Reading Makes Me a Better Writer

As you read this, hopefully sipping coffee and eating a doughnut, I'll be asleep at the oral surgeon's, having two teeth extracted. Yuck.

But I digress...

This month I had the chance to read some great books. One by Laura Kaye, which hasn't yet been released. (I read it for a cover quote.) One by Jennifer Probst. One by Jill Shalvis. (I'm loving the Lucky Harbor Series!)

I'm a very slow reader. I love to savor every word in a book. Which means I love books by great wordsmiths.

As I was finishing off my last book, book 8 of the Larkville Continuity series for Harlequin Romance, I suddenly noticed I'd become seriously poetic. Even I was amazed at some of the beautiful prose coming out of the tips of my fingers. And I realized that as I read authors of beautiful prose -- Kaye, Probst and Shalvis are truly some of the most beautiful writers I've read -- their goodness rubbed off on me.

Or maybe it made me more aware and caused me to think about everything happening in the moment of my scene. The sky. The scents. The kiss of the sun. The trembling perfection of a hero's touch. A slammed door. A baby's muscial giggle. Those are the things that pull readers into a story. Because that's where they want to be ... in the story. Not dumped or dropped there, but lured and tempted by beautiful words and phrases that draw them in.

Sometimes when we're working so hard on our story, trying to set everything up and get everything in, we forget to lure and tempt.

And that's where great books come in. All it takes is ten minutes of having an author lure me into her story to remind me that I'm not just trying to write 50,000 words that make sense, I'm supposed to be entertaining someone...luring her into my story.

So take a look at your book today. Especially your first chapter. Are you luring readers into your story? Or draging them along kicking and screaming? :)

Happy Monday...and remember no matter what you're doing today, you're having more fun than I am! LOL

susan