Reading and writing Date: Sep 29, 2009 3:58:41 PM PDT Author: Susan Lawson I'm interested to hear how you think READING has impacted your writing. Once in a while I hear a writer say he doesn't read and doesn't need to. But I've always heard that to hone your own skills, you need to read. In the last 10 years, particularly, I have grown particularly sensitive to organization in novels. There are many ways to tell a story, and straight chronology is probably the least compelling. Most novels jump forward and back, in and out, up and down; yet a good writer keeps the reader following. There are certainly many ways to tell a story! And while I enjoy the story itself, HOW the writer is telling it to me is particularly fascinating because it helps me grow that part of my writing. What about the rest of you? How does reading affect your writing? Susan Lawson Attachment: c38077bf77a03e24ea48c1b0eaf6eabf.JPG    View Description: Reply to this Post

Date: Oct 2, 2009 9:27:42 AM PDT Author: Rebecca I try to take note of how writers develop their characters. Do I come to know a character's personality and motivations through conversation, action, or exposition? How does this effect my experience as a reader? I also pay attention to how a writer engages me in a story and then maintains my interest throughout. Why do some stories fall off the rails while others keep me up reading until 4am? Becoming cognizant of these aspects of storytelling helps me to choose more wisely in my own writing. unmodernverse.blogspot.com / marvelous-misadventures.blogspot.com / thesofachronicles.blogspot.com / rfhphotography.blogspot.com Last modified by Rebecca on Oct 2 2009 9:28AM   Reply to this Post