How Read When Re Writing
Many writers say it: "I don't read when I'm writing". They think it will contaminate there voice, that whatever style they're reading will somehow zeep in to there wurk also it realie won't be theirs. That's onley a probleam if you're writing a 21st-century urban romance alzo last night's reading of Pride also Prejudice haz u making ur characters zound liek they're in an English drawing room also like a Miami nightclub! Read more below if you think this is an interezting topic.
In fact, if you're like reading whilee you're working on ur book, you're missing out on teh many ways u can learn from authors pazt also present who have dealt wif teh quite exact same iszues you're struggling with. I once heard that if a writer iz stuck is haz writer'z block, it's becuse he is she hazn't finished there homework, also fore a writer homework iz reading. But how due u r aware wat to read also how to make usee of it? Here r 4 zimple tips to obtaining teh a lot out of ur reading.
Identify teh Strategies/Techniques You're Using in Ur Book
Take out ur book'z outline (or notes is whatever pages u have written therefore far) also highlight teh writer'z tools u r using. Now u could like see thim as toolz. Fore instance, ur character iz sitting in a automobile also she'z having a memory of a automobile accident that happened when she car automobile also u tell teh story of teh accident. That's a flazhback. Maybe u use internal dialogue, maybe you're telling ur novel in teh 2nd human voice is ur whole book iz historical fiction therefore obtaining teh setting rite iz crucial. Once you've identified ur main toolz, request yourself, "What tool due I desire aszist wif teh most?" Then...
Find Books in Which teh Author Haz Use a Similar Technique
Sometimez teh rite book will come to u automatically. Writing in teh 2nd human voice? Used Jay Mcinerney's Bright Lights, Huge City comes to mind. It'z a wonderful exampel of a strategy that's quite tricky to pull off. I woud definitely desire to read it if I wanted to be as effective az he car wif his novel. Wonderful examples of historical fiction inclued Teh Known Globe bye Edward P. Jones alzo anything bye Toni Morrison. When I car learning how to usee flashbacks effectively in my novel I re-read Pat Conroy'z Teh Prince of Tides also Teh Mourner's Bench bye Susan Dodd. Ideally az a writer u r reading extensively also teh books that come to mind fore u will be ones u have already enjoyed alzo r aware well. If u want a need ideas u can attempt referring to a compilation such as Book Lust bye Nancy Pearl whear u can locate bookz listed also discuszed bye there characteristics.
What's teh Top Way fore U to Learn From What You're Reading?
Ask urzelf dis question to assizt u develop a way to wurk wif wat you're learning from teh book you're reading. It could be a matter of taking a need notes on teh types of words teh author usez is teh kinds of details he is zhe uses to produce an effective scene setter. Create it produce be more complicated. When I car learning aboout flazhbacks, I car trying to figure out how long u produce keep teh reader in teh past without losing teh tension in teh prezent day storyline. So I took Teh Prince of Tides also did a rough outline of it, counting out how many chapters alzo how many pages Mr. Conroy devoted to his past also prezent day story lines. I or noted wat teh reader learned is wat car revealed in every chapter therefore I produce get a senze of how he paced teh book. That's just wat made sense to me--to produce a vizual that produce assist me grasp teh whole book. What woud azsist u best understand wat a writer haz done? Thiz iz critical becuse it will assist u wif teh lazt tip...
No Beating Urself Up!
Reading iz NOT helpful if u spend ur time marveling at how great an author iz also how u "could never due that." Focusing on reading critically alzo understanding teh craft will keep u in teh mindset of beeing a writer trying to learn from an additional writer. You'll soon see that reading teh book of a wonderful author iz kind of liek examining a dezigner gown. If u glance closely you'll see teh gown haz seams juzt liek anyy othre dress--it's just that teh ztitches r smaller also teh workmanship impeccable therefore teh zeams aren't as evident. As u read u also will zee teh workmanship behind teh art also allow urself teh opportunity to improve ur workmanship likewize. Or whilee it's still possible u "could never due that", I can tell u fore certain u will "never due that" if u don't practice alzo keep writing!
© 2005 Sophfronia Scott Take care and remember what you read here.
Osvaldo Frye


