Meeting New Authors...Through Their Works Anyway

     If you've read through the awesome answers by my fellow blog chainers (and the chain is not quite finished either, so stay tuned), you may notice something.  While some of us picked some higher profile authors (i.e. Poe, King, etc), some of the comments I've gotten indicate authors I've never heard of before.  And I can imagine that the rest of the chain will probably include more authors I'm not aware of.

     I have to hand it to Michelle, because she managed to come up with a question that has re-invigorated our chain with unique perspectives (not to take anything away from previous entries, of course).  I'm always interested in reading new authors, if for nothing else than to experience literature from a different perspective.  I've not been educated on the classics that so many of my fellow writers seem to be aware of, and sometimes I feel like I'm falling behind on my knowledge of excellent books and writers; there's just too many good ones out there.

     A fellow blogger friend of mine (and I'm proud to call him a friend) by the name of Matt Conlon has recently started writing non-fiction articles, and although I've been chatting with Matt for a while, I hadn't had the opportunity to actually read his stuff before.  After reading his articles, I was struck by the skill he displays and I'm sure his fiction writing is just as enjoyable.

     Then there's the awesome Alex Cavanaugh, whose debut book CassaStar just recently became available (I haven't picked up my copy yet, mostly because I'm hoping to win one).  I'm really looking forward to reading this, particularly because Alex shared a tidbit with us early on and I've been anxious to read more ever since.

     And of course there's the awesome book I read recently called Cinders, by the incredibly talented Michelle Argyle.  Michelle is part of the trio known as The Literary Lab, and Cinders is her foray into the world of self publishing.  Based upon my own copy, I'd say not only is the writing superb but the book itself is beautiful.

So what's my point (other than putting up a link-filled post and bragging about books I've read or am going to read)?  I guess my point is that meeting new authors (through their works) is something I enjoy, and I just had to share them all with you.

What new authors have you read lately?  Which ones do you highly recommend?

It Snuck Up On Me...Really

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you may have stumbled through my thoughts regarding the Twilight series. To say I was not impressed with the first book would be an understatement. I won't reiterate my feelings on the subject again (since I'm trying to stay in a good mood), but suffice it to say I was not happy with it.

I continued on however, mostly because I had made a promise to my son to read them all. He likes all the books, and even though I expressed my distaste for certain aspects of the first one, he demanded I keep reading. Being the honor-bound father that I am, I agreed.

Here I am having finished book three, and I am unfortunately forced to admit that I do like the story. I say unfortunately because I was dead set against becoming a fan. I just really hated the first book that much. Even now, you could not pay me enough to go back through that torture again. But I do recognize that the story has grown on me, and I have come to recognize redeeming aspects of book two and three. I can't honestly say that the writing is any better or worse. I just like the story more than I did before.

How did this happen? I still have a great distaste for the main character (someone I consider to be a perfect example of insanity), but part of me wonders if that isn't exactly what the author wanted? If that's so, then the author's goal of making me hate the MC has been accomplished. But how did I arrive at this position where I can comfortably acknowledge my appreciation of the story? I have no idea how I got here, but here I am.

This isn't the first time I've found myself enjoying a book I didn't want to. There have been quite a few times I've started out really not enjoying a book and yet unwilling to stop turning the page. Is this the mark of a good storyteller or am I just deluding myself? I honestly can't tell.

In any event, I will be continuing on through book four (once my son finishes it up) and I will very begrudgingly admit that at least some of the books in the series have merit. After all, I would hope my critical reading skills are still evolved enough to tell the difference between good and bad writing.

Have you ever had this happen to you, where you find yourself enjoying a book you didn't expect to like? How do you deal with that realization? Do you start reading with a tougher eye, searching for "concrete" reasons not to like it? Or do you just sit back and enjoy the book, admitting (at least in private) that it's a decent read?

How Deeply Affected Are You?

One of the distinctions of a good book is the ability to pull your reader deeply into your world. I recently had a wonderful experience with this while reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I've already reviewed it, so I won't go into too many details. I do want to talk about how I know its great writing. I'm not talking about the structure either. I'm not talking about Jamie Ford's ability to put a sentence together, nor the adjectives he uses throughout the work. I'm talking about the ability to make your reader feel the story. Let me see if I can describe the sensations I was going through upon reaching the last few pages.

The story comes to a close (like so many others) with a great deal of emotional impact. Now I consider myself a manly man (I ride a loud motorcycle, encased in leather), but I willingly admit to a pulling at my heartstrings by this book. I could feel Jamie's MCs, I longed to find out more, and I ached because I knew the story was over even though I really didn't want it to be. This is when I know that a writer has done their job and done it exceptionally well. There are good books, and then there are exceptional books. So the question to us as writers is this: How do we transcend being able to put a few words on a page in the right order to making our story so full of impact that the reader can't help but be affected? Here are some quick thoughts I have on the subject:

1. Tell the story. While this may sound completely obvious, it has to do with concise writing. Sometimes we get off on a tangent and the story loses focus. I'm as much a culprit of this as anyone. Sometimes our tangents are really good too, but we need to know when to cut the fat.

2. Describe adequately. Again, this sounds like another easy concept but its often enough hard to master. We have to learn to describe our realm well enough that the reader feels the wind on their face, hears the birds in the trees. We don't however, want them so inundated with description that they get bored or lost.

3. Make your characters human. Now those of you who write Sci-fi or fantasy are probably up in arms. I don't mean make your characters human, as in what species they are. I mean, remember that perfection in a species is rare (or unheard of), and the flaws in a character are what make them so likeable. Even the super model hunk, captain of the football team with more muscles than Schwarzenegger has a flaw. Don't leave it out.

4. Write from your heart. I don't mean your book needs to be the next great romance novel (unless thats the intent, in which case keep chugging). When a writer begins a story, its hopefully something they care a great deal about. We need to allow our love for the story to shine through, even when we're working on our 7th draft and dreadfully tired of editing.

5. End the story. This is maybe the hardest one for me personally - getting to the end. We write a story, we care about the characters, and we cherish the world we have created. All of this is great, but just like our children growing up, eventually we need to let go. Don't be afraid of the story's end. Every story has an ending, and even if its a dark one, its a necessity.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. So what did I miss? What do you think is necessary in order to really affect your reader?