#Patricia Briggs Facebook Comment

[slowlysointernet]

I may or may not have posted this before, i can't remember. Anyway here's another little treasure that i found.

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[papercraneswriting]

Reading Like a Writer

Writers are quite often first and foremost avid readers. Many of us grew up carrying a book (and a spare or two) everywhere we went, regardless of whether we would actually have to time to read it. This immersion in the fictional worlds we craved perhaps led us to create our own fictional worlds, to fill voids that no book in existence could fill. And so we became writers to create those books.

But even as writers, we are still readers. And we should be. How can we possibly write well if we do not continue to immerse ourselves in the worlds of books? But while our love for reading has not changed, perhaps our style should. Now the question becomes how to read as a writer.

In general, reading like a writer means examining other authors’ writing so that you can apply their knowledge of the craft to your own writing, thereby improving it. The focus isn’t on the story itself or the content or message. It is on the actual construction of the story from a wide (story structure) to a narrow (sentence structure and word choice) level. You read to learn how to write. How do we actually go about doing this? Here are five simple ways to read like a writer.

Read outside your genre. Writers often start by mimicking the styles, settings, and characters of our favorite authors. But the true key to becoming a writer is to grow past this stage, to find our own characters, our own voice. One of the best ways to do this is to keep on reading everything. And I mean everything. Don’t just stick with stories within your preferred genre of writing. For example, I write mainly fantasy, and while I read an obscene amount of fantasy, I also read nonfiction, historical fiction, science fiction, contemporary, children’s books, and anything else that can hold my interest. I learn so many new things and glean so many ideas from these books that I never would have encountered had I not read outside my genre.

Read inside your genre. It is important to also keep up to date on the new releases in your preferred genre. Even if you don’t read all of the new books that are released, have some idea of what is out there, what publishers are buying, and what readers are consuming. This will help you to compare your book to similar books when it’s time to query (many agents prefer that you use comparison titles released within the last couple of years) and understand how your book might fit into the current market. How do you keep up to date on this? Follow people. Follow everyone. But on social media... don’t actually stalk people. Look for publishers, agents, authors, and book reviewers on any social media outlet, including (but not limited to) Twitter, Tumblr, Wordpress, Instagram, and Facebook. Make yourself an attractive author when it’s time to market your story by knowing as much as you can about industry trends.

Re-read. The idea behind this is to choose a story that you want to use as a model for your own work, to re-read it and actively observe the pattern of the plot and development of the story. Since you’ve read the story before, you know ultimately where it is going and can sit back and pay attention to the details in between. Another personal example is when I was preparing to begin my current WIP, Foxfire. I wanted to write urban fantasy, but I wasn’t sure how to structure it. I re-read some of my favorite stories within the genre, writers who are well-known and well-received (Patricia Briggs and Anne Bishop), and worked from there.

Take notes. Now, I don’t care if this is directly in your book or on a notepad you keep with you while reading. But the point is to specifically notate the story with your own questions, comments, and observations as you read. This makes you an active reader (like active listening). Even if you don’t write it down, pay attention to your own thoughts and experiences as you read.

Take it all in. Examine the details of what you’re reading, how each scene was composed and how it fits into the overall story. Notice the development of the characters and how the story changes them. Follow the plot arc and how each important point is achieved. Map it out, if that helps.

Now, there are plenty more resources out there for learning how to read like a writer. Writer’s Digest offers a variety of resources on writing and publishing, including on this topic. However, the biggest piece of work I would recommend today is Mike Bunn’s “How to Read Like a Writer.” He gives some interesting background and explanation in more detail than the tips I share above.

Now go forth and read books!

[booksboxesandbaubles]

This week TheBrokeandtheBookish is Top Ten Favorite Books of 2017!  We are going to interpret this as new books read in 2017.

Kayla:

    Geekerella by Ashley Poston – This book was so much fun to read, I got it originally via NetGalley to read and review but the second I finished it I pre-ordered a physical copy.  I think that alone says how much I enjoyed this book.  See my original review here.

My Commander by Alanea Alder – I got this as my Blind Date from a facebook group I’m apart of.  I’m so glad that I took the time to read it because I was really unsure at first.  This book had me laughing so hard.  I’ve got a couple books left in the series but would recommend this to anyone.

the princess saves herself in this one by amanda lovelace – Another NetGalley read that I ended up buying.  I read the poems all in one sitting and was so emotional throughout that I couldn’t help sharing bits and pieces with Neko. See my original review here. 

 The Lean Startup by Eric Ries – I think anyone could take something out of this but probably people who would really enjoy it are involved in business dev in a company, thinking of starting a company or have started a company.  This will be a re-read for 2018 after I read his newest book.  See my original review here.

I AM SPOCK by Leonard Nimoy –  If I have any suggestions on this it is to listen to this book because Leonard Nimoy narrates it.  I enjoyed it so much but also burst into tears at the end because hearing him talk about his life and being Spock and how it influenced him but also the wish of being remembered for more just hits me in the gut.  I think we all can identify with that on some level.  See my original review here.

  Neko:

Mercyverse by Patricia Briggs – Yup figures this one would be first… It introduced me not only to an awesome new author but to a whole new genre! And I am on my third read through in anticipation of the new book coming out in March 2018!!

Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill – Neko and her Urban fantasy… But this was another series that I had to stop everything for and read all thirteen as soon as I could get them! Great story, awesome characters, and a new spin off series with the kiddos!!

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Addams – I was so upset after “Blank” died in book three that I refused to continue the series! Then my brother told me he wasn’t really dead but I still haven’t picked it back up yet… Never get between a psycho kitty and her depressed-robotic-book-boyfriend!!

4. Get Glad by Harry Hoover – This has just been a really hard year for me for the most part and this helped a lot by teaching me new things and reminding me of other things that I should have been doing to help with my mental health. Still a great book and I recommend you pick up your own copy if you are going through dark times. The author is really awesome and honestly just wants to help people so go on and Get Glad! 5. Blessed in the Darkness by Joel Osteen – Osteen has written really fantastic books about hope and dealing with life, however this one came out at the perfect time for me. Again it has been a really long, dark year and it is reassuring to know that the hard times will end but that this darkness is also teaching me things and preparing me to receive better things from the Lord. Get a copy if you need help finding your way! And I am always here to talk if you guys need it ❤

  So what books were on your list? Any of ours make your lists? Let us know in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Books of 2017 This week TheBrokeandtheBookish is Top Ten Favorite Books of 2017!  We are going to interpret this as new books read in 2017.

[slowlysointernet]

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[slowlysointernet]

I love it when i find little treasure troves of info like this from 6 years ago:

[slowlysointernet]

This is before Wild Sign was released but the ''they make each other better'' has me 🤔.

(If i already posted this before, sorry. I can't always remember what i posted in the past.)