In our writing group this week, we've been talking a lot about flashbacks, and the thought-provoking post from Tami Brown at Through the Tollbooth has given us a lot of food for thought...as well as fodder for cartoons:
But enough about me. (You'll get MORE than enough about me if I ever get around to doing that meme...) Don't forget to go visit Jackie of Interactive Reader at her guest blogging gig on ForeWord--she's got some thoughtful musings up there about why we read blogs, and what keeps us reading.
A few tidbits from Jen Robinson: Did you know that this week is Reading Is Fun Week? I'm sure this is one of the many things I was briefly aware of and then forgot, so I'm glad that Jen reminded me. Don't miss the Athletic Book List the folks at Reading Is Fundamental have put together. Also, take a gander at Jen's 6 P's of Book Appreciation--it truly made me stop and think about what makes ME pick up a book and keep reading it. I agreed with a lot of what Jen said, especially with respect to the fact that it's VERY guilt-inducing to have a book lent to you and then not have enough interest in the premise to want to pick it up.
In fact, I have a nice handful of books on my shelf that people have lent me--some of which I maybe should read--but I can't quite summon the motivation to crack open: Sarah by JT LeRoy, State of Fear by Michael Crichton, The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell, Living History by Hillary Clinton. Actually, the only one I feel like I "should" read is the latter, but I do get consumed with guilt that somebody wanted my opinion on a book and then I've just been letting it languish, unread. What books are languishing unread on your shelves?
6 comments:
I do think the ferret-and-logging camp story is a novel in itself!!!!
...as to what I'm NOT reading... I can honestly say with great happiness, nothing. I've donated most of what was sitting or given it back to the lenders unread. Life is too short!
Just the phrase "ferret biologist" makes me laugh.
I do think flashbacks are useful when you're drafting a novel, because they're a handy way of spilling all that background onto the page. But then you revise and find a better place for all that info.
I had some Hillary Clinton book languishing for a while - I gave it away when I moved. I also have a bunch of novels aimed at adult audiences that aren't mysteries, and, well, I don't really read those. But there they sit!
I kind of want to hear more about the ferret biologist, though. That's a mystery in and of itself.
Thanks for the shout-out guys!
Nice! I wonder about how it is that in the present she's young & in the past she's old ... but, you know, maybe it's a sci-fi book or something?
Yeah...well...uh...it was sort of like, she was supposed to be dowdy in her past as a schoolteacher...also, when you've only drawn her head at about a third of an inch high, and you're in a big hurry...
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