistently describes his own experiences of writing and teaching about writing, but backs off from claiming any element might be typical of all writers. He settles for usefulness—and provides plenty.