I have to admit, it’s tough to read when I’m in the middle of writing a novel, and I tend to just watch television at night when I close my laptop for the day. This is partly because my eyes are tired and I just want to be entertained by a different medium. I usually watch things that are unrelated to what I’m working on, because I need some downtime. But I usually gravitate towards movies, as opposed to sitcoms or sports, as I like to escape into someone else’s world and really go deep. I think it’s also an appreciation and love for a good story, with a beginning middle and end.
But when I’m in between writing first drafts, I love to catch up on my reading. Sometimes it has to be research, and right now I am into some non-fiction books about airplane crash investigators. But I’m also enjoying a few fiction titles.
I just finished ROOM, by Emma Donoghue, as I wanted to read it before I watched the movie. It was excellent, and I was doubly impressed when I finally watched the film, the credits rolled at the end, and I saw that the author had written the screenplay, which did pretty well :).
Go Author, Go. You are an inspiration.
I’m now in the middle of Me Before You, print edition, compliments of my friend Nikki. That’s what’s on my bedside table at the moment, and again, I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie.
I also just finished Bridge To Terabithia, (print edition), because my upcoming book addresses how the hero deals with the death of his best friend when he was 10 years old. And I always wished I’d read that book. Now I have.
In between works of fiction, I’ve been reading a few ebooks about writing.
One is called HOW TO WRITE A NOVELLA IN 24 HOURS, by Andrew Mayne. I can’t imagine writing a novella in that amount of time, so I had to see what the author had to say about it. It did help me to think more carefully about what I’m about to dive into (which is THE COLOR OF A PROMISE), and to get more ideas solidified before I sit down at the keyboard.
That led me to another similar book about writing: 2K to 10K: Writing Faster, Wrtiing Better, and Writing More of What You Love, by Rachel Aaron. I’m still reading that one, and there’s great advice in there.
I also just bought The Nest, but I haven’t started it yet. It’s gotten so much hype, I feel like I should read it before I start writing my next book, because once I start, I won’t be able to commit to it.
So maybe I should put off starting my novel until Monday, and take the weekend off to read The Nest. I think I might… I’m sure I can still meet my deadline if I do… Otherwise, I won’t be able to start reading The Nest for at least 6 weeks. I think I will take a few more days off to read for pleasure….