How to Read Like a Writer

by Karen Krossing | Jan 29, 2012 | On Writing

It may sound like stating the obvious, but to develop as a writer, one needs to read, read, read. As writers, we need to know the marketplace, particularly the genres in which we write. We can also learn writing techniques and improve our own writing by analyzing what works – and what doesn’t – in the books we read.

To get the most out of your reading, here are a few tips:

1. Form your own opinion.
   Try to approach a book with an open mind. Although you may chose to read a particular book because of a review or word-of-mouth recommendation, try to set aside the opinions of others and determine your own opinion of how well the books works.
2. Read for pleasure.
   Don’t take notes or mark passages when you read a book for the first time. Simply enjoy the ride that the author has created. You can analyze later. With a well-written book, you’ll be compelled to experience the characters’ emotions, and all thoughts of analysis will be banished.
3. Monitor your reactions.
   After you read a book, consider how engaged you were when reading. Where was the greatest energy? Where did your interest fade? Monitoring your reactions will help you determine how well the book met it’s goal of satisfying the reader.
4. Analyze your reactions.
   Ask yourself why it works – or doesn’t. How could it be improved? You may even want to discuss the book with others, or consider the opinions expressed in reviews. How do others view the book differently?
5. Read it again.
   When a book evokes a strong reaction from you, read it more than once. On a second reading, you will likely discover aspects of the story that you didn’t notice the first time. You can also evaluate the details of the story – character,  structure, plot, dialogue, and so on.
6. Pitch the book.
   If you had to sell this book to a reader, how would you do it? Try to write a one-sentence synopsis of the story that would compel someone else to read it. Your sentence should answer the question, “What is the story?”

My Love Affair with Magnetic Poetry

by Karen Krossing | Dec 8, 2011 | On Writing

I have a secret fondness for magnetic poetry – not so secret if you’ve been to my home. On a wall in my kitchen, I have a 3′ by 4′ board with as many sets of magnetic poetry as I can find.

The obsession began slowly, with only the original version of magnetic poetry – which is a collection of tiny magnetic words, in case you don’t know. I quickly needed more, leading to an injection of Shakespearean words, as well as Romance, Art and others.

I’m not sure that magnetic poetry is really useful for writer’s block. I’ve never written a sentence using it that sparked a story or even a line in a story. But it does remind me to play with words, to treat them with irreverence, to stir them into new combinations. For me, that’s an important thing to remember.

I also love seeing what messages people who visit my home might leave behind. These days, the word board speaks of a “frantic concrete flower” and how to “balance above a metaphor” – a tricky task.

It also instructs me to “breathe rhythm,” “explore wild magic” and “embrace poetry.” As for the latter, I think I already have.

How to Stay Motivated When Writing

by Karen Krossing | Aug 1, 2011 | On Writing

I received an email recently from a 12-year-old fiction writer. She was looking for advice on how to stay motivated throughout the writing of her whole story. Her question made me think about how I write a first draft.

The beginning of a story is usually fun to write — I feel inspired and enthusiastic. But after I write the first chapters, writing can slow down and it can be hard to keep going. A novel can take so long to write that it’s sometimes hard to imagine it will ever be done.

So when I’m writing a first draft, I like to set myself targets. When writing is tough, I aim for only 200 new words a day. On good days, I can get 500 to 1500 new words, although 200 words a day becomes 73,00 words in a year — enough for a novel! It may add up slowly but there’s usually time to write 200 words on most days. It’s also easier to keep my head in the story when I write a little bit every day, rather than a lot only once or twice a week.

I don’t have to write 200 “good” words. I let them be rough and polish them the next day because it helps me get into the next 200 words.

Here’s a good quote about getting through the first draft:

“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something — anything — down on paper.”
— Anne Lamott (from Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life)

I also have an extremely supportive writing group. There are five of us who share our writing to get constructive feedback on it, and we encourage one other when writing is tough. I know authors who have writing partners to help motivate them (they meet to write together once a week ). I tend to write alone, although I find that a writing retreat with other writers brings a fresh burst of material — as well as fabulous conversation.

Basically, I do whatever works to get that first draft down. The rewriting and polishing stages will take care of the warts.