Comments for helencareybooks

Comment on No time to read? by helencareybooks

helencareybooks — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:22:08 +0000

Absolutely, it’s almost impossible to analyse a good novel on the first read. However hard you try you get too involved with the characters and their story. So a second (third or fourth), more attentive read, is the answer.

Comment on No time to read? by Maria McCarthy

Maria McCarthy — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:51:19 +0000

One point I think is interesting is not just reading novels (where on the whole I tend to be racing through to get to the end) – but re-reading them. I remember once going to a talk by the author Marcia Willett, who had got her first book published effortlessly (you could sense the envy from us wannabe authors in the room) – someone asked if she’d got ‘rejected novels in bottom drawers/been on any writing courses etc) and Marcia said no, but that what she had always done was to re-read novels that she really loved, because the second (and subsequent) times she could see more how they were constructed/how dialogue was handled/how the author reeled you in, etc. I thought that was really interesting, and I’ve become (even more) of a re-reader as a result.

Comment on No time to read? by helencareybooks

helencareybooks — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:02:04 +0000

Thanks, yes, it’s so important for so many reasons to get writing as good as it can be before publishing. The other problem is that if new writers are discouraged by a poor response to their first efforts it might put them off completely, when with time they might have developed into great storytellers.

Comment on No time to read? by Rhonda

Rhonda — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:39:03 +0000

Wonderful advice! I’d noticed this trend too and your post really addresses the negatives without denying the exisiting positives of self-publishing. I wish more new writers would take the time to know themselves–and their flaws–before inviting the whole world in. It would save them a lot of wasted effort and even some shame down the road. I know I’d pay to have back the couple of stories I’ve published, just to fix them one more time.

Comment on No time to read? by betiyo

betiyo — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:53:17 +0000

You’re so right too. I have the problem of disengaging in much of the poetry I read. Most of my reading pertain to neuroscience and psychology or I read philosophy. Oddly enough I then vent with poetry…
I will have to switch it up a bit. Thank you for taking the time to write this.
Very helpful.
Peace.

Comment on No time to read? by helencareybooks

helencareybooks — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:46:09 +0000

Absolutely, that’s a good point. You can learn from good and bad novels!

Comment on No time to read? by John Henry Beck

John Henry Beck — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:30:28 +0000

This is great advice and something that has helped my writing. I have learned so much from reading really good novels and I feel better about myself when I read really bad novels, actually I stop reading them if they are really bad. Thanks for the post.

Comment on Life gets in the way by helencareybooks

helencareybooks — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:17:58 +0000

Absolutely. Sometimes the inspiration flows and it all seems easy, but I do think knowing where you are going and what the novel is really about helps a lot on the bad days!

Comment on Life gets in the way by Mary

Mary — Sat, 11 May 2013 21:22:53 +0000

The worst thing is when you have a whole, undisturbed day to write and it’s like trawling through treacle, the characters refuse to play, the plot grinds to a shuddering halt and you wonder what it was that fired your imagination in the first place.
Then on the day you have a limited time it suddenly comes to life again. The characters interact together and drive on the plot and you don’t want to stop.

Comment on Words are like local shops by helencareybooks

helencareybooks — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:28:38 +0000

Thank you. Yes, absolutely, it seems important (and fun) to bring life back to some of the ones we are losing (or indeed have virtually lost). ‘Doing!’