My favorite writers and what I learn from them
Since I have been published, now when I read I do it not only for enjoyment but also to learn. Each of the authors we read has something to tell us about how we should or could write. Here are a few of my favorite authors, and what they teach me.
John Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors. The first chapter of The Grapes of Wrath is masterful; the stark description of the dry land, dust flying in the air, the withering of plants under the scorching sun. The emotions from each of the characters throughout the story are real. You can see yourself as part of the dispossessed, trying to feed your family on pennies a day, sitting by a campfire next to your broken down car by the side of the road, having no money and no place to go. His descriptive ability is superb and I try to model my descriptions on his, like his….I connect with each of Steinbeck’s characters in some way for his simple descriptions are true, make you think of someone you know, of that type of person.Tortilla Flat – excellent character descriptions
Stephen King’s best novel is The Stand, a solid work of good versus evil. He does not describe his characters in any detail but prefers to let the reader imagine what each might look like. The story line and pacing in The Stand is great balancing light and easy with tense scenes creating a emotional flow. descriptions and development are some fo the best in the writing world. Read this book and you will know why he is one of the most successful authors of all-time.
Paulo Coelho – wonderful tales with a heartfelt moral that everyone can identify with
Kenneth Roberts – the master of American historical fiction. I have read Arundel and Rabbles In Arms several times each. They make you feel as if =you are there, in the scene, experiencing what each character is experiencing.
Clarence Budington Kelland – Mark Tidd series – boys adventure stories – simple, whimsical, humorous, adventurous, good guys always win, fun to read. Most people have never heard of this author. he was popular in the early 20th century. He wrote the Mark Tidd and Catty Atkins series. The first book my father ever got was Mark Tidd’s Citadel. He gave that to me and I still have it, worn and the worst for wear, all these years later.
Ken Follett – every detail matters, adds something significant to the story.
David Baldacci – want to write a good thriller? Keep your sentences short and punchy, dialogue sharp and meaningful. Excellent page turning storyteller.
Mark Twain…One of America's greatest novelists.
I want to write like all of them…
