I consider myself a reader with a writing problem, except on the days when I realize I am a writer with a reading problem.
Today I am struggling with the problem called Inferno.
Dan Brown is the king of the cliffhanger, the maestro of mayhem. He’s not the best reviewed of authors, and some absolutely loathe him, an emotion tinged perhaps with envy of the mega-bestselling author, but even his detractors must concede the man can make you turn pages. It’s infernal.
I consider him among the most dangerous of writers. His short chapters make you think Just one more: one more scene, one more chapter, one more hour.
My poor deluded soul.
Julia Cameron exhorts the writer to put aside other books while working on his own. Until Inferno I had virtuously resisted the reading temptation towering next to my chaise longue…. Middle C, Vampires in the Lemon Grove, Hexes and Hemlines (I’m an eclectic reader, so sue me).
So when Inferno thudded onto my desk, I thought I was in control. I sneaked a bit here and there, using the “multitasking method” - reading while stirring at the stove, reading while brushing my teeth, reading in line at the bank.
Like an addict, I talked myself into thinking I wouldn’t get hooked.
Just one more chapter….I can handle it.
But Cameron’s advice is true. To write well, we must remain full citizens of the world we are creating. Our characters won’t breathe if we aren’t breathing the air they breathe – every minute we can spare.
So I got off Brown’s roller coaster (he made it a bit easy in the cavern – see if you agree) and got back to constructing my own roller coaster.
I passed his book on to a nonwriting fan.
Thanks for the ride, Dan – I’ll be back – later.
I agree with you, Shari. I devoured The Da Vinci Code in a weekend. His books & James Patterson's books both make me break my "just one more chapter" promise.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to you, though, for putting it down until you're done with your own tome.
I'll follow Robert Langdon on any journey. I've got a little more of Inferno to finish, but I'm almost there! Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteAlyx, I just wish I could read faster, and Paula, thank you for letting me know I am not alone. This book is so darn hard to resist!
ReplyDeleteIt takes willpower to stop reading and put your writing first. Good for you, Shari! By the way, I like your multitasking method of reading.
ReplyDeleteShari, I'm not a Dan Brown fan. Read DaVinci Code to see what all the hoopla was about. Kept wanting to throw it against the wall for stupidity and falsehoods. On the other hand, the man knows how to keep you turning pages. I can't deny that. He's a master storyteller who refuses to learn how to write well or even really research, and apparently he doesn't need to since he can do suspense so well. I don't pick up his books any longer. But I do understand his appeal to so many readers.
ReplyDeleteHi Kara - multitasking with the books can be a bit hard on them, but that way I don't feel that I am giving up too much writing time.
ReplyDeleteAnd Linda, I know what you mean, but how does he keep us turning the pages? Maybe a Faustian deal?
Although I'm not a Dan Brown fan because when authors change history I think it is a cheat, I do understand how you feel, having just finished the latest Jacqueline Winspear and now found a new release by Deborah Crombie. Then, Sheila Connolly release a stand alone and I read our own Gloria Alden's new one. I love books! I can't stop. It does take me away from my writing, but I've juggled reading and real life for so long that I'm a three-ring circus. Let the elephants roam with the clowns through my life.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I enjoyed his earlier books, I did not finish The Da Vinci Code. I got tired of cliffhangers that a reasonably intelligent eight-year-old could figure his/her way out of. I'm not rushing out to buy this one either.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the idea that one shouldn't read while writing. But it's helpful to read in a different genre--I prefer literary novels because they tune my mind to be more original in descriptions. That helps me be a more authentic writer, I think!
ReplyDeleteI've never read Dan Brown or James Patterson so I can't comment on them, but I'm a big fan of Jacqueline Winspear, Elizabeth George, Louise Penny and many others like our own Linda Rodriquez. I just can't imagine a life without reading. I belong to two book clubs and they rarely pick mysteries, so I'm often reading something other than mysteries, but mysteries are my favorite reads. I always have at least two or even three books going at one time. There are those beside my nesting chair and another one or two beside my bed. Personally, I think as a mystery writer reading mysteries is like taking classes on how to write them. We see what works and what doesn't work.
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