Why authors should read

There's a sense of satisfaction that comes with writing "the end," and I'm once again at that stage with the new book. I should note this is "The End" of the first draft. I have a lot of work yet to do to make this book readable. 

So here I sit, with my fractured ankle elevated. My "out and about" is going to physical therapy, and while I took a jaunt to the grocery store in my fancy boot, I quickly discovered that my chair is the best place to be for another week or two. Plenty of time to address my notes for what's still missing in the book and work through the second draft, and plenty of time to catch up on my reading.

This last week I received a book in the mail from a friend. One piece of advice commonly shared among authors is to make sure you read other people's work. While I am an avid reader, I tend to be streaky, and in my race to the finish line, I've been streaking in the "not reading" category. This gift changed that. I'm reminded why the advice to read other books is so critical.

First, the book I got was Patience Griffin's To Scotland With Love. I've been following her career, because I'm a big fan of Scottish literature, even as written by an American. I was hesitant to pick this one up because the hero is a big, famous, dashingly handsome movie star. I don't go for the movie star/average Joe trope, generally speaking. Don't like the billionaire heroes. They tend to be the same personality types and the same "wound," and I was afraid of being disappointed by "just another fabulous rich person falling for the plain Jane." So a big thank you to my friend, Jennifer, for picking this up at the quilt show and sending it along. 

Second, the reason to read other books is because they highlight either a) how not to write your story (if the book is "subpar"), or b) what your book is lacking. Let me tell you, Patience Griffin's writing was amazing. It is a romance, and it is women's fiction, but it's also much more. It's an ode to a small village in Scotland and a lesson in how to (or how not to) deal with disappointment. It's a family drama (which I generally touch on in my books). The woman put me to shame. She also makes me want to be a better writer.

THIS is where reading other authors comes into play. I've finished my first draft, and its "okay." Yep. That's all. It's okay. There are details missing. Information that shows up late in the book (surprise! Didn't see that coming!) that needs to be foreshadowed. Sensory cues that I know in my head that didn't make it to the page. I know all this, and even in the excitement of finishing the first draft, there is the funk of knowing the book could be better. (Of course, it can be better. It's a first draft, for heaven's sake!) So as I begin work on the second draft, I now have an example of what's missing in my work, not just an intellectual exercise, but something to strive for. Depth that needs to be added. I want something that will grab my readers the way Ms. Griffin's book grabbed me. Hers and mine are two completely different stories, but the essence of storytelling is the same. Don't leave the details out. Don't rush to answer the questions as they arise. Life takes time. 

I'm reminded of another author who doesn't believe in revising and editing. He subscribes to a theory called Writing Into The Dark which suggests your subconscious knows what should be on the page. I agree with that, but only as far as a first draft goes. It would be easy for me to say "the end - and done," but I'm striving for a more connective reading experience. That means going back and making this story better than "okay." I want people to connect to my words. To have a response to my words (other than "egads, that was awful!"). I want people to feel the same way reading my books as I felt writing them. Too much gets passed over in the first draft. For me, the first draft is getting ideas on paper. It isn't until the second draft that those ideas make sense.

So on to the second draft with a renewed sense of purpose. I hope you're going to love Horned Owl Hollow - and the inspiration that led me to write it!