Books that made me go ‘hmmm’
WRITING HAS RHYTHM!
Depending on how you write, your word choice, punctuation, and even where you decide to break your paragraphs can convey to a reader what you’re trying to express.
Growing up, we didn’t have the internet we have now, so I grew up in a time where it wasn’t that challenging to stay focused on what you’re doing.
And what I liked to do was read.
I read a lot. I read during almost every waking hour except for when I was in school. Heck, I read even when I was there! And when it was time to go home, my textbooks stayed in my locker and instead, it was pocketbooks that filled my bag. I read so much that the stories came alive in my head and I saw them as vividly as I would TV shows and movies.
A couple of decades later and, sadly, this is no longer the case. Now, getting through a book requires effort and concentration. When before I can finish a paperback in a day, now I would feel a sense of accomplishment if I can finish one in a weekend.
My writing, my chores, TV, and of course, my phone all vie for my attention when it’s not already being taken up by my work. Besides, I also actively work on ensuring someone looks for and rescues me should I fall in the bathroom and pass out aka me maintaining social relationships.
But every now and then, a book catches my attention and I’m able to concentrate on it long enough to actually sit down and finish it from cover to cover.
Below is a list of books I most recently enjoyed, non-fiction edition.
Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon: This gave me the reinforcement that no idea is really original. Far from that being depressing, it releases you from the pressure of needing to come up with the next new thing in order to pursue your interest in the arts—or anywhere, for that matter. To quote Nike’s slogan: Just do it. Even if it’s already been done before, do it. Don’t plagiarize but don’t get stuck trying to come up with an original idea either. At the end of the day, it’s all about the execution.
I don’t believe in just following your passion (that’s a topic for a different time), but I do believe in honing your talent and using your interest to create something you’re proud of. And if it becomes a profitable venture for you, then that’s even better.
Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon: Yes, another book by him. In this one, he gave practical advise on how to showcase your work. I won’t go into details about it but, as I have shared in my post here, his section on claiming his domain and creating his website inspired me to do the same thing so here I am, having fun with my new online journal.
100 Ways To Improve Your Writing (Updated) by Gary Provost: I know that the title of this book sounds unappealing but don’t be fooled. This book is filled with practical tips shared in a way that will keep you engaged and before you know it, you’ve finished the entire thing. It helps that it’s a quick read too.
But what I really enjoyed about it is his section on writing/text having rhythm. I’m a firm believer of this and that’s why I always read what I write out loud. Depending on how you write, your word choice, punctuation, and even where you decide to break your paragraphs can convey to a reader what you’re trying to express. They too, like the characters in your story, can either panic or feel like they have all the time in the world, based on how you structure your sentences. Reading your prose out loud can help determine whether you’ve achieved that.
One of my favorite comments to receive is when a reader of mine lets me know that a character in my story they’re reading is similar to them or they understand why a character thinks or acts a certain way because they would have done the same. This tells me that I’ve achieved my goal because a real human being thinks my character acts like an honest-to-goodness person. And a big chunk of my ability to do this is because I read my lines out loud, even the non-dialogue parts. This is because when I do, it makes the characters become more solid, have a real personality of their own, and so hearing them (somewhat) out loud also helps me realize if my character is being true to themself or not. If I go, “Nah, she would nevery say that!” then I get the opportunity to correct something that would otherwise have been an injustice to my story.
Lastly, hearing my words out loud helps me determine if the tone I’m using for my prose is the tone I wanted it to have. You have no idea how much rework I’ve had to do just because, when it was finally time to read what I have aloud, I realized that I strayed in certain parts. At least I’m able to correct this before I click on that ‘Publish’ button.
On the other hand, I’m still reading:
On Writing by Stephen King: I don’t know why I still haven’t finished this. Perhaps my brain is not yet in the right place to continue this book. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but when I put it down, nothing compels me to pick it up again. I wonder if it’s due to us having different writing styles.
Writing Down The Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg: There’s a certain sense of spirituality in this book that I think I’m not ready for yet. That’s why I still haven’t finished this.
Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott: I initally thought that I didn’t finish this but a quick glance at my Goodreads list tells me otherwise. Similar to Writing Down The Bones, there’s a certain sense of spirituality to this book that I don’t have yet. I guess that’s why it didn’t have as big an impact on me as the ones I stated above.
I didn’t write the above to diss them so please don’t misunderstand. They are all very popular books on writing and that’s why I included them. Since you may suggest them to me and I wanted to let you know in advance that I’ve already finished/started on them. It just really isn’t for me. At least not at this point.
How about you? What are some books that made you think or has inspired you lately?
PS: I’m planning to have a writing schedule so I’m not all over the place but for now, I’m going to try to put some more content on this site so it’s not so empty. An empty site makes me sad. :(
