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ON APPROACHING A BOOK AS A READER By Adilah Barnes Back in the mid-1990’s
I co-founded the Los Angeles reading group, Circle of Sisters: A Reading
Circle . Over the years, this eclectic group of spirited women have
committed to read countless books of different genres: from full-bodied
memoirs to fluffy romance books, and back around the corner again to
embrace genres richly steeped in mystery and history. Some books have been
outstanding page turner choices. However, whether a brilliant read or not,
the group critiques the book thoroughly over dinner. I especially enjoy a
read that evokes different responses from the women - and even an
occasional heated and visceral discussion. As a reader, I begin my
books by reading the outside covers and proceed page by page from the
beginning of the book. I thought most people read this way until I became
an author and began to receive feedback on how readers stayed with my
book. I was amazed to learn
there are a myriad of ways in which readers may choose to approach a book. Some say they begin a
book traditionally from the opening page, while others open the book
randomly and land where they fall. If pulled in, they may then go back to
the beginning and read the book in its entirety. Still other readers eye
the table of contents and choose chapters that most appeal to their
literary pallet. They may flip flop around until they decide to go back
and start again chronologically, thus allowing the book to build chapter
by chapter. Perhaps the most
horrifying discovery I made in speaking with a reader was that she
actually began my book by reading the last chapter first! I have come to learn
early on in the first few pages whether the writer is going to transport
me. If not, I generally push ahead forward anyway, hoping for the best and
determined to get through to the end. Conversely, as I snuggle up to a
good read, I welcome the author to guide me.
I love unexpected twists and turns and I always want a good book to
continue. Sadly, though, I release a good read as I slowly savor the last
page. The trick of a good writer is to leave the reader wanting more. Perhaps the most
difficult element for some writers is finding the right ending. I have read a number of
books that held me until I got to the last page. I feel cheated when an
ending just does not fit, and the book ends abruptly. It almost seems the
writer surrendered at the end, and just wanted to get the book done! As writers, we must
pay as close attention to page one as we do to the very last page of our
writing. One element that
contributes to holding me as a reader is the writer’s attention to
detail. For example, I recently read the book Half of a Yellow Sun by
Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. My senses were totally activated
as I smelled, tasted, heard, felt and saw all the images that were so
craftily placed in front of me. Set during the Nigerian Biafran War of
1967-70, some images were pungent and distasteful, yet some were
absolutely beautiful. All were as the author intended. This writer understood
the pay-off of detail in her writing. I always go back to the
subject of the senses because it is in this reservoir that we can tap into
and deepen our choices of language and imagery. The more we can unlock our
own inner senses, the more we can hold our readers page by page. It is not
enough to describe an object by its name. The reader wants to know colors,
texture, weight and size given in descriptions. The reader wants to
see and feel. A useful exercise is to
consciously choose times were we use all of our five senses: really seeing
what surrounds us, really hearing the sounds that invade our space –
tasting, touching and smelling our environment. Much can also be
discovered by taking a sacred walk alone inhaling nature, passing a
restaurant with aromas begging to be identified, or by listening to others
speaking in conversation as we pass them, trying to make sense of a phrase
we may have just heard. These reflections can
fuel our writing. Let us keep stripping
away the veneer of the obvious to find greater detail in our writing that
titillate the question: “Have I conveyed all that needs to be said?” For more information, contact Adilah Barnes at The Writers’ Retreat in Sharpsburg, Georgia. By Adilah Barnes |
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http://www.writersretreat.com (click to visit Georgia site)
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She owns and operates The Writers’ Retreat in Sharpsburg, Georgia. You may contact her directly at abarnes@ WALK IN BALANCE—A NEW RESIDENTIAL RETREAT IN GEORGIA I am delighted to now join in the fold
of our network with my new retreat in Sharpsburg, Georgia. Until
next time… Shape your vision into reality!!! Micheline
Côté, Executive Director The
Writers’ Retreat Telephone:
(819) 876-2065 info@writersretreat.com Please
feel free to post or forward this message to a friend. |