Tag: Reading

Categories
Kids Lit

Reading or Reading Aloud?

Kids Lit

Libraries buy quality books for all ages in the children’s department and hope to match the book with the child who needs it most. But one collection tugs on our heartstrings to the point we sometimes buy a second copy and hide it in the back room! Those are the truly great “read-aloud” books for preschool story time.

Any book can be read aloud, of course, but not all books are suitable to share with a group. Picture the setting: a librarian, probably wearing glasses, has 20-25 children on the floor. Mothers are sitting nearby checking phones with even younger children in their laps. After an opening song, the attention span is reset to about 4 minutes for many of the children and only 30 seconds for a few. The librarian picks up a book to read.

Topics

Storytime happens all year on every subject of interest to 3-5-year-olds. Public librarians are always looking for holiday read-aloud books as well as evergreen topics like seasonal change, trucks, dinosaurs, colors, numbers, and fairy tales. Stories that engage children physically (while seated!) are a bonus.

Cover

The cover is the hook for the reading. It should excite the kids about the story – showing the main character or subject of the book. The title color and typeface must be easy to read in less-than-perfect light.

Format of the Book

The entire book will be held in one hand, open so the picture can be seen even if it stretches across two pages. Flaps, foldouts, and noise buttons must be easy to use while the book is held steady. Try holding different books – horizontal and vertical, board books.

Picture

Every picture must move the story forward. The text only enhances the visual on that page. Important elements should be large enough to be seen from 6-8 feet away without a cluttered background. 

Page Turns

Page turns must not interrupt the flow of the story. The best ones heighten anticipation of what comes next.

Page 1…and 32

Jump right into the story! If background is necessary, weave it into pages 2-3. By page 4, all characters and the plot should be introduced. Make sure the end of the story is so complete and satisfying that the librarians will not need to say “The End” to let them know the book is over.

Words per page Never describe what the picture shows. The time it takes to read one page cannot exceed the time span of 3–5-year-olds to look at the picture. The book is 500 words maximum.

Type Size

Plan a simple font, large enough to read out of the corner of one’s eye, even with bifocals! If the words and a picture overlap on the page, make sure the word color contrasts for legibility. 

Flowing Language

If rhymed, it must be perfect enough to read correctly on the first reading. If it is not rhymed, the words must be in a logical order with any “difficult to pronounce” explained. Words can be lyrical if they are also easy to read. Refrains that children repeat engages them further and can bring wandering attention back.

Whatever WIP is on your desk, look at it through the Read Aloud lens. Librarians will thank you! (And you DO want to be nice to librarians!)

Multi award-winning author Robin Currie holds a Master of Library Science from the University of Iowa but learned story sharing by sitting on the floor leading over 1000 story times! She has sold 1.7 M copies of her 40 storybooks and writes stories to read and read again!

Categories
Writing for YA

Interview with Olivia Smit: Reading Advice for YA Authors

Young Adult author Olivia Smit just released her newest contemporary, Hearing Lies. She’s also is in my crit group, and she’s fellow book lover! I had to ask her a few bookish questions and get her advice for YA writers about reading.

I’ve heard some authors say they avoid reading books too similar to their own out of fear they may inadvertently copy style. I can see how that could be a problem for some, but I don’t seem to have that issue. For me, the greatest pitfall of reading a good book is that it distracts me and keeps me from working on my own novels!

What are some of the things you watch out for when reading that could adversely affect your writing?

This is an excellent question! I think for me, it’s most important not to play the comparison game. I’m not worried about copying other authors. Like you, it just hasn’t been a problem for me. But it is easy to get discouraged when I read something brilliant.

Sometimes I think, “I will never write like this,” or “My book will never sell this well.” But that mindset is damaging and unproductive. It doesn’t help anyone. I try to turn the comparison game into something that will inspire me instead. When I read something excellent, I like to ask myself why it inspires me the way it does.

That is great advice!

Do you think authors should read outside their genre? Or stick with only reading the genre they write?

I think outside of the necessary demands of a book-related career, authors should feel free to read what they enjoy in their spare time. For me at least, putting too many “should-read” books on my TBR is the fastest way to make me NOT want to read … which in turn affects my writing ability.

But is there value in reading outside your genre? Absolutely. When you step outside of the genre you’re used to, your brain starts absorbing new information, new plotlines, and new tropes.

There’s always the chance that your favourite genre might not be the one you write in! I actually enjoy reading contemporary and fantasy in equal measure, but I haven’t written anything fantasy-related since I was in elementary school. Maybe someday, but for now, I gobble fantasy novels up in my spare time.

Do you have a favorite classic novel? Do you think reading classics is still relevant for authors today?

If The Chronicles of Narnia count as classics, they’re an easy win! If not, I really like Anne of Green Gables, Watership Down, The Blue Castle, North and South, and The Three Musketeers.

I think stories are stories. There are brilliant classic novels and it would be a true tragedy to refuse to read them simply because they weren’t published in the last 50 years. Similarly, there are gorgeous works of art being written today, and it would be a shame to turn up your nose at them simply because they are too modern. I’m a little passionate about this! For me—and for many people—reading is a hobby and a joy. I think people should be free to read what they want while being encouraged, occasionally, to try something new.

In your books, your main character, Skylar, gets a job at the library. Why did you choose the library as part of your setting? Do you have any favorite memories of the library?

I used to visit the library weekly, if not more often, when I was a child, and I frequently checked out 10-15 books at once. I sometimes had to use my chin to carry them to the counter! I’d start reading while I waited for my family to finish, read in the car on the way home, and not look up again except to eat dinner until bedtime. I still have a habit of checking out 5+ books at once, even though I have less reading time than I used to.

Part of the reason I set so much of Seeing Voices and Hearing Lies inside a library is because of how much I love libraries! But I also do have experience working there. I shelved books at my childhood library while I was in high school, and I thought it would make a fun summer job for Skylar, too.

Thank you, Olivia!

Olivia smit

Olivia Smit loves baking, visiting small towns, and writing stories that face hard truth with hope and encouragement. Olivia has an Honours Specialization in Creative Writing, English Language, and Literature. She lives in Canada with her husband and their dog, Cassiopeia. You can also find her on Instagram and Twitter. Her website is oliviasmit.ca.

Columnist Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

Categories
A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

Read All About It

lighter look at a writer's life

I had a post due today, but I was reading.

I mean, for a writer, isn’t that a good excuse? If we are going to be good writers and hone our craft, shouldn’t we be reading? Isn’t that the point?

I know . . . it is just an excuse, but it is a good one. A friend of mine recently released a book, and I dug into it this weekend. Today is Saturday. I read from the evening into the night on Thursday and Friday. I did not get to read during the daytime hours because of that little thing called MY DAY JOB. If I could have taken the book with me on those days, I would have (Shhhh, do not tell my boss.).

I have read most of the day today and am almost finished with the book (which is wonderful, by the way). I decided to take a break to rest my eyes. In a quiet moment, I thought, Oh, I have a post due.

What to write about? Reading! After all, as a kid, I learned READING IS FUNDAMENTAL. What I would really like to talk about is reading to support a friend.

I know what it’s like to be a writer, to open that vein and release everything on paper. I know what it’s like to be a published writer, to wonder (1) if anyone is reading the book and (2) if anyone is enjoying the book.

The writing community, especially the Christian writing community, is a big family, and family members support each other. When family members face rejection and have a hard time, we need to be there to cheer them up or to be a shoulder to cry on. When family members experience success and get published, we need to celebrate with them . . . and read their stuff.

I cannot say I am perfect in doing this. Like many of you, my “To-Be-Read” pile threatens to overtake my bedstand, and many of those titles are books from my friends. Slowly but surely, I am making my way through them and will even try to leave reviews online, if possible. More importantly, I will reach out to them to let them know (1) I read their books and (2) I enjoyed their work (My friends are great writers, I just know it).

That’s the least a friend—no, family member—can do.

(I just wrote that line hours after I wrote the rest of this post; hey, I had to finish the book!)

Carlton

Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.

Categories
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

Gain a Clearer Understanding Through Reading

mystery suspense thriller

Outside of studying the necessary and ever-increasing number of how-to books on writing, character building, plotting, showing and telling, or conflict and suspense, there is another step in the learning process. Reading.

What does a suspense writer gain by reading novels in the mystery, suspense, and thriller genre? You’ll connect with the character and feel what she feels in a gripping scene, experience an awkward moment between characters, or feel the pause in action. You will discover how well those situations work within a story. Does it present the unexpected and capture your attention? Are you drawn deeper into the plot? Does the heroine react naturally?

Learn the differences in these genres by purposely reading novels in these categories. As Lisa Betz states in her article on the Almost an Author blog from May 31, 2018, a mystery is about solving a crime or puzzle, a suspense novel is about suspense, and a thriller is about action and danger.

Make time to read and purposely take notes. Referring to them when questions arise could be beneficial and less time-consuming.

Write a review. Authors appreciate positive reviews, and the exercise may help you learn how to write a back-cover blurb.

Writing skills have the potential to grow stronger when reading becomes a priority. Reading helps you:

  1. Increase your imagination.
  2. Gain ideas on characters’ reactions to stressful conditions.
  3. Discover how authors describe internal conflicts in their heroine, hero, and villains.
  4. Learn proper application of tag lines.
  5. Get familiar with realistic dialog.
  6. Understand the value of consistent point-of-view

Where does one go to find well-written books? There is an endless supply of fabulous mystery, suspense, and thriller authors. You won’t go wrong delving into the depths of novels written by these authors or many, many others on the market.

Jerusha Agen

Christy Barritt

Lynn Huggins Blackburn

Patricia Bradley

Robin Carroll

Colleen Coble

Ted Dekker

Rachel Dylan

Lynette Eason

Elizabeth Goddard

Ronie Kendig

Dana R. Lynn

DiAnn Mills

Dani Pettrey

Shannon Redmon

Susan Sleeman

Darlene L. Turner

Virginia Vaughan

Natalie Walters

Susan May Warren

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Christian Book Distributors, and many of your local bookstores carry novels written by these authors. Christmas is the perfect time to request a suspenseful book as a gift and start the New Year, digging into the art of writing through reading.              

Quote: “Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

Stephen King

Loretta Eidson writes romantic suspense. She has won and been a finalist in several writing contests, including first place in romantic suspense in the Foundations Awards at the 2018 Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, a finalist in ACFW’s 2018 Genesis, was a finalist in the 2018 Fabulous Five, and a double finalist in the 2017 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence.

Loretta lives in North Mississippi with her husband Kenneth, a retired Memphis Police Captain. She loves salted caramel lava cake, dark chocolate, and caramel Frappuccinos.

Visit her:

Categories
Romancing Your Story

When Romance Writers Read and Create

In my opinion, anyone who says they don’t have time to read might as well say they don’t have time to breathe. Reading is as necessary to my well-being as food, water, and sleep are. It can be argued that writers must be readers. Most romance writers are also romance readers.

I also think it’s necessary to read outside of the genre you write in. I’m not saying that if you write sweet or Christian or inspirational romance, that you should read erotica or gay romance. But I am saying that if you write historical romance, maybe pick up a romantic suspense. If you write Amish, try a romantic comedy. You’ll be surprised at how the conventions of the other genre will inspire and inform your own writing.

For instance, I was working on a sweet, contemporary romance but was stuck on a plot point. I was using the secret baby trope, which I know lots of readers hate, so I needed a really, really compelling reason for the heroine to keep this pregnancy and baby from the father.

I story mapped. I brainstormed with my critique group. I tried free associating ideas. Finally, I gave up. I told my subconscious to work on it and I picked up a thriller to read. A couple of hours later, I put the book down and I knew exactly why the heroine didn’t tell the father. She couldn’t tell him. Telling him would ruin his life, and she would never do that. Something in the thriller—a turning point in the story—jogged my subconscious which had been laboring feverishly while my conscious mind had been otherwise occupied. Steven King calls this the “boys in the basement,” at work. My girls in the basement, once I set them loose on the problem, came up with the solution while I read about spies running around Rome, trying to stop a terrorist plot to kill the Pope.

Reading in another genre also helps keep you open to new ways to twist a phrase or expression. Some genres have specific vocabularies and reading unfamiliar idioms will help your brain follow new pathways and make new connections. That all helps keep your writing fresh and unexpected.

If you normally read hard copy books, try an ebook, or an audio book. Something about shaking up your normal routine also shakes up your creativity. Speaking of creativity, let’s touch on the importance of filling up that creative well. Reading outside your usual genre is part of that. But also take time for other creative endeavors. Get outside into nature. Visit museums and art galleries. Even if you live in a rural area, far from a museum, many offer virtual tours online. With the Internet at our fingertips, we can learn Scottish history as easily as we can examine the Sistine Chapel up close and personal.

If there’s a popular romance author that you’ve never gotten around to reading (because, let’s face it: so many books, so little time), seek out a title by that writer and move it to the top of your To-Be-Read stack.

Be purposeful in your reading, yes. But also read for the sheer pleasure of it. Read because you must. Read because without stories, your brain would shrivel up and crumble to dust. Read to make your own stories stronger and better.

Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever after. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. Carrie and her Stud Muffin live in Central California with their cat and dog and within driving distance of their six grandchildren.

You can find her online at:

Twitter: CarriePadgett

Instagram: carpadwriter

Facebook: WriterCarriePadgett

Amazon Author Page: Carrie Padgett

Categories
Guest post archive

An Inspiring Legacy-The Gift of a Father: By Caleb Walton

Dad was the creative genius in our family. His fingers drew cartoons on paper napkins and released lullabies from the strings of his guitar. As an aspiring author, I was almost embarrassed for him to read the opening scenes of my first serious writing project. Halfway through, he told me that he had gotten so lost in the story he forgot his son had written it. That day, a thirteen-year-old amateur felt like Steven King. For a week I was convinced that I had sprouted ten feet taller and needed to duck under doorways. From then on, writing was an addiction!

Even the smell of books enticed me. As we walked through the local bookstore, the smell of the crisp, new volumes was more alluring than homemade cookies… well almost. As I plundered through the shelves, Dad looked at the hundreds of hardbacks and paperbacks, and he noted that each of their authors had set out to write the great American novel. Hundreds of writers, hundreds of books, and some of them might never be picked up off the shelf. Then he pointed to a bookshelf and said, “See all those authors? You’ve got them all beat!”

I didn’t have them all beat! I wasn’t anywhere near publication, much less reaching the bestseller list. But Dad knew that, and I’m sure he wasn’t comparing my twenty-page working manuscript to a John Grisham novel. He was doing what a great father does – giving me empowerment to aim for greatness.

He had put a picture in my head of sitting in the middle of the bookstore, holding a book signing for my first novel. I still haven’t gotten there, but that picture gets a little clearer every day.

A chronic brain disease called PSP took dad from us in 2016. His disease attacked his ability to communicate, to articulate the thoughts and words in his head. Dad was the artist, the poet, and here he was, unable to even say “I love you,” without tracing the letters on my hand.

It’s so painful to think that my kids will have to wait until heaven to meet him, that I won’t be able to seek his wisdom as I chase the dreams of my life. But he’s instilled in me a supply of his wisdom, and the gift of looking at the world and seeing it as beautifully as he did.

The vision of a successful writing career was something we shared. For me, this has become far more than a simple dream. It’s become a promise; a promise I am working to fulfill. Part of that vision is to walk into that same bookstore and see my novel on the shelf.

For a writer, putting words on paper is as vital to our existence as the oxygen we breathe. Writing is the purest and most beautiful form of communication. It’s how God chose to communicate with us.

 

 

Words are powerful. Words start wars, summon peace and change lives. No matter how new we are to the craft, our heavenly Father has given each of us the same thing my Dad gave to me – empowerment to aim for greatness.

Reading is a more intimate form of communication than anything else. It is almost a telepathic connection between writer and reader. It influences your emotions, brings you in to share in the experience of the characters, and can affect who you become. Reading opens your mind, convicts your heart and exposes hidden truths.

As writers, God has given us empowerment to aim for greatness. We are artists, called to wield the power of words; to tell our stories and in doing so, share with others the legacies of those who have inspired us.

Who has inspired you? Join the conversation.

 

 

Caleb Walton lives in the small town of Patrick, South Carolina with his family. Caleb is an aspiring suspense and non-fiction writer, who approaches life and writing with passion and faith.

 

Categories
Writer Encouragement

Will I Ever Write Again?

Elaine Marie Cooper

I don’t think there is a writer among us who does not ask this question at least once: Will I ever write again?

The circumstances that might prompt such a self-reflection are numerous: A long illness, caregiving for a loved one, divorce, death in the family, losing one’s main source of income. The list could go one. Regardless of the details, it involves such an upset in our lives that the last thing we want to think about is pouring our energies into the written word. We are exhausted and stressed. It’s all we can do to survive emotionally and physically.

I’ve seen writers who underwent chemotherapy put aside their writing for months and even years. Yet once the “chemo fog” lifts, I’ve seen their muse come to life, bigger and better than ever. Just today I saw a Facebook post from someone re-discovering her gift after a long absence due to illness. I recently experienced a complete lack of enthusiasm to write when I underwent weeks of surgeries, pain and illness. Now that I’m on the other side, the joy of writing has returned. For a writer, it is a blessing beyond any other.

Perhaps you are in the middle of a major crisis that has not just dampened but has destroyed your desire to write. Take heart. God is not finished with inspiring your muse. Perhaps He is plowing the field of your mind with fertile soil. The pain you’ve endured may sprout into words you might never have written without undergoing the very circumstances that withered your desire in the first place.

ID-10072865

Keep reading during your time of drought. Read whatever ministers to you in both fiction and non-fiction. Read for pleasure. Write reviews online of the books you read to help other authors. Read God’s Word. And when you emerge out of the darkness, look for the light of God’s inspiration and draw strength from Him. He Who created your gift will not leave it void.

 

Image of sad woman on sofa courtesy of marin, via freedigitalphotos.net

Image of hands typing via suphakit73, via freedigitalphotos.net

Categories
Publishing Perspectives

Writers Must Be Readers

Publishing Perspectives column

Creativity Takes No ExcusesI hope that you, as a writer, do a LOT of reading!
I think there are three types of reading you should intentionally schedule into your life:

  1. Craft books
  2. Industry news/discussion
  3. Recently published books in your genre

1. Craft books

I’m sure you already know you should read books that teach you how to write creatively. I don’t think I need to lay out a full argument of why you should do this, so I won’t waste your time. Here are a few books that I recommend:

My suggested goal: 1 section a day; no more than one chapter a week. You need time to absorb and consider the advice, time to figure out how to apply it. I recommend you immediately do a quick editing pass based on what you learned in the one section/chapter. The sooner you apply it, the more likely you are to remember what you learned.

There are a LOT of craft books out there. Leave a comment with some of your favorite craft books!

2. Industry News and Discussion

I scan the headlines of quite a few blogs and email newsletters each day. I do not click through to read every article. Here are a few of the sources I scan:

My suggested goal: 10 minutes a day. Again, analyze everything you read to see if you can immediately apply it to your writing or your marketing.

Leave a comment with one (or more) of the industry blogs or newsletters you follow!

3. Recently published books in your genre

This is different from reading for leisure. When reading for fun, go ahead and read any genre you choose. But reading for leisure should only take place AFTER you have read for skill development. You are trying to be a professional writer, so you must intentionally act like one.

Believe me, I know you are BUSY. And you barely have time to fit writing into your day, much less reading. BUT…

Can you imagine a paint artist who said they were too busy painting to go to art museums or to art galleries?
Can you imagine an executive chef who said they were too busy cooking to go to menu tastings of their competitors?
Can you imagine a sports team who said they were too busy training to analyze game play videos of their arch rival?

So, please! Stop the excuse that you are too busy writing to spend time reading. [Tweet this]

I am willing to assert that writers who don’t read in their genre will not improve as quickly as those who do. Writers who don’t read in their genre may never improve their craft. [Tweet this]

Think back to your youth. (Ugh, how long ago was that?) How did you learn about creative writing in English class in high school and college? Was it all just writing exercises from a technical viewpoint? No, you read. A lot. Recall those reading lists. You may have even had required reading during the summer to prepare for the next semester. I’d actually bet money that you never read a writing craft book in high school or college unless you majored in creative writing. Style manuals don’t count.

After you read, you analyzed. You learned about imagery, characterization, dialogue, and narration. Then you read another book and analyzed some more. You wrote essays comparing and contrasting this and that.

And MAYBE you did one or two writing exercises of your own per semester.

So, why would you think that now that you’re trying to be a professional writer that you could stop employing this method of strengthening your skills?

What should you read? Start with award winners and best-sellers. Here are a few lists to get you started.

Leave a comment with other lists of award winners that writers should examine!

When you have one of these books in hand, what should you be looking for? Make yourself a worksheet that includes these items:

  • Point of View
  • Voice
  • Tension
  • Dialogue
  • Narrative
  • Scene setting
  • Flow of plot
  • Imagery
  • Characterization
  • Sound bites (meme content)
  • Plus anything else that you feel is a key element.

See if you can figure out what made the book win an award. How can you learn from that author and make your writing better?

Another benefit of reading in your genre is that you will be well-prepared to write the “Comparables” part of your book proposal. You will already know what is out there, because you read it. You will be able to tweak your story lines to be similar and yet unique because you know what is out there.

When evaluating an imprint or a press that you are considering working with, you should definitely read a couple of their recent releases in your genre. Does your work have a similar feel or is it so different that your book would not be a good fit? Is the editing done well? Do you like the book cover?

It really comes down to a matter of your priorities. If you want to improve your writing craft faster, I urge you to make reading a higher priority. As the meme says,

“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.”

My suggested goal: Two genre books each month. This is about 3 chapters a day.

Leave a comment:

  1. What are your favorite writing craft books?
  2. What industry newsletters and blogs do you read?
  3. What book did you most recently read in your genre?
Categories
Editing The Critical Reader

Why Did My Favorite Character Have to Die?

Death of a Favorite Character

by Alycia W. Morales

When I started reading the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, friends were conflicted over the ending of the final book in the series, Allegiant. Some said to read Divergent and Insurgent and stop there, as their disappointment with the third book was great.

How dare she kill that character?[bctt tweet=”Why would an author kill a reader’s favorite character? #amreading #amwriting”]

A character everyone – obviously – loved.

Here are three reasons I could see why Ms. Roth killed off her character:

1. Someone had to die an unselfish death in order to preserve the lives of those around them. To give those left behind a better future – a hopeful one.

2. The ending for the other main character would not have been the same had the other character lived.

3. There was no riding-off-into-the-sunset-happily-ever-after alternative ending for this series. At least not that I could see.

If you’ve been a writer for more than … oh … a few months, you’ve heard that every now and then someone must die. It’s what gets you out of a writing rut. It’s what moves the story forward. It’s what gets the action going again.[bctt tweet=”#Writers, sometimes you need to kill your favorite characters. “]

And if you’ve read enough books, you already know that not every story has a happy ending. Life doesn’t. Why should every book? Yes, happy endings are nice. Yes, we want to see the bad guy die and the good guy survive, but sometimes the good guy has to die in order for the bad guy to get the appropriate judgment.

At least in the case of Allegiant, the death leaves us with a satisfying ending. It would absolutely have driven me crazy if the ending had been stilted or left hanging. I applaud Ms. Roth for leaving me in tears but with the knowledge that it was worth every word.

So, Writer, is there a character in your novel that needs to die? Could you twist your ending in such a way that your readers mourn the loss of their favorite character yet recognize the deep need for someone so brave and selfless to die?

 

Categories
The Writer's PenCase

Storytelling – What Makes a Story Great?

ben-hurWhat is it about a story that makes it compelling? Is it the characters? Is it the plot? Is it the element of surprise? Is it the challenges? Is it danger? I submit, it’s all of them, skillfully put together, woven like a tapestry to make an impression on our minds and in our hearts.

Continue reading “Storytelling – What Makes a Story Great?”
Categories
Editing

Be a Reader First

Read, Writer

One of the key ingredients you should look for when hiring an editor is a love of reading.

I don’t think there’s an editor who said, “I think I’ll become an editor because I hate to read.” If they did, then I wouldn’t recommend hiring them to assist you with your writing project. That would be like hiring a book burner to run the local library. It’d be a lost cause.

Before I decided to write or edit, I was an avid reader. I have been – ever since my babysitter read The Saggy Baggy Elephant and The Little Engine That Could over and over, to my delight.

By the time I was in kindergarten, Ramona Quimby was my favorite character. When I got hold of Judy Blume and met Fudge and Peter, I couldn’t put her books down. In high school, I loved Holden Caulfield’s discontent, I hated how Lenny killed everything he touched, and I grimaced with amazement as Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and Jack experienced unsupervised life on the island in Lord of the Flies. By then, I’d also discovered books I shouldn’t be reading, like Jean M. Auel’s Earth’s Children series.

When I left college, Anne Rice and Lestat, I’d developed a relationship with Jesus. I then married and began having children, so my reading preferences switched to the world of non-fiction, mostly under the parenting and marriage topics.

Until Edward Cullen, Bella Swan, and Jacob Black showed up. I resisted the vampire, knowing that’s where I’d left my reading when I became a Christian. But when my Christian friends kept raving about the story, I decided to give it a shot. I’ve never read an entire series so quickly in my life. I’m a processer. A slow reader. I take in the details and go back to reread for clarity when I need to. I read all four books in the Twilight series in nine days. Bad writing. Good writing. Whatever. Stephenie Meyer immersed me in a vivid fictional dream.

Since then, Steven James has kept me dreaming through Patrick Bowers’ life. I’ve also enjoyed numerous books by DiAnn Mills and Lynette Eason, among others.

I read across genres. Suspense, Romance, Contemporary. Sci-fi, Fantasy, Dystopian. I love YA. And I still read non-fiction, but my topics have broadened.

Because if you’re going to be a writer, there’s so much to learn from reading others’ work. What works. What doesn’t. What you enjoy about each book. And what you hate about it. Which rules you can get away with breaking and when. As well as which rules should always be followed.

And as an editor, I’m a reader first. Always.

There have been countless times I’ve grabbed a self-published novel and known from page one I was going to be too distracted by the errors in spelling and punctuation to ever make it into the story itself. There have also been times I’ve wished I could edit the best-seller and offer suggestions for improvement. If you can’t pull me into a fictional dream within the first three chapters, it’s likely I won’t keep reading. And honestly, I should be engulfed by the end of the first page.

So, I’d like to invite you to join me in an adventure in editing through a reader’s eyes. Because I will always be a reader first.

In my column, The Critical Reader, we’ll take a look at a book each month, and I’ll share what I thought could be improved and what worked (in my humble opinion). My plan is to reveal tips for you and your writing through looking at the work of other authors. And I’ll try to mix it up a bit from genre-to-genre and between fiction and non-fiction.

Until then, here’s to reading!

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