Booking Through Thursday: If you could write a book...

This week's Booking Through Thursday question is:

If you could write a book, what would it be about, and why? (Though, of course, some of you already HAVE.)

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I almost abstained from this week's question because I have, indeed, written a book or two in my lifetime. (And I'm having a Hatfields & McCoys hangover, too. I became addicted to that mini-series this week to a point of distraction and now I want to get the soundtrack. Who knew Kevin Costner could sing?)

My answer to this question, however, is from one of my favorite quotes.

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
― Toni Morrison


Morrison's precept perfectly expresses how I feel about the variety of subjects and characters I find myself writing about.  I choose subjects I want to better understand. This is why my topics are all over the place. Nature vs. Nurture. Religious cults. Viet Nam. Alcoholism. And my latest work-in-progress involves agoraphobia.
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What about you? If you could write a book, what do you think you'd like to write about? And if you really want this to be the year you make the attempt to write the great American novel, why not start with National Novel Writing Month?


Here's a funny inspiring video, How To Write The Great American Novel, to get you going!

Booking Through Thursday: A Writer's Companion

This week's Book Through Thursday questions involve pets. Ah, one of my favorite subjects.

Booking Through Thursday asks: Do you have any pet that has a name inspired by your readings?

No, I can't say it so.

If not, what would you pick if you DID?

I think Atticus would be great name for a loyal and true dog. And, a cat named Cosette (Les Miserable) would be cute.

Do any of your friends have book-based names for their pets? (Or their children?)

Yes! I have a friend whose son is named Atticus and a niece named Harper. My youngest daughter's middle name is Katherine, not because of a pet, but because so many of my favorite literary heroines are named Katherine.

Speaking of pets, every writer should have a good and faithful friend by her side. Here's my longtime writing companion, Abby. Not a literary inspired name, but a gentle moniker for a gentle pet. She's always close by, almost always under the writing desk.

 Maybe it's because early in her life, I wrote about her, hmm?

Booking Through Thursday: Introverts vs. Extroverts (and writing)

This week's Booking Through Thursday question is:

Do you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert?



I worked in the corporate world for 15 years. In that time, it wasn't uncommon to have those team building exercises where we'd all take tests to see if we were introverts or extroverts. Some even told us what color we were.

At first, I liked these tests because they validated some of the introvert/extrovert ideas I'd always harbored. They revealed that then, as now, I am a bonafide introvert.

But this is a great paradox for a writer.

We wordsmiths spend loads of time alone with our own thoughts. We get very personal on the page, exposing ourselves in a very extroverted act. A writer can't escape the fact that his life experiences are exploited for the sake of a a story. Add to that, a writer NEEDS to be out in the world, always observing human nature, always hearing the variety of voices, always collecting bits of life. Hemingway said it best:

"In order to write about life, first you must LIVE it!" 

So are writers true introverts? 

I have to wonder if a writer occupies that space on the spectrum squarely between the realms of introvert and extrovert. Between anti-social and social butterfly. Between, "Oh, I'm so embarrassed, I feel awkward and want to hide and stay home with a good book. There's no possible way I can attend your party" and "Oh, please read the words in my book, let me know I haven't toiled in vain. Adore me and invite me to come up on stage at your party!"

That's where I think I am anyway.


What do you think? Are artists inherently a mix of both?

Booking Through Thursday: Good Writing vs. Riveting Premise

If you'd like to join in on Booking Through Thursday, just click here.

This week's question...

What’s more important: Good writing? Or a good story?

(Of course, a book should have BOTH, but…)

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I haven't participated in Booking Through Thursday in many weeks. However, today's question is one I wrestle with as a writer and a reader each day. Not surprisingly, my answer is that every story should have equal parts of both. 

As a reader, I confess that it's the premise that makes me pick up a book and the writing that often makes me finish it. I'm one of those people who will set aside a book after the first 100 pages if I'm not fully engaged. If it's a mystery or has some secret that awaits revelation, I will finish the book just to learn the ending. I can think of a few books in recent years that had weaker writing but such a compelling plot that I eagerly kept turning pages. I find that good writing is often the equivalent of a well-drawn character - a character voice I would follow around in any situation, or premise, just because I think he or she is that interesting. 

As a writer, this writing vs. riveting balance is a daily companion. Writers I know constantly ask themselves if their story-line suffers from the dreaded "sagging middle" - that lonely land where some stories fizz out and go to die.  With each new chapter, we have to ask ourselves if the stakes are high enough, if there's enough conflict and action to keep the story moving forward. This is true even in those quiet stories that are more about character growth than character adventure. Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons is a great example. Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg is another one with a character voice I'd follow all over the world.

To create a book that has equal parts of both, a writer first hones his craft (becomes a good writer) and then daily brings those tools into his workshop and becomes a good story-teller. In my opinion, it is really easy to come up with a good premise. We could create 10 great premises in the comments section of this post today. But, it is a tremendous challenge to successfully execute a good premise. When a book has both, magic happens. I just finished reading Holes by Louis Sachar and it's a great example. City of Thieves by David Benioff and Little Bee by Chris Cleave are two more I'd include in this category.

What say you? What books have YOU read that had equal parts good writing and riveting premise? And just for grins, don't hesitate to toss a good premise idea into your comments!