I just visited my friend, Dan's blog, and he has posted an erudite rant about bad writing. Dan wouldn't like the word 'erudite' but I don't care; it's my blog. ;o)
The focus of his tirade was Cormac McCarthy. I agree with what Dan says and suggest anyone who happens upon my blog visit his: Jeff's New Motorcycle (link at the left). Anyway, it made me think about books I've read that have inspired my own writing. I try to read what I feel is well-crafted, strong literature in order to learn from those authors and imporve my own writing. I will often open a good book--for example, The Kite Runner--before I set to writing as inspiration. Right now, I'm reading The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman, a very talented writer. As I read her words I find myself thinking, "Wow. I wish I could have come up with those words, or that sentence." I recently finished Wally Lamb's The Hour I First Believed, another great book. Mr. Lamb doesn't use super-huge, ten cent words to convey his feelings and thoughts. He just gets his point across and tells a great story. If any other writers are reading this I'm interested to know what authors do you read in order to learn from them? Who makes you think, "Wow. I wish I'd written that?" And P.S., Happy Holidays!!
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4 comments:
I'm inspired by Amy Simonson and Daniel Bell myself.
;o)
That's a lonely spot, isn't it, Diane??
Norman Maclean, because he didn't publish A River Runs Through It until he was 72.
Larry Brown, author of the novel Dirty Work, who said "There's no such thing as a born writer. It's a skill you have to learn, just like learning how to be a bricklayer or a carpenter." Sadly, we have way too many teachers who were never any good themselves, but don't know how to produce good writers, either. If a writer is lucky, they will get a mentor who has written well. Hemingway had Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein. I'm lucky enough to have Bill Allen.
You are fortunate to have found Bill. I'd love to find a mentor but also feel blessed to have a great writer's group. I think they (writer's groups) can be helpful, too, if you have the right mix of people.
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