Category: Reading

How Reading a Variety of Books Can Improve Your Writing

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When I first began my writing journey nearly about five years ago, I was inspired by Stephen King’s book On Writing, in which he encouraged writers to read often and read a variety of book titles. Around that same time, I had started volunteering for a non-profit group that provided books to incarcerated women, and I became familiar with the books they often requested from our library (most of which were donations). So I was reading everything from true crime, prison life and re-entry to African-American and Hispanic fiction.  

Adding fuel to the fire was a blog post I came across about a reading challenge—reading books under certain categories, themes, genres or book titles—no matter how crazy those titles might be. The list included everything from reading a non-fiction book, a book about motherhood, a book turned into a movie or TV series, or a book with a color/number/person’s name in the title. You get the idea. The challenge wasn’t about how many books you could read, but the variety. It simply added another layer of fun to the activity of reading.

Put altogether, reading a variety of books became ingrained in me. So what that I rarely read the current bestseller? I learned as much by reading a classic John Steinbeck novel as anything else on the current bestseller list. I learned that every book you read can teach you something about writing.

More important, reading a variety exposed me to authors I probably would never have read (Toni Morrison, for example) and about different cultures and perspectives (Indian culture through the work of Jhumpa Lahiri, for example). It showed different uses of language and unique and interesting characters and settings (fantasy, for example).

Reading a variety has also shown me the things that don’t always work in storytelling and what does and does not appeal to readers. That knowledge is helping me craft better stories, stronger plots and more interesting characters. (At least I hope it does.}

Reading a variety can nudge you out of your comfort zone and challenge your brain to see things differently. If all you ever read is the same genre, boredom can settle in and you’ll likely see the same plot lines and the same types of characters over and over again. When that happens, it may be time to mix things up a bit. After reading a couple of historical fiction novels, switch it up by reading a memoir or a classic. You can always return to your favorite genre.

Here’s what you can learn about writing by reading outside your favorite genre:

  • Sci Fi/Fantasy – Learn about world building with its own unique population and language. This challenges you to think outside the box.
  • Mystery/thriller – Learn techniques for pacing and creating suspense.
  • Literary – Learn about character-driven plots, character motivation and story arcs.
  • Memoir – Learn about a person’s history, emotions and experiences. What makes them tick? How did they become the person they are now?
  • Non-fiction – Learn to explain technical or complex subjects. Get background information about a subject.
  • Commercial fiction or current bestseller – ask yourself why they are so popular with readers. What is their appeal? Why are people buying this book?
  • The classics – Learn about the use of language from years ago. Important if you’re writing historical fiction.
  • Plays/drama – Pay attention to dialogue. How do the characters speak and relate to one another?
  • Read Latino, African-American, Native-American, Middle Eastern, Asian-American authors – Notice how their culture influences their story telling.

The way I see it, reading is the flip side of writing. Without reading, we would never experience the fine art of storytelling. So read a lot, and read a variety. Your creative writing self will thank you for it.

Recommended Books about Mothers and Motherhood

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Since the calendar turned to the month of May, I’ve found myself reading novels where mothers are the key characters and motherhood the main theme. My current read is Two Little Girls in Blue, a suspense novel by legendary author Mary Higgins Clark, a story about the kidnapping of three-year-old twins Kelly and Kathy and their telepathic connection.  

Clark’s story got me thinking about other books I’ve read that explore similar themes of motherhood. With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, I thought I would pay special tribute to Moms with a list of books that feature mother-child relationships. All types of mothers are included on this list, including birth mothers, adopted mothers and step mothers. Most of these books I’ve read, but I’ve included a few others worth noting.

So if you’re looking to add more to your TBR list, here are a few worth a look:

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
What would you do if you received a postcard in the mail about missing children, and one of the children on the card looks identical to your adopted son? That is the premise of this suspenseful page turner that asks the question: What would you do if you suspected that your adopted child was kidnapped from another family?

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
With clearly drawn characters and crisp writing, this was another book I couldn’t stop reading. Hannah is a new wife and stepmother to 16-year-old Bailey, who wants nothing to do with her. When Hannah’s husband Owen disappears, she receives a note from him with one simple message: “Protect her.” Hannah knows she must protect Bailey, even as she tries to unravel what has happened to her husband.

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
With the help of a psychic and a private investigator, a teenaged girl attempts to find out what happened to her mother, an elephant researcher, after a tragic accident at an animal sanctuary. Guided by her mother’s diary that documented the behavior of elephants through death and grief, the girl follows a trail of clues that lead to a very unexpected and surprising ending.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
The motherhood theme plays out in several different scenarios in  this moving novel by Ng. When artist and single mom Mia Warren arrives in the idyllic and carefully planned community of Shaker Heights, her disregard for the status quo upsets some area residents, particularly Elena Richardson, who is suspicious of Mia’s mysterious past. The lives of Mia and her daughter Pearl are intertwined with those of the four Richardson children. When friends of Elena want to adopt a Chinese-American infant, Mia and Elena find themselves on opposing sides of the debate. Elena becomes obsessed with ousting Mia from town with devastating results.

Lost by Joy Fielding
The first time Cindy lost her daughter Julia, her daughter was five years old. The second time was when Julia was 14 and she moved in with her father, which broke Cindy’s heart. But when Julia disappears again at age 21 after a promising audition with a Hollywood director, Cindy begins a frantic search for her. This time, the answers she finds reveals a disturbing truth about her daughter that she realized she never really knew.

Where Are The Children? by Mary Higgins Clark
One of the first novels by Clark, and probably the one that put her on the path to publishing success. Here’s another story about a mother whose two children disappear while playing in the front yard. In Clark’s signature style, the story is told from a variety of perspectives, including that of the kidnapper.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
It’s been a while since I’ve read this debut novel by Tan, which explores four mother-daughter relationships of Asian-American heritage. The story is told from alternating points of view of each mother and daughter, exploring how the attitudes and behaviors toward love and family are passed through the generations. The film was also quite good.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch
It’s been a long while since I read this book by Fitch. I also remember seeing the movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer. After her mother Ingrid is charged with murder for killing her boyfriend, 12-year-old Astrid is shuffled from foster home to foster home, each time putting her in complicated situations. As Astrid struggles to define herself, she continues a rather tenuous relationship with Ingrid in prison.

The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton
At times this was a difficult book to read because of the moments of violence. I give credit to Hamilton for the way she treated each of the main characters. Ruth lives at home with her mother May, who sees her daughter as a disappointment because she isn’t anything like her brilliant brother who graduated from college and works in Boston. Instead, Ruth works at a dry cleaners and falls for a Ruby, a lazy, stubborn scoundrel, who does not mix well with May. Ruby and May come to a violent clash, and only Ruth’s innate goodness and compassion allows her to have hope for her future.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity.
I love how Moriarity plays with intriguing questions and scenarios, bringing both humor and drama to her stories. In this novel, 29-year-old Alice is pregnant with her first child and is crazy in love with her husband. After falling at the gym, she wakes up in the hospital, only to learn that it is ten years later, she’s 39 with three kids, and she can’t understand why she’s in the midst of a messy divorce and why her sister won’t speak to her. As she puts the pieces of her life together, Alice figures out how to connect with her children and mend fences with her sister who has been on her own journey to become a mother.

Other books often listed with motherhood themes that are currently on my TBR list.

Beloved by Toni Morrison
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarity
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

What books about mothers and motherhood have left an impression on you? Which books would you recommend?

My Pet Peeves about Books

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For all the joy I get out of reading, I also have a few pet peeves. I’m not alone. Recently, a contributor at Book Riot published a list of annoyances about books and the book world, gleaned from their readers’ comments. Complaints ranged from poorly designed book covers to the competitiveness of reading challenges and the lack of a synopsis on the back cover. Most of these comments are related to book marketing, not the books themselves.

Inspired by Book Riot’s list, I’ve compiled my own list of petty annoyances. But while the Book Riot list focuses on the marketing of books, my list relates more to the story telling.  

Do you agree or disagree with this list? Or do you have other pet peeves about books and/or the book publishing process?

  • Unnecessary prologues – More often than not, prologues aren’t necessary because, in my opinion, they offer few insights into the backstory. The only exceptions might be a mystery or thriller that sets up the murder or science fiction/fantasy to establish world-building that requires some explanation. If the prologue could be read as a first chapter or if the information could be weaved into the main story, you probably don’t need the prologue. I rarely, if ever, have read a prologue that added anything to the story.

  • No summary on the back cover. I’m inclined to agree with the Book Riot reader who suggested the back cover was often wasted on meaningless quotes from celebrities. That’s prime real estate for book summaries. It makes the summary more accessible and easier to read, and much easier to grab a reader’s attention.  

  • Books that don’t live up to its premise. There’s nothing more frustrating that finding a book with an interesting hook that I can’t wait to read, only to find by the end of the story, that it didn’t live up to its hook. Perhaps the story meandered, ran off in tangents. Or the ending didn’t quite make sense. When a book doesn’t live up to its promise, I feel cheated. And when I feel cheated, I’m less likely to pick up another book by that author.

  • Novels that are too long. I think the sweet spot for most novels is 300-350 pages. That’s long enough to develop a strong plot, characters, and suspense to keep readers interested. There are exceptions, of course, such as Harry Potter series and science fiction/fantasy sagas. Others, especially in women’s fiction, have gone for nearly 500 pages—too long by my standard. By page 350 I tend to lose interest. You don’t want to do that to your readers. This leads to my next annoyance….

  • Slow, meandering middles. Ugh! The book might have gotten off to a roaring good start, but by the middle, the story drags or heads off in a different direction. You can tell when an author has struggled to write the middle of the book. Either there’s too much backstory or not enough of a surprise plot twist to push the story forward.

  • Unsatisfactory endings. There’s nothing more frustrating than reading a 400-page novel only to reach an ending that doesn’t make sense or make you feel good. As a reader, when you finish the final chapter, ask yourself, “How did this conclusion make me feel?” Two books that DID resolve the story satisfactorily and made me feel good: The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah and The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick.

  • No surprising plot twists. Some of the best novels I’ve read had a major plot twist that was unexpected and surprising. Without that surprise element, there’s no momentum forward, and there’s nothing to keep the reader interested in the story until the very end. If you want to see successful surprising plot twists, check out Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult or In Five Years by Rebecca Serle (and the aforementioned The Nightingale.)

Even with these petty annoyances, books are still the most wonderful creations on earth. I’m willing to put up with a few clunkers in my reading list to find the best gems.

Magic Realism Brings Charm to Reading Fiction

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Who doesn’t love a little magic with their reading? I certainly do. Lately, I’ve been fascinated by magic realism, a genre that’s been around for decades but is getting more exposure of late.

Popularized in Latin-American fiction, magic realism combines surreal and fantastical elements in realistic settings. Fantasy slips into everyday life seemingly as if they belong there. But they don’t exist simply for the sake of entertainment. The magical elements are intended to question or emphasize real-world situations, whether they be societal, familial or emotional, among other things.

The works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Salman Rushdie and Isabel Allende are frequently cited as key players in this genre. Marquez’s book One Hundred Years of Solitude is considered a classic and a must-read for anyone who wants to explore this type of writing either as a reader or a writer.

What makes a story magic realism? Three key characteristics set it apart from other types of fiction:

  • The story is set in the real world, not in a make-believe setting.
  • The story contains magical and fantastical elements that have real-world implications, whether to question the political environment, society or familial environments.
  • The story is written as literary fiction but without traditional plot structure. The story may weave back and forth between the past, the present and the future.

Reading these types of stories requires an open mind. You have to be open to the nature of the fantastical and the surreal. Most important you need to suspend judgment about what is happening on the page.

I’ve read several of these stories over the past few years, from the light-hearted (Garden Spells) to the deeper exploration of a man’s identity (Song of Solomon). Some I liked very much; others not so much. But each one left me looking at the world a little differently. Isn’t that what writing is all about?

Are there any magic realism books you’ve read that you’d recommend? Share them in the comments.

Six magic realism titles I’ve read:

1.  Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. One of the first magic realism books I’ve read. This one reminds me a lot of Practical Magic with its two magical sisters. I love the garden setting, especially the apple tree that throws apples at people.

2.  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I loved this book by Morgenstern that pits two magicians against one another in a battle to the death – until they fall in love with one another. The magical creations at the circus are incredible.

3.  Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. I have always loved Alice Hoffman’s writing, especially with the way she plays with plot lines and story structures. Historically, she has played with mystical characters and situations. PM is on the lighter side of her collection of works. It’s the first of a series about the Owens family who have been cursed in love for several hundred years.

4.  Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquival. Charming story about the youngest daughter in a Mexican family who longs to be with her beloved Pedro, but can never have a relationship with him because of a family tradition in which the youngest must take care of her mother until she dies. Tita is only able to express herself when she cooks.

5.  Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. The story follows the birth and life of Milkman Dead, who was born after a man jumps of a roof while trying to fly. It’s a strange journey for Milkman, who grows up stifled and alienated. His aunt Pilate, a bootlegger and a conjure woman, becomes a central figure in his life who helps him understand his family’s past.

6.  The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. When young Rose bites into her mother’s lemon cake, she begins to taste her mother’s emotions – that of sadness and longing. She learns to navigate life with her strange ability.  
Six magic realism novels on my reading list:

1.  One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. When you talk about magic realism, Marquez’s book is considered a classic. It has set the standard that all other magic realism stories must live up to.

2.  House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. Allende is on my list of must-read authors, and this title is considered a classic in the magic realism spectrum.

3.  The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. This debut novel set in Alaska in the 1920s tells the story of a couple so desperate to have a child of their own that they create a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone, but in its place is a real little girl, wild and secretive.

4.  The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Imagine going to a library where one book tells the story of your current life, and all the other books describe your life as it could be if you had made different choices.

5. Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique. An epic family saga set against the magic and atmosphere of the Virgin Islands in the early 1900s. Orphaned after a shipwreck, two sisters and their half-brother are faced with an uncertain future, but each possesses a particular magic that will either hurt them or save them.

6. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Gaiman, so this title lands on my list. From Gaiman’s website, “This harrowing and bewitching tale of mystery and survival, and memory and magic, makes the impossible all too real.”



15 Ways to Honor National Book Month

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October is National Book Month! (Although if it were up to me, every month would be National Book Month.)

This is in important occasion for readers, authors, publishers, book sellers, and book lovers of all ages. It’s a month dedicated to literary pursuits, for snuggling up on the sofa with a hot beverage and bury yourself in a romance, fantasy or mystery.

This is not to be confused with National Reading Month which takes place every March. National Book Month is designed to encourage reading books of all genres, to support others’ rights to acquire and read books, and support authors and independent bookstores. If you love books and if you love to read, this themed month is one to savor.

So how can you honor National Book Month? Here are a few suggestions that are sure to keep you busy all month – and beyond. What is your favorite way to celebrate National Book Month?

1.  Enjoy a reading retreat. Set aside an entire weekend just for indulging yourself with a good book. Turn off the TV and streaming services. Instead, immerse yourself in the written word rather than watching it on the screen.

2. Read a new author. Scan the bookshelves at the library or local bookstore and find an author you’ve never read before. Perhaps it’s someone you’ve heard good things about. Or maybe you’ve never heard of them, but the book title and premise intrigues you. When you try new authors, you open yourself up to new ways of storytelling.

3. Re-read a favorite author. Re-reading a novel from a favorite author is much like wearing an old favorite sweater; it’s warm and comfy. If a lot of time has passed between readings, you may see something new in the story that you did not notice during the initial reading.

4. Visit an independent bookstore. Once upon a time, the existence of independent bookstores were threatened by big online retailers. But many years later, thanks to the dedication of avid readers everywhere, independent bookstores are alive and well. Show your support for booksellers by visiting a bookstore.

5. Visit your local library. For those who can’t afford to buy books, libraries are their go-to place for reading. These days, libraries are more than just a place to borrow books. You can also borrow DVD movies, audio books and music. Libraries are the ultimate literary community center of the neighborhood.

6. Join a book discussion group. There are numerous book discussion groups around and many of them specialize in a particular genre, such as mystery, current events or memoir. Check your local church, library or bookstore for one near you. If you can’t find a group that fits your interests, start one of your own.

7. Swap books with other readers. When you’re done reading a book, what usually happens with it? Most likely it collects dust on your bookshelf. Consider swapping books with a friend or neighbor so you both can enjoy them. Or set up a library in your apartment building so all residents can contribute their used books.

8. Set up a Little Free Library. These little free libraries seem to be popping up all over the place in recent years. With public libraries overflowing with books, the Little Free Library is the next best place to go to find books or donate ones you no longer want.   

9. Support local authors. Follow them on social media, comment on their postings, or attend an author book signing in person. Show them you appreciate their work. Authors often spend hours alone honing their craft before they can become published. Seeing fans in person gives them a feeling of satisfaction.  

10. Donate books. There are many non-profit organizations that collect books to pass on to people who don’t have access to them. One such organization is Chicago Books to Women in Prison, which responds to letters from women in prison and sends them books upon request from their library. Consider donating books you’ve already read so others may enjoy them too.

11. Carry a book with you wherever you go. Tuck a book in your briefcase, backpack or purse. If you’re out and about and you suddenly find yourself stuck in traffic, waiting at the dentist’s office or riding the bus, you can use the spare time to read.

12. Read a banned book. A surprising number of books are falling on the banned hit list in many areas of the country. Many of these books are banned because they are either considered sexually explicit, depict child abuse or contain LBGTQIA+ content, among other things. You can find lists of banned books on the ALA’s website as well as ways you can get involved in fighting book banning.

13. Listen to an audio book. If you can’t sit down to read, try listening to a book instead. Audio books make it possible to multi-task, so you can enjoy the latest best-seller while driving your car or cooking dinner.

14. Write a book review. Is there a book you absolutely LOVED? Or conversely, is there one that disappointed you? Write a brief review about it. Post it to your own blog (if you have one) or post on a review site like Good Reads.

15. Start writing your own book. So you won’t get published any time soon. That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are inspired by the books you’ve read to start writing one of your own. National Book Month honors authors of all kinds, whether they’re published or not.

Novel Reading for All Seasons

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Like most writers, I enjoy reading and I try to read as many different genres as I can. I find it exposes me to different writing styles and different ways of storytelling.

Along the way, I’ve discovered that some books are better read during certain seasons than others. For example, I believe summer is the best time for light-hearted romances while winter is better for thrillers and cozy mysteries. Other times it’s just the feeling you get while you read a certain book that reminds you of certain seasons. Harry Potter, for example, seems at home during the winter. Those lengthy tomes are best read by a blazing fire while sipping a cup of tea.

Below I’ve compiled my list of recommended reading for each season of the year. This is based on my own reading preferences, of course, and the feelings I get while I read these books. You might have your own preferences. (Many thanks to Genie in a Novel for sharing her seasonal favorites on Facebook.)

Summer

Summer of ’69 by Elin Hildebrand. The queen of summer beach reading takes a nostalgic look at the lives of four siblings during one tumultuous summer.

Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank. This last book by Frank takes place off the Carolina coast and boasts some of the most interesting collection of characters and a most satisfying ending that put a smile on my face.

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Imagine taking a trip on a traveling book shop down the Seine in Paris.

The Language of Sycamores by Lisa Wingate. Summer is a transitional time between spring and fall. It only makes sense to follow the narrator’s transition to a new life in a small town.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Hmmm…another book with a beekeeping theme.

Autumn

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (or any of its sequels). Hoffman’s magic realism seems a perfect fit for the fall.

Dead of Night by Charlaine Harris (or any of its sequels). Fall is the perfect time of year to enjoy a paranormal romance, don’t you think?

Ghost Stories by Edith Wharton. Who knew that Edith Wharton also wrote ghost stories? Her collection isn’t particularly frightening or gory, but it does lend an air of eerie magic.

Little Pretty Things or The Black Hour by Lori Rader-Day. I always think of fall when I read Lori Rader-Day. Maybe because both of these novels have an academic setting that reminds me of this time of year.

The Family Plot by Megan Collins. One of the best mysteries I’ve read in a while with a most unusual family and backstory.

Winter

Harry Potter (any book in the series). Genie in a Novel listed this in her winter selection, and I have to agree. These lengthy titles are easy to get immersed in on a cold, winter morning.

A Stranger is Watching by Mary Higgins Clark (or any of her mysteries). Winter is perfect for burying yourself in a good romantic suspense novel, and Clark is one of the best.

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah. Historical women’s fiction is another genre that is perfect for winter reading.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. You can’t go wrong with a classic.

One by One by Ruth Ware. I read this book by Ware last winter. It only makes sense since the story takes place during the winter in the Alps.

Spring

Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella. The book that became the movie “Field of Dreams.”

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. When I think of spring, I think of gardening, and this particular garden comes to life – literally.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Carrying on the nature theme, Novik shows us what happens when we don’t treat nature honestly and fairly.

The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais. One of the best descriptive food journeys you will ever take.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity (or any of her other books). Moriarity always comes up with a unique premise and an unpredictable story line.

Do you agree or disagree with my lists? What books would you put on your seasonal lists?

How to Instill a Love of Creative Writing in Kids

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I’m not a parent or a teacher, but I care about kids and education, especially when it comes to writing and reading – the pillars of lifelong learning. If you can read and write well – and more important, if you enjoy doing them – I believe you’re set for life.

Even if you don’t have kids of your own, you can still encourage a love of the written word in others. For starters, become an avid reader and writer yourself. When other people see you engrossed in a book, it might make them curious about what you’re reading and why. Even better, that book in your hand can make an interesting conversation starter.

But there are a surprising number of ways you can instill a love of reading and writing in kids – and kids at heart. Below are a few of them.

1. Fill your life with stories. Read to your child every day. If they’re in middle school, for example, choose a title that is slightly above their reading ability or take turns reading pages from a book of their choice. While waiting in the doctor’s office or in the park, tell your child stories. When they hear stories from you, they’ll learn to be storytellers too.

2. Subscribe to kids’ writing magazines. When that magazine arrives in your mailbox every month, it provides numerous stories that kids can look forward to enjoying, whether they read it themselves or you read it to them. It can entice them to become better writers too, says book editor John Fox. Some accept submissions from children. Imagine seeing your kid’s work published in a national magazine. There are numerous publications to choose from depending on the age group. Try Highlights, which I grew up reading. Or Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill or Cricket media.

3. Take your children to see plays. When they see a play, they’re seeing storytelling in action. It makes the characters come alive, and the live action can interest your child in creating their own stories and put on plays at home.

4. Bring them to the library or bookstore. When they see you browsing the shelves, you’re setting an example. This is another way to demonstrate your own love of reading. When you shop for yourself, be to shop for them. Browse the children’s section and see what they gravitate toward. The library or bookstore may also have readings from children’s authors too.

5. Set up a designated space for writing. I encourage writers to have their own writing space separate from other areas of the home. People just need that space to create without disruptions from the TV or other family members. If possible, set up a designated space for writing for your child. It could be a corner of their bedroom, a corner of your home office, or the attic. The important thing is that it’s quiet so they can think, dream and play with words.

6. Provide a variety of writing tools when they write. The Measured Mom suggests providing a variety of writing tools that kids can play with to engage their imagination. Try crayons, markers, chalk, colored pencils, ink pens or even charcoal or paint. As they write a story, they can draw pictures or write the words down in different colors. It can make a perceived boring activity like writing seem more fun.

7. Have them start their own journal. Either purchase one or better yet, create their own journal. Get some lined paper, staple one side to create a booklet. Add a blank cover sheet that they can design and color to their heart’s content. Creating their own journal instills a pride of ownership.

8. Use props to inspire writing. Sadie Phillips at Teachwire.net suggests providing props to inspire a child’s writing habit. It could be a shoe, a photograph, or a piece of jewelry you wear. Ask them to write a story about that prop. Where did it come from? Does it have a voice to speak, or ears to hear? It’s one more technique to prompt your child’s creativity.

9. Provide writing prompts. Just as writing prompts can be helpful in jump starting ideas for adult writers, kids can benefit from writing prompts too. Try a fill in the blank, like “Sandy the Clown baked a cake for the school bake sale. What kind of cake did she bake?” Prompts can stir their imagination in different ways.

10, Visit the neighborhood. Phillips suggests taking your child on short trips in the area. It could be the post office, the park, a candy shop, or a pet supply store. When you get home, suggest they write about their trip. What did they see, hear, smell, and touch that they remember. Writing it all down commits the visit to their memory.

11. Engage with authors and storytellers. Phillips suggests connecting with favorite authors and storytellers via social media. Follow their Facebook pages, or those of your child’s favorite authors. Ask them questions about their writing, and share their answers with your child. Create a dialogue so you and your child can learn about the writing process.

12. Praise children’s writing the right way. Editor John Fox suggests giving your kids encouragement when they finish writing a story. When they show you their work, don’t be vague and give general feedback. Don’t just tell them, “I like your story.” That’s not enough to encourage them to keep writing. Instead, you might say, “I like the way you described the red car,” or “What happened to the evil witch at the end?” When you ask questions about the child’s story, they become curious about the story too.

As you glance over these suggestions, you’ll notice that they’re not quite different than those for adult writers. After all, it’s just as important for adult writers to engage with other storytellers, use writing prompts, visit unusual places, set up a designated writing space and write with different writing tools. To truly inspire the children in our lives to be creative writers, we need to share our best creative habits.

Rediscovering the Local Library for Lifelong Learning

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It’s been a busy week and I haven’t had time to write a fresh post. So in light of my focus on education and training, here’s a repost of a story I did back in 2016. Enjoy. I’ll be back next week with a fresh new post and a new writing prompt. As always, thanks for reading. RL

Have you visited your local library lately? When was the last time you did?

It had been a long time since I visited a library, but a few weeks ago I decided to go to the one in my neighborhood to escape the heat. Once inside the glass doors, I was quickly reminded how much I loved the hushed atmosphere. People spoke is low voices amidst the rustling of newspapers and the hum of laptops as people worked. I love that low-level noise, just enough to know that other people are around, but not loud enough to interfere with a person’s studying or reading activity.

As I wander the aisles, I imagine myself getting smarter just being there in the presence of so many books. I feel like my body absorbs their creative energy, the ideas, the discussions, and the desire for learning. No wonder there is a hushed reverence as soon as I walk through its doors. Knowledge is at work among those who visit.

In an era where Google rules the Internet, local public libraries have been a mainstay in many communities. New research by Pew Research Center finds that libraries still play a vital role in our local communities. Where would we be without these places of learning? Like print books, they’re not going away any time soon. And that’s great news for self-described lifelong learners like me.

But like many people, I tend to forget that the library is there, ready to welcome readers and students of all ages and education levels to browse its shelves and delve into subjects to expand their understanding of the world. Most Americans believe that libraries do a good job of providing a safe place to hang out, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. Consider these additional statistics:

* 77 percent say public libraries provide them with the resources they need.

* 58 percent of respondents believe libraries help open up educational opportunities for people of all ages.

* 49 percent think libraries contribute “a lot” to their communities in terms of helping spark creativity among young people.

* 47 percent said libraries provide a trusted place for people to learn about new technologies.

We may occasionally forget that the library exists, but thank goodness they still play a vital role in our communities. While most people may prefer to use the Internet initially for learning new things, it’s nice to know that libraries are still a viable place for reading, research and studying.

Nine Easy Ways to Expand Your Vocabulary

~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment

CAM00674This is a repost from a couple of years ago. The content is as pertinent today as it was then. Enjoy!

Whether you are a budding writer or a working professional in a non-communications role, your ability to communicate depends on an expansive vocabulary. As children and young adults, we learn new words at a fairly high rate. By the time kids reach age six, they know close to 13,000 words, according to Scholastic.com. Most native English-speaking adults have mastered 20,000 to 35,000 words, according to TestYourVocab.com. Sadly, vocabulary growth tends to slow down for most adults by the time they reach mid life.

When it comes to reading and writing, learning new words and broadening our scope of language and understanding can only serve to make our story telling skills even better. With each new word we learn, it’s only natural that we want to implement it right way into our everyday conversation, to display our newfound knowledge.

Whether you want to become a better writer or just want to impress your friends with your growing lexicon of language, here are a few easy tricks to expand your vocabulary.

1. Read, read, read. This is obvious. The more you read, the more you will absorb the writer’s meaning through language. And the more diverse your reading materials – from historical fiction novels and celebrity memoirs to newspapers and medical journals – the more expansive your vocabulary will become.

2. Play games and puzzles. Crosswords and other word puzzles are not only fun, but they help build your understanding of words. A site like TestYourVocab.com offers several self-tests and exercises to help you determine how expansive your vocabulary is.

3. Keep a dictionary and thesaurus at your side. These valuable tomes are your best friends whenever you read or write. When you come across an unfamiliar word when you read, take a moment to look up its meaning. When you write, you tend to use the same words over and over. Try looking up a word you commonly use to see if there’s another word you can use instead.

4. Read the dictionary. Yes, you read that right. Read the dictionary front to back as if you were reading a novel. A grade-school classmate of mine did that in seventh grade. While other kids in the class were throwing spit balls, my classmate sat quietly at his desk studying the dictionary. It did not surprise me to learn several years later that he earned a perfect high score on his ACT test.

Take a page or two a day and study each word on the page. Note how many of them are unfamiliar to you. Little by little, your vocabulary will grow.

5. Take a class on a topic unfamiliar to you. If you don’t have the time or patience to read a text book, taking a class might be the next best thing to help you build your vocabulary. For example, when I took a personal training certification class a few years ago, I was exposed to terms and phrases related to exercise physiology, nutrition and physical fitness, not part of my everyday language, but it did give me some additional exposure to words I never would have learned otherwise. If medical science isn’t your forte, try other topics, such as gardening, carpentry or cooking.

6. Keep a vocabulary log. Each time you come across a word that is unfamiliar to you, write it down in a journal. In the space next to it, look up the word in a dictionary and write down the definition. The practice of writing it down will help commit the information to your memory.

7. Talk to people. Every now and then, it helps to take your nose out of a book, laptop or iPhone and look around you. The next time you visit a coffee shop, strike up a conversation with people in line or sitting at a table by themselves. Listen to the way they speak. What words do they use? This practice is helpful for creating dialogue in your fiction writing.

8. Visit sites like Vocabulary.com, a free online learning platform that helps students, teachers and communicators build their vocabulary. The site offers online games and exercises as well as tools to help you build vocabulary lists. There are other online platforms and apps available for the same purpose. No matter which you decide to choose, they are designed to help you build your vocabulary in fun, interesting ways.

9. Start writing, and keep writing. The more you write, the better you become at writing and the more words you will learn to use along the way.

When you engage in any one, two or three of these techniques on a regular basis, you’ll see your vocabulary grow exponentially in a short matter of time.

Learn to Read Books with a Writer’s Eye

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment

Recently, I read A Deadly Game of Magic, a young adult mystery by Joan Lowery Nixon, who had been a favorite author many years ago. I decided to pick up a couple of her mysteries that I had not read before. A Deadly Game of Magic lived up to my memory of her suspenseful writing. Not only did the story keep me turning pages, it scared the pants off me – more than any other book I’ve read in recent memory. (Then again, I’m easy to scare.)

Why was her book so successful in my opinion? What kept me turning the pages to the very end? How did Nixon create tension throughout the story? How did she manage to scare me (and other readers, I’m sure) without mentioning a single drop of blood or showing a dead body?

These are questions I will have to ask myself the next time I read the book.

We’ve all had those novels that we could not put down. Or conversely, we’ve read stories that bored us to tears or made us feel confused by the protagonist’s actions.

This is where it helps to know how to read a novel with a writer’s perspective. It’s one thing to read for pure enjoyment and entertainment. It’s quite another to observe the techniques the author used to develop the story. You read to notice how the story was constructed.

In other words, you read in order to learn about the writing process.

As Gabriela Pereira at DIYMFA explains: “You understand that every piece of writing has a purpose. Once we read toward that purpose, we can see how writers shape and craft their words to accomplish what they want.”

When you read with a writer’s eye, you might focus on certain areas of writing, such as:

* Plot/story structure – How does the plot develop? What is the inciting incident that starts the story?
* Emotional tone – What is the tone of the story? Is the protagonist sad, angry, surprised, or confused at the start? How does the tone change throughout the story?
* Character development – is it consistent throughout the story. Do you care what happens to the protagonist?
* Conflict – is there enough conflict to keep your interest?
* Point of view – Which point of view is used to tell the story? Are there multiple viewpoints or just one? Would you use a different point of view if you were telling this same story?
* Theme – Most stories have a theme, such as good always wins out over evil. Does it come through the story?
* Setting – Where does the story take place? Can you visualize where it is? How important is the setting to the story? For example, in Nixon’s mystery, the story takes place at an old home in the middle of nowhere that is thought to be uninhabited – but it isn’t.

So how do you go about reading with a writer’s eye? First you need to understand that writing consists of a series of choices by the author on how they will tell their story. As you read, you work to identify what some of those choices are, whether they work well or not, and whether they can work within your own writing.

Author Shaunta Grimes says as “story consumers” (I love that description), readers must first “read deeply and analytically.”

But does that mean you must study every paragraph of every chapter? No, say most writers. Go back and re-read only those sections that drew your interest. For example, was there a particular setting description that intrigued you? Or a chapter that was filled with tension? Go back and re-read those passages to study the techniques the author used.

Grimes shares a three-step process for doing a “deep dive” to study an author’s craft.

1. Choose a story you’re already familiar with. Perhaps it’s a book from the Harry Potter series, or a childhood favorite such as Little Women. When you’re already familiar with the story, you can study certain passages without getting distracted.

2. Know what you’re reading for. As mentioned previously, you’ll be looking for specific passages. For example, you may want to study how the author makes transitions between the current time and the past. Or you may want to look at the way the protagonist’s character is developed so that she feels real to you.

3. Read with a pencil in hand. Don’t be shy about marking up the book and highlighting sections that stand out. Pay attention to what works and what doesn’t, and try to understand why.

Another word of advice: Be patient with this process. It takes longer to read as a writer because you are studying and absorbing the content.  

It’s one thing to read for pleasure. But by studying the works of others authors, we can all learn to be better writers ourselves.