I declared 2014 the year to learn about writing and committed to quite the list of non-fiction (which I only can read in small doses). How have I done so far? I’ve read a grand total of two.
Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art 
— Madeleine L’Engle
Writing Irresistible Kidlit: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Fiction for Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers
— Mary Kole
Of course, I re-read large portions of Second Sight 
and Novel Metamorphosis 
for the Novel Revision class I taught in the spring. I also raced through The War of Art 
, which didn’t make the list back in January. Same with Advanced Plotting
, which I also forgot to add. And I’ve read lots and lots of fiction, which I can’t help but learn from, (two recent titles I picked up to study character — The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
and Okay for Now
— completely knocked my socks off). As for my list, I’m a little behind. It’s time to jump back in!
Any books on writing you’re planning to read this year?
I say even if you only read two, Walking on Water can count for, like, 5. :) I try to re-read that book every year. I have the opposite problem, I love nonfiction and rarely read fiction, aside from the read-aloud novels I do with my kids for homeschool.
I’ve been working on having a new writing nonfiction book to go through, and I’ve sort of created a class for myself. I read a chapter or, if it’s really long, part of a chapter, and then write 3 pages by hand without stopping. It’s sort of a ‘morning pages’ plus learning from lots of different authors about the craft of writing. It’s been a fun experience. It generally only takes me about 30 minutes, and I’ve gone through some good ones: The Right to Write by Julia Cameron, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg, and now going through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. After I finish this one, I will go through “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser.
Sarah M
Sarah, I like the idea that Walking on Water should count as five books! It definitely was a great read and something I’ll pick up again.
Looking at the list of books you’re reading through reminds me I abandoned The Artist’s Way halfway through. Certainly something I need to pick up again.
Happy learning, reading, and writing!