Sundays are usually quiet days for me.
I always have some new materials, assignments and questions to post to the online composition/communications class I teach.
After that, the cats and I usually go outside and do some gardening. Working with my plants always frees my mind to think of the novel I’m writing. So many situations with my characters and storyline become clear after such activity.
Then, after some necessary housekeeping chores, I usually settle down with a favorite book for awhile.
Today, I’m away from home on another pet-sitting assignment, so I’ve had a little more time to read a favorite, Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts). It’s not the first time I’ve read it but I’m enjoying revisiting Eve Dallas and Rourke and their friends and associates.
From Publishers Weekly
I think I’ve learned more about writing from reading master writers’ works than I ever have in a class. Anytime I have problems with a certain scene, description or character development, I often turn to a good book and see how that writer used in a similar situation. It’s not a question of imitating another writer’s style–just a way of observing good writing technique.
I know many writers say they never read other books when they’re writing because they are afraid they will be influenced by another’s style or content. I haven’t found that to be a problem.
In my humble opinion, I believe all good writers are first good readers. They enjoy the written word and are entertained by others’ stories. They are also, most usually, natural story tellers.
Those are two qualities I think are essential for writers: a love of reading and the ability to tell a story.
Everything else can be learned.
