Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them | 
so-soIs a book that argues you should read great literature to improve your own writing as comprehensive & compelling as it could be if its discussion of exemplary writing—about words, sentences, paragraphs, character, dialog & more—fails to explore genre, with the exception of referring to the odd mystery novel, or confines those examples primarily, although not exclusively, to the writing of dead white men? No, it‘s not. Interesting but frustrating.
Mental health struck me down for awhile, but I'm back with this to help me focus the way I'm enjoying my reading!
pickMy old Kindle broke a couple years back; by the time I replaced it, I forgot I had started using Litsy. This amnesia lifted today! I am delighted to be back, and I do have fond memories of this book. My memory is shaky on the specifics, so I'll leave it there.
pickFinally finished! Valuable read. I didn‘t agree with all of it, and I found her to be contradictory in spots, but it got me thinking about reading in a fresh way. Recommend for sure.
I finally got into this book again and read about half of it this morning. It‘s inspiring me to read a bunch of other books next, so yay!
Trying to re-learn how to be a close reader today. And procrastinating by reading about writing instead of actually working on my short story. #multitasker
Thank you so much @JennyBookworm ! Your gifts were so thoughtful and the perfect end to a rather difficult day at work. Thank you @inwhichHeikereadsharder for organizing this excellent exchange!
Really looking forward to these books! The two novels are in LARGE PRINT, which feels utterly effortless to read. I'm curious to read what Francine Prose has to say about reading like a writer. I think everyone who has studied literature and writing already reads like a writer-- naturally aware of structure, style, and so on. What will Prose add to the mix? It will be fun to find out!
#stripes I should really read this book at some point. 😂 #readingresolutions @Jess7
pickFinished this one up after reading a chapter a month for @StephanieY's awesome book club, and can't recommend to readers enough. It made me think about how authors write--and how I read--in entirely new ways. I'll be re-reading again next year in the same style (a chapter a month along with one of the books Prose uses as an example in each chapter), and am already excited to go back to the beginning. #readinglikeawriter #bookclub
Another weekend prepping for #readersworkshop. Love this quote by Francine Prose: "writers are most commonly being told these days: their characters should be likable and sympathetic so the reader can care about them... But masterpieces survive in which all that's expected of us is that we be INTERESTED in the characters, engaged by their fates, intrigued by their complexities, curious about what will happen to them next."
bailedIt is like sitting in a really boring class, watching the clock go backwards.
bailedI just couldn't finish it
#bookmail
Brushing up on my skills!
#books #writing #writinglove #readinglikeawriter #francineprose
So far, this book is winding me up. I'm only up to chapter 2 and so far it's been a lot of her taking about how well read she is and then there's the bit that I've underlined to let us know why there are so many dead white men who are deemed to be 'great'. I thought this might be a bit more academic since she's a professor but so far it's just her waffling on about her exquisite taste in literature. I'm going to carry on so we'll see how it goes.
But soon we even to ask what else those marks on the page can give us.
so-soI was recommended this book by Stephen King. Not personally you understand but in his excellent memoir, On Writing. For this reason and probably unfairly I found myself comparing the two. For me they simply didn't compare hence the low rating.
This book is far more like a text book than I expected. There are some very valuable tips throughout, they are just not presented in as friendly a manner as others I have read.
It was on the shelf right behind my head. Might keep the aliens busy for a while #funfridayphoto
I didn't realise until I read this. I was attracted to all the same children's book. I too like books that transported me to another world. #childrensbooks #bookworm
#TBRtemptation post! Anything that is considered "a love letter to the pleasures of reading" is an automatic add to my TBR, no exceptions. Prose shows how to be both a great reader & a great writer at the same time. She uses examples from Philip Roth, Isaac Babel, George Eliot, Flannery O' Connor, and many more. How could you not want to read this?! ☺️ #blameLitsy #blameMrBook ?
bailedThe first chapter was on point: I prefer new criticism to all the literary theories, generally. I was taught by Martin Coyle, author of a book called PRACTICAL CRITICISM -- definitely recommended. And what Prose describes about the way the practice of close reading opened up the texts was so very true -- SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT was a revelation in that context. But then it's all extracts, out of context, with a summary. Eh.
Current audiobook. Main bit of advice so far is to read slowly and think about what the words are doing. I should take that advice and not read too fast. But so many books! And so few hours! #bookwormissues
Hit my favorite bookstore today for some new books! (Only two are for me 😉)
Anyone have tips for discussing a short story collection as a book club? Prepping for #readersworkshop book club where we'll look at Munro's Shaker box simplicity.
Up next! So excited for @StephanieY's book club at Curious Iguana themed off of this book. Fellow Marylanders, y'all are joining, right? January covers words and Alice Munro's The Moons of Jupiter. I. Cannot. Wait.
pickThis book has changed my reading life forever. I am now a more thoughtful and critical reader. It's had such an impact that I'm even doing a book club based on it in 2017 - #readersworkshop at Curious Iguana in Frederick, MD. Join me! http://curiousiguana.com/event/readers-workshop/2017-01-12/
Acting always gets me out of writers block. Look what I'm finally about to finish.
Still reading this on my phone bit by bit and really enjoying it. Oh I've now become a coffee fiend. I used to drink about one cup a year....now I have a daily Latte Macchiato while I read....
Been reading this on and off for a while. Insightful and fascinating exploration of the tools of the trade :-);
This excerpt speaks to the editor/writer in me! 📝
"Hey, you still Good there mom? Just checking. The Olympics are pretty exciting tonight. Probably more exciting than Paragraphs. Just saying." #dexterlove #dogsoflitsy #rescuedogs
Picked up 9 more books for only $50 at 2nd and Charles today, and I don't feel one bit guilty. Just so excited to start reading these beauties!!
pickThis is the writing class I always wanted but never had.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Re-reading this for the third time. It keeps reminding me how to read well so I can write well.
pickOne of my favorite books about writing. Prose takes you word by word, analyzing each choice writers make. Prose is now my hero. She also has the best author name ever. 📖📝💙 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
