Writers Need Books

We're in the middle of finishing a new house and living under a nice roof, with an office, lots of boxes and a bed. We are quickly finishing floors, installing cabinets, hanging doors, painting, etc., etc., etc.

Dying for Basics

It's dusty and I'm dying to do a load of laundry. The washer and dryer are sitting in the middle of the laundry room waiting to wash clothes if only someone would come hook them up. But that comes after the counters on Friday.

I'm also dying to hang up my clothes, which are all in garbage bags sitting in my soon-to-be cool closet. I've found my sweaters, blouses, old coats and shoes. Have not found the bag with socks, underwear. (Foresee a trip to Fred Meyer in my future.)

Dying for Books

But you know what I'm really dying for — BOOKS!! The books I was reading when we packed were: Twitter for Dummies, the Donner Party expedition, and the Stephen King book, Under the Dome. Now I can't find them. My guess is they're with my underwear.

It's stressing me out. All the characters in the books are in limbo. The Donners are three-quarters of the way through their journey, stuck there until I can read more. The town folk in Stephen King's novel have just realized they are trapped and starting to panic. I need to rescue them!

Need to Read

I love reading and wish I liked to read more on a computer screen, but after working all day on one, my eyes are begging for a break. So, I prop my paper books up on my stair machine and peddle away as my characters struggle through their journeys. Right now though, I'm just peddling.

I had no idea how much I needed to read. I guess we writers like to surround ourselves in stories and words because that's a world we feel comfortable in. I'm off to Borders to buy some books.

di

Top 5 Reasons to Read your Genre

I just talked to a writer who said she wanted to write for young adults. When I asked what she thought of the Twilight series she told me, “I try not to read young adult books.” When I asked why not, she said, “Because I don’t want to accidentally copy another writer’s style.”

   That’s a common reason for not reading your genre, but the reasons FOR reading your genre greatly outweigh those AGAINST.    

Top Five Reasons Why You Should Read Your Genre 

No. 5 - Spot trends. See what’s considered cutting edge in your corner of the world. 

No. 4 - Avoid copying a story line. You’ll be able to quickly tell if your story is unique and fresh. 

No. 3 - Avoid mistakes. By critically critiquing other writing, you can avoid making the mistakes of other writers. 

No. 2 - Publisher favorites. Quickly spot what types of books certain publishers favor. 

No. 1 - IT’S FUN!!   

 “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others; read a lot and write a lot . . . reading is the creative center of a writer’s life . . . you cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.             Sam Armitage