So many books have had a profound impact on readers. These books become instant classic because of the ability to connect with their reader
but for writers so many books that will never be mentioned on any best seller or favorite’s books of all time lists are the ones that left a lasting impression.
For me I remember the first time I read a book with an ambiguous ending. The author hadn’t wrapped up the story line in a neat little happy ending; instead, he’d left the outcome to the reader’s imagination.
My initial reaction was you can’t do that. Which eventually morphed into, “You can do that?”
I thought about those characters for a long time after reading that book. I speculated on their fate and I had others read the book so we could discuss the ending.
These kinds of books are learning moments for writers. I adore reading a book with one of these moments.
Even a poorly written book can give a writer a learning moment. I remember one such book that irritated me so badly I wanted to throw it across the room. Shortly after I identified on of the things I considered irritating in my own work. I eliminated it immediately. I’m so grateful to the author of the bad book for shining light on my own problem.
Traditional thinking says read everything you can in your genre but most of my revelations have come when I read outside my genre. Genre incest is one of the reasons genres get stale for so many readers (IMHO). Like a painter with only one color, there is nothing new or innovative. If you are a one genre reader, I would ask you to broaden your pallet and see what you can discover.
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More than anything I want more time to read. Don’t get me wrong, I read every day, but my reading comes in choppy chunks usually between “tantrums”, “diaper changes”, “honey where’s the”, “what’s that burning smell”, and “oh no! the toilet just over flowed” moments. What I dream about is a luxurious block of uninterrupted time.
