For a writer who really cares about the quality of the books written and published, the task of trying to improve my writing never ends. Although there are many ways to do this, I often read what other writers have to say about writing. In other words, I read a book.
Writing About Writing
There are lots of books written by authors about their way of writing. Much of what is in each one is similar to what is in others. So, why bother to keep reading them?
Buried in the similar methods are good ideas. Stephen King in “On Writing” speaks about developing a character by not being too precise, letting the reader fill in the details.
It’s so easy to be too precise in a description. That isn’t my problem. Mine is that I see the character or place in my mind and offer too little description. King’s advice finds me thinking about how much description I need and how much I want the reader to supply.
Importance of Reading
Rita Mae Brown in “Starting From Scratch” emphasizes reading books in a wide range of genres from ancient to modern. This is not new advice. A writer should read widely in many genres. Always the question is in the back of the mind: What do I like about this book and why? What do I not like about this book and why?
Her list of recommended reading is daunting, but I was surprised at how many I had already read. Will I read all of them? No, but I will read more of them.
Having Fun Writing
My latest find was “Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly” by Gail Carson Levine. This book is aimed at a younger writer than I am so many of her writing topics were not very helpful.
However, there is emphasis on many important ideas for a writer. There are so many ways to develop settings, characters and stories. I take note of how she urges the writer to use more senses than sight in describing events. The exercise of describing brushing your teeth using feel, scent, sound makes this important hygiene task intriguing.
Most Important Advice
Write. Write about your own life even though you won’t write memoir. This helps you work through problems and enjoy life more.
Write about people you see making up lives for them. Help your characters come alive on the page.
And most of all: enjoy your writing.
