I’m not one that loves the gore and guts of the horror genre but I do quite like a book that can disturb and unsettle without always resorting to blood. The type of book that lingers long after you finish. The type of book that doesn’t neatly fit into one genre but brings all sort of story elements to bear to make you cringe and shiver.
These are some of my favorite genre-bending books for the encroaching dark nights of fall.
Went by the library today (one of my favorite things to do – I just like being surrounded by books) and dropped off the last of my vacation books and then realized the summer reading season is over. Sadly, summer is never long enough to get through all the books I want. Truth be told, I actually don’t love reading on the beach or by the pool in the summer. It’s just too hot and bright. Still I managed to get through a pile of books. I took a look back at the books I read since the kids got out of school until the bus came this past week.
I think writing and writers can come in all shapes, sizes, genres, and varieties. I don’t think there is any one book or workshop or group that is going to magically help you become a better writer. I do believe two things about writing. First, it is a craft and needs to be practiced. Second, to be a writer, you need to have a love of reading.
A friend who is an avid reader recently told me she was disillusioned with the triller genre. As an action/thriller writer this made me a bit sad but with further reflection, I’m not sure she meant exactly what she said. I don’t think she was disillusioned so much as disappointed.
I think she actually liked psychological suspense or literary suspense and was approaching thrillers with the same expectations. That’s one way to walk away disappointed in a book.
Each genre has certain conventions, expectations, and necessary scenes to make for a satisfying reading.
Writing is much like any other craft. It’s not exactly hard to do though it is hard to do well. Writing a book isn’t necessarily hard it just takes time. String enough dedicated, persistence days spent on anything, a book or a painting or training for a marathon and you will reach your goal.
If just sitting down each day feels a little vague to you, here are the 8 steps I use to keep writing word by word and day after day.
