What I'm Reading: Teacher's Plans by JoAnn Carter
Picture of the Day:
This is one of the rocks I painted. When I paint a rock, I look at it and envision the creature inside. This one clearly spoke to me. No dallying around. Just..."look, I'm a turtle waiting for you to bring me to life." So I did.
That's what writing is like for me as well. I envision a character in a setting and then I'm magically inside his or her head. I know what mood they're in, what they are thinking, what is troubling them. From there my story becomes clear.
When I read, I don't want to read all the details that detract from the action of the story. I'm one of those "Give me the facts and cut to the chase" kind of readers. I guess I'm like that in real life as well. I told you how my hubby can draw out a story, going off in tangents that have nothing at all to do with the punch line. So, when I'm reading and run into a bunch of words that are meaningless detail or description, I pull my head into my shell. I hated history in school. There were way too many boring dates and things that to me were meaningless. Hmm. Maybe that's why I don't write historicals!
And, since I like fast moving stories that suck me into the pages, maybe that's why I write romantic suspense. My books are full of dialogue and action. They are character driven. I admit it...I'm plot challenged. I can't sit and plot out my story. If I do that, I can't write. I allow my characters to draw me in and lead me through their life. I love it. I never know what's going to happen next. I know the basics, but the exciting things I discover on the journey of writing. And, I do try to leave out the parts that people skip.
The reviews on Amazon for Joshua's Hope all seem to reflect that I've succeeded in my goal. If you haven't yet read Joshua's Hope, hop over to Amazon and read the reviews. Maybe you'll be tempted to find out what happens in the journey of a stepmother who needs to save her son--at any cost. Read Reviews.
Thanks for stopping by!
3 comments:
Hi, Carol Ann! I was just thinking about that "what to leave out" issue.
Some authors I enjoy are very terse, and others are beautifully lavish in their descriptions--they make you feel like you're really there. How to choose?
Well, I realized while re-reading one of my favorite books that I read for the exciting story first, and then if it's really great, I read it again for the description!
The one thing that can't be lacking is the story. I'll skip over a ton of description that first time, but if I love the story, eventually I'll get around to those grace notes I missed before.
Makes it almost like reading a whole new book!
Saralee
Hi Saralee! Thanks for popping by today. I hear what you're saying and I agree. Sometimes I find myself paging back to look at something I missed. You know, I love to read lavish, flowing descriptions of setting and things that bring the story to life for me. What I don't like are "technical" type details which I've run into mostly in books other than romance. Maybe that's why I've become such an avid romance reader. : )
You can bring this beautiful turtle to your son-in-law today, what a convenience you will be here ;-)
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