I read an article about author, Colleen Hoover, last week after months of curiosity about her books. They’ve popped up in my Kindle recommended reads but I’ve frequently opted for the free reads with my Kindle Unlimited subscription since I have limited time for reading. I hated the, albeit misguided, thought that I would waste money on a book I would really never find the time to read. But after reading the New York Times article and investing in my own subscription to the online version of the Times, I was intrigued.
The article told the story of how she was working as a social worker, making $9 per hour when she published her first book. What really caught my interest was how she did it on her terms. Even though she has several of the top 10 NYT best sellers, she has continued to self-publish. Another thing that caught my attention was the fact that she isn’t tied down to one genre. She is true to her craft, and when you’re a writer sometimes that means that you’re not tied down to writing about one kind of thing.
It really got me thinking about my own writing and how I have so many ideas floating around, it’s hard to put them into words. Sometimes, I have lines from the sappiest romance running through my mind and it intersects with another set of lines from a scary thriller. And, as some of my blog fans know, I can float from the funny to the inspirational, too.
One of the things that I haven’t done as much of, but should, is read. So last night, at 8pm, I started reading Verity by Colleen Hoover. I couldn’t stay awake past eight fifteen so I put my iPad down and opted for a good nights sleep. I started reading around 6:30am, and in between going to get breakfast and my car serviced, I was done by 1pm. I’m speechless after reading it. Her writing style is the kind of natural that pulls the reader into the world of the characters.
As I read, I thought about my own writing and whether or not I could be as good. And I really got to thinking about what I do to feed my skill. This blog cannot be my only outlet to practice my craft. I have to broaden the horizon so that I can really fine tune my skills. One thing I know for certain is that I want to always remain true to me and what makes me happy when I read it. Reading is feeding. When I read, it’s like I get to test drive another brain for just a little bit. Sometimes when I read, I find out that my brain isn’t as bad as I thought. Then, sometimes, I am blown away by talent as was the case with Colleen.
I spend a lot of time worrying about comma placement and grammar, as if the grammar police are going to haul me off to preposition prison. Perhaps one of the best ways to grasp grammar is to absorb it from the works of others. The one thing I want you to walk away from reading my work is a feeling like you’ve invaded my brain and can see the world through my eyes. If you can feel like Colleen Hoover made me feel while reading Verity, then I have done my job.
Over the next few weeks, I will be doing some work on my blog page. I want to add a separate section where I publish chapters of a book in weekly increments. I want you to know the fictional side of me as much as you’ve come to know the sappy, sometimes funny side of me. I want you to crave each installment like a drug. When I’m finished, I want you to look around the room, shake your head to return to the real world, and crave more. I want my passion as a writer to become your passion as a reader. After all, reading is feeding.
Messpot Diaries 