Reading Like a Writer: Learning to see beyond the words

Have you ever wondered why you choose one book over another? What is it that makes you want to read this book over that one? Being a writer myself, I think my choice of reading material has a lot to do with the way I write.

THE COVER: 

Naturally, the first thing I notice about a book is the cover. It has to stand out from the crowd. It might be an image that resonates with me. Something I can relate to in my own life. For me that might be an outdoor scene, an image of a canoe, something colorful or moody, trees, and an image of a strong, independent woman are a few of the things that get my attention.

THE CHARACTERS:  

Writing about characters that stand out is paramount to me when I’m writing. They are the glue that keep it all together throughout the story. So that’s what I look for in my reading material. I particularly enjoy a strong female character who is pushing boundaries because that’s what I like to write about. I also enjoy quirky characters who don’t quite fit into the mold. I am attempting to do that in my next book. I love the underdog going after what they believe is right and doesn’t bow down to the masses. Sometimes I even enjoy reading a book from a man’s perspective. A book about Fitzwilliam Darcy’s perspective and how he feels about Elizabeth Bennett comes to mind. It’s always fascinating to see things from a different angle.

THE PLOT:

Who doesn’t love an interesting plot? Not something that hasn’t been done before, but something with a new twist to set it apart. The popular story arc nowadays is based on time travel. Hey, I love Outlander too, but let’s put a different spin on it. I also love a plot that has a slower pace, where it looks like very little is happening, yet so much is happening. The characters are developing and growing based on whatever is going on in their lives – much like real life. I’m fascinated with how different people react to certain developments. While one person will be deeply moved by an incident, someone else might shrug it off and not even think about it. Plot is the “what if” that keeps the story moving.

DESCRIPTIVE PASSAGES: 

I was reading a book the other day, and while I enjoyed the characters in this book, the descriptive passages seemed to be just plopped down here and there throughout the book. It was as though the writer said, “Oh yeah, time to remind people where we are,” and then proceeds to add a list of details to let the reader know they are in the desert. It came across like a grocery list. Like getting inside your characters to understand them, it’s important to get inside the landscape of your story. I want to feel like I’m there with the characters, living their lives, wherever they might be. Descriptive passages should flow naturally with the story line.

THE MESSAGES:

Every story has a message, some idea of what they want to share with their readers. It could be something like, “We are all worthy of love,” or “If you live in a tree house, you’re likely to fall out from time to time.” Whatever the message is, I want to learn something from my stories. I want to be inspired. I want to left with something that changes how I look at the world. Writing/reading helps us to understand who we are as human beings. I want that.

WHAT I LEARN ABOUT:

One of the things I love about writing historical fiction is all the stuff I get to learn about that I didn’t know before. In my latest book, Gift of the Loon, I learned about life in Toronto, Canada circa early 1900s. I learned how to paint. I went off on a canoe/hiking trip to visit the locations of my book, and it was all exciting. When I read a book, I want to step into another time, another place, another way of living. I want to learn all that I can about the world the author has created for me. I want to be there right beside the characters between the pages of that book.

WHAT COMPELS YOU?

It’s interesting to look back and understand what it is I look for in a good story. I think it was a subliminal thing that happened over time based on my experiences as a writer and a reader. It likely helped that I’ve taken a number of writing classes to in order to help me understand how a story is developed. But whether you’re a writer like me, or just a voracious reader, I bet if you thought about it, you could tell me what it is about any story that compels you to pick it off the shelf and take it home to read. I’d love to hear what those reason are. Won’t you drop me a line and let me know.