Reading Novels Like a Novelist This week I read Home by Toni Morrison. Home is a compact novel of only one hundred and forty six pages. It has a great opening hook of a man trying to escape from a hospital and letting the reader in on his plans of deception and escape. He doesn’tContinue reading “RNLN Attempt 11: Home by Toni Morrison”
Tag Archives: books
RNLN Attempt 10: Kaleidoscope by Brian Selznick & S. by Doug Dorst and J. J. Abrams
This week is going to be a little different. Every time I look “Abstract Art” in my local library system’s catalogue, the novel Kaleidoscope by Brian Seznick comes up. The cover looks like an extreme close-up on a green eye with the white lettering across the pupil. I’ve been curious why that novel comes upContinue reading “RNLN Attempt 10: Kaleidoscope by Brian Selznick & S. by Doug Dorst and J. J. Abrams”
RNLN Attempt 9: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
This week I enjoyed a fun read: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. I brought this popular mystery home from the library and read the whole thing in one sitting, reading into the night. I laughed out loud and almost cried. So I thought this would be a good week to start re-reading TheContinue reading “RNLN Attempt 9: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman”
RNLN Attempt 8: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Overview: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf is an intimate look at a philosopher’s wife, her husband, and eight children and their guests at a summer house. The young son wants to take the boat trip to the Lighthouse but the weather is not cooperating and he is very disappointed. The novel is told inContinue reading “RNLN Attempt 8: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf”
Reading Novels Like a Novelist Attempt 7: A Widow For One Year by John Irving
Procedural Tips I did it! I finally read A Widow for One Year by John Irving. I finally understand the title that’s been sitting on my shelf for what seems like forever. It took a half a day longer than I thought it would, and it felt like I had run a 10K when IContinue reading “Reading Novels Like a Novelist Attempt 7: A Widow For One Year by John Irving”
Reading Novels Like a Novelist Attempt 6: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Now that I’ve explored my process of Reading Novels Like a Novelist (RNLN) for a while, I thought I would combine my RNLN focus post with my Contradictory Abstractions post on Tuesday, but then we had surprise snow and the sun came out, so I took a snow day. Then yesterday was the Heron TreeContinue reading “Reading Novels Like a Novelist Attempt 6: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng”
Reading Novels Like a Novelist Attempt 5: Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey
Procedural Tips Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey is the first novel in this series that I read on my tablet. Using the Kindle functions were more difficult, even frustrating, on my tablet. When I attempted to highlight with my finger, the whole page moved. I had to place my finger, wait and then when theContinue reading “Reading Novels Like a Novelist Attempt 5: Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey”
How to Read Novels Like a Novelist (RNLN): How a Craft Book Can Influence Reading a Novel
The concept of this series of posts is to stop reading craft books, learning from other writers’ chosen examples, and learn from novels, choosing my own examples. However, I had one craft book from the library that I hadn’t finished, Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for the Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee.Continue reading “How to Read Novels Like a Novelist (RNLN): How a Craft Book Can Influence Reading a Novel”
How to Read Novels Like a Novelist (RNLN): Kindle Edition
Last week I “won” my first physical book (other than a coloring book) from Library Thing. Won is in quotes because it is actually an exchange for my volunteer labor of reviewing the book, but they call it winning. The coming book that will arrive in my mailbox is a poetry collection which I’ll needContinue reading “How to Read Novels Like a Novelist (RNLN): Kindle Edition”
The Week in Review: Reading, Writing, and Abstraction
How was your week? Did you try reading like a writer? Though I didn’t find a lot to apply to my novel from The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill, I did have fun brainstorming unique formats for my novel, and it inspired me to get a copy of S. by J.J. Abrams andContinue reading “The Week in Review: Reading, Writing, and Abstraction”
Experience Writing 