Read this...Then try to Write: You must read, and read a lot. Did I say A LOT? I read over a hundred books a year and have done so since I was fifteen years old, and every book I’ve read has taught me something. So a writer blogged. I’ve learned that some authors are incredible at building suspense (seeThe Firmby John Grisham), I’ve read others that scare the jeepers out of me (seeThe Shiningby Stephen King). Some authors can weave an incredible number of story lines into a single, coherent novel, with all parts coming together at the end that makes it impossible to stop turning the pages (see The Sum of all Fearsby Tom Clancy), while other authors make me laugh out loud (see Blood sucking Fiends by Christopher Moore). I’ve also learned that many, many authors fail when attempting to do these things. By reading a lot of novels in a variety of genres, and asking questions, it’s possible to learn how things are done—the mechanics of writing, so to speak—and which genres and authors excel in various areas. Next, focus in on the genre you want to write, and read books in that genre. A LOT of books by a variety of authors. Read with questions in your mind. In a thriller,for instance, you might ask: how many characters were there? Too many or too few? How long was the novel? How many chapters were there? Was that too few, too many or just right? How did the author build suspense? Did the author come out of nowhere with a surprise? Or did the author drop hints earlier? If so, how many hints? Where in the novel did he put them? Was the suspenseful scene primarily narrative or dialogue? Or a combination of both? Did that work? Would it have been better another way? Where did the bad guys come in? In the beginning? The middle? When did they first meet the good guy? What happened? Did the reader know they were bad? Did they do something bad right off, or was it something that seemed good at the time? Then, read another thriller and ask yourself those questions again. Then read another and another and another and ask those same questions. And keep reading your entire life and asking questions. Little by little, you’ll learn the process. Hope this was helpfull?
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 11:23:02 +0000