My friend, Sangu has a great post today and I think it’s so important as a writer to do the sort of exercise she suggests, that I want to recommend you visit her.
She takes apart Daphne Du Maurier’s “Frenchman’s Creek” and discovers what moves her in the book and how she can use what she’s learned. I’ve done this many times in the past. I’m sure many of us have and all of us should. My “go to” book is sometimes “Tigana,” by Guy Gavriel Kay, sometimes “Pride and Prejudice” by the immortal Jane Austen. I’ve also done it with Pearl S. Buck’s “Dragon Seed” and “The Good Earth.”
What novels do you study after you’ve devoured them?
Thanks for the link. 🙂 I've done that to Harry Potter. J.K. is such an engaging writer. Sangu's post was very interesting. Good way to learn.
Thank you for the link. 🙂
Currently, the novel I go to for study is HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, but I don't seem to be learning much, if at all. Diana Wynne Jones' writing style is just wonderfully unique.
Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Even though it's a completely different culture than the one I'm writing about, I like to see how she weaves her words together to create a wonderful picture of the world it takes place in. That's something I'm seriously struggling with now…
Hi, everyone. Sorry I'm late joining you. I'm still trying to prepare for this conference next week. I'm now ready to pull my hair out. Fortunately, I have a lot of it. I doubt I'll miss a handful or two.
Sandy, I've been meaning to read Howl's Moving Castle as I LOVED the movie and I love Diana's stories. Speaking of Diana Wynne Jones, did you hear she has cancer? I don't know what kind it is.
Janet, I've examined the overall arc of HP and been confounded and impressed by much of it and annoyed by some of it, but mostly simply overwhelmed. I don't want to do a trilogy because of the amount of plotting and data involved, but she did seven! Geesh.
Dara, I've only read Snow Flower once and was so moved, I haven't wanted to go back and take it apart. Sometimes that feels sacreligious, ya know? That and I really identify with the MC in ways I find uncomfortable. Sigh. Thanks for tagging me! Just to let you know, I WILL respond. I just need to get this conference out of the way and life will return to some form of normalcy. Really.
Promise. 🙂
None. I'm just not set up that way. I take almost everything at face value and read it for entertainment.
While I get a lot out of a book, I never dissect them. Maybe I don't want to lose the magic?
Or maybe I'm too lazy to figure out what works and what doesn't?
Although I find myself becoming pickier as time goes on.
I'll visit the link. I like learning new reading/writing techniques.
I tend to take apart contemporary novels I like AND dislike, just to see how they decided to make their choices. It's fun! But it takes a bit away from the pleasure of reading.