Before, when I read books, I used to enjoy them simply for what they were. If I didn’t like a  book, I would leave it at that- I just didn’t like it. But now, it’s different. I notice every literary aspect of the book- if I don’t like it, maybe it’s because the characters weren’t very well developed. Maybe it’s because the author threw in huge chunks of unnecessary information and described all the wrong things.

When you notice stuff like that, you’re reading as a writer. When you’re just liking the book for what it is, or not liking it because- well, you just didn’t like it- then you’re reading as a reader.

One isn’t better than the other. They’re just two different ways of looking at the same thing. Obviously, no one has exactly the same perspective on anything- but generally, either you read as a reader or as a writer.

But no matter which way you read, you will pick things up. Even if you’re not consciously paying attention to the way the characters are developed, your subconscious will be paying attention. And then, when you go to write your own story, your writing will have improved slightly. Then you’ll read some more, and then you’ll write some more, and then your writing will have improved again. The more you read, the better you’ll write.

That’s why pretty much every good writer loves to read.

Next time you read a book, try consciously to pay attention to the literary aspects. Don’t analyze the story or annotate the book! Enjoy it, but just be aware of certain things. Think of a couple things the author did really well, and think of a couple things that the author could have done better. Then, apply what you’ve learned to your own writing. (Gosh darnit, this sounds like school!)

Anyways, the point is that it helps me a lot, and I’m sure it will also help your writing to be even better than it is. 🙂

I meant to post this a while ago. 🙁 It’s been sitting in my drafts pile, waiting to be posted.

Anyway, I went to see the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, and I have to say… I was pretty impressed. Yeah, there were a couple things that could have been better (Voldemort’s death should have been more dramatic), but overall it was a great movie.

But I don’t want to talk about the movie… I want to talk about J.K. Rowling, who possesses the true magic- of making her characters and their world come to life. Obviously all the hype about Harry Potter kept me super excited, all the way until the last movie- after which I felt like crying. I just can’t believe it’s over now. I was already heartbroken after the last book- no more rushing to Border’s and standing in line and waiting until midnight- but at least the movies still kept it alive. And now… even the movies are done.

But you know something? Harry Potter isn’t dead at all. He is very much alive. J.K. Rowling put so much life into her characters- I honestly feel as if I know them. I am going read the series again (for the twelfth time), and you know what? It will never get old. Even if I read it over a hundred times. Why? Because J.K. Rowling is a genius.

She wrote those darn books in such a way that the characters are real, that Hogwarts is real, that magic and spells and wands and Quidditch are all real. And that’s what an author is supposed to do.

Read this sentence: No author is perfect. Read it again: No author is perfect. And again: No author is perfect. But guess what: J.K. Rowling is pretty darn close!

Obviously you are going to aim for perfection. But DON’T (and I repeat DON’T) write something just because you think other people want to read it. Do you think J.K. Rowling loves every single word she writes? Of course not. But does she write because she loves to? I certainly hope so.

As cliche as this may sound,

Write from your heart.

That’s what will get you far. But don’t think that because you’re writing from your heart it’s going to be easy! Don’t think that because you’re writing from your heart you won’t get frustrated! Because you will. Quite often. But that… that belongs in in another blog post… for another day.

Today, just keep this in mind:

Capture an idea you love, and follow it through to the end.

Trust me. You’ll end up with something brilliant. Don’t give up.

I was thinking a little about dreams today, since we seem to have them almost every night. 🙂 They can be pretty crazy- but what do they really mean?

Heck, I don’t know. I don’t even know if it matters. All I know is that they could potentially make really good stories… well, most of them. I once had a dream that my Econ teacher wouldn’t let me leave class until I had named all the countries of Europe.

Okay, so maybe that wouldn’t make such a good story on its own, but take that idea- the idea of something depending on something else.

Maybe a girl’s father is kidnapped or imprisoned or something, and he won’t be released unless the girl does something for the kidnapper. That could be the initial idea, but there are so many questions that branch off of that- does the girl trust the kidnapper? If not, then she needs to find a way around the deal, because otherwise she could do what the kidnapper asks, and he could just kill her father instead of releasing him.

Or what if the kidnapper is a mysterious figure… and when the girl finally finds out who he is, she is shocked because it’s someone she knows.

What if the kidnapper isn’t really a kidnapper at all? Maybe he likes to make people believe that, but really he has a dark secret…

See? There are so many paths you can take with one simple idea. And that idea could come from a dream.

I used to keep a journal of all my dreams. Eventually I stopped, because life got in the way and I got caught up in other things. But now, when I read those wacky dreams, I burst out laughing! Forget about stories- they’re just fun to read. 😀

My advice: Write down your dreams (or, in this technological era, type them :)). It doesn’t have to be every day… just now and then. It could be once a month. Then, when you’re feeling low or looking for inspiration for a story, read them. You won’t be disappointed.