tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post1107282415451127006..comments2024-03-28T17:30:06.439-04:00Comments on Writers Who Kill: On Learning From Books Outside Your Comfort ZoneJim Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-39192713604961658932013-06-10T09:10:02.261-04:002013-06-10T09:10:02.261-04:00Thanks, everyone! I'm so happy to be a part of...Thanks, everyone! I'm so happy to be a part of the blog and I'm glad you all agree about reading and learning from other genres!Sarah Henninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06822639126179367121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-4415927378477544242013-06-09T19:10:07.980-04:002013-06-09T19:10:07.980-04:00Sarah, I'm right with you on this. Total belie...Sarah, I'm right with you on this. Total believer in reading outside my comfort zone--which often leads me to a brand new comfort zone, e,g,, books I love. I've learned so much, and/or been inspired by YA, true crime, literary, so-called women's fiction, science fiction, fantasy, poetry, on and on. (I've read and loved all the books you named but one, and now I'll read it!)Nancy Pickardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-61493598287940375432013-06-09T15:15:31.200-04:002013-06-09T15:15:31.200-04:00Welcome to WWK, Sarah. I enjoy reading outside the...Welcome to WWK, Sarah. I enjoy reading outside the mystery genre now and then. Sometimes I read YA, science fiction, or biographies. I plan to read more poetry to learn about rhythm and word choice.Kara Cerisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16484336785514235707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-37584864374004175022013-06-09T13:53:11.561-04:002013-06-09T13:53:11.561-04:00Hi Sarah,
Really enjoyed this blog. You have highl...Hi Sarah,<br />Really enjoyed this blog. You have highlighted some amazing books. I'm a children's librarian, so in my world John Green and Elizabeth Wein are rock stars. Great writers are great writers - creating characters we love and worlds we can fall into - no matter the genre.Shari Randallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16425493627354028820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-47945779484982301582013-06-09T09:51:11.680-04:002013-06-09T09:51:11.680-04:00Welcome to our group, Sarah. I can tell you're...Welcome to our group, Sarah. I can tell you're going to be a good fit, and I'll enjoy your blogs.<br /><br />I belong to two book clubs and it's not often a mystery is picked for either book club, so like you, I'm often reading something other than mysteries and not only usually enjoying them, but learning from them. As a nontraditional college student - I started late - I took overloads every semester so I could take every literature class offered so I learned to appreciate I broad spectrum of writing years ago.Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-5054486870939325932013-06-09T08:58:39.820-04:002013-06-09T08:58:39.820-04:00Sarah,
Welcome to the blog.
Outside mystery/susp...Sarah,<br /><br />Welcome to the blog.<br /><br />Outside mystery/suspense/thriller, I tend to read nonfiction, although I dabble in most genres. With nonfiction the trick is to provide all the required data in an interesting manner. Those books that find the sweet spot between just-the-facts and boring repetition (tell them what you’re going to say, say it, tell them what you said) are worth paying attention to. How, have they used the narrative form to tell a story.<br /><br />The rest of the books I read go into my reading foundation. I rarely read specifically to see how someone does something, but I will take note when they have done something particularly well and reread to see just what they did differently than what I do.<br /><br />~ Jim<br />Jim Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-54497844068061349482013-06-09T08:49:13.880-04:002013-06-09T08:49:13.880-04:00Welcome to the gang, Sarah!
I've always been ...Welcome to the gang, Sarah!<br /><br />I've always been an omnivorous reader and still am. I tell my literary-writer students that they should read other genres to learn techniques they need--mysteries for narrative structure, thrillers for suspense to keep the reader turning the page, fantasy and science fiction for worldbuilding, women's fiction for handling relationships, etc., etc. It's one of the best ways to learn what you need to know.Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-61998955512946163052013-06-09T08:43:17.009-04:002013-06-09T08:43:17.009-04:00Welcome to WWK, Sarah. I used to read outside the ...Welcome to WWK, Sarah. I used to read outside the mystery genre more than I do now. I used to read YA, "women's fiction", science fiction, and humor. But lately, I've concentrated on mystery to study how the best writers do it. I've also been reading mysteries with defense attorneys as the MC because my WIP's MC is a defense attorney. I just finished the latest Jaqueline Winspear novel--for me a bit outside of my genre because it is historical.E. B. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16746747050278597888noreply@blogger.com