Want to be a writer? Read, read, and read some more. It’s the first requirement for writing well. Don’t take my word for it, take Stephen King’s. He said: “You have to read widely, constantly refining (and redefining) your own work as you do. If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” (more…)
All posts in category Reading
5 Reasons Why Reading is the Key to Writing Success
Posted by cindyfazzi on October 4, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/10/04/5-reasons-why-reading-is-the-key-to-writing-success/
Guess Which Country is the Most Literate? Hint: It’s Not the U.S.
Photo via Visualhunt.
Finland is the most literate country in the world, followed by Norway and Iceland, according to an infographic by Global English Editing. The United States is ranked seventh. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on August 23, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/08/23/guess-which-country-is-the-most-literate-hint-its-not-the-u-s/
38 Literary Characters You Won’t Forget—For Better or For Worse
Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet in BBC’s “Pride and Prejudice” (1995).
William Faulkner’s approach to writing a character explains why some literary characters are so real. “Once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does,” said Faulkner. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on July 12, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/38-literary-characters-you-wont-forget-for-better-or-for-worse/
This Summer, Read More Books for Fun—and Good Health
Photo credit: TinaOable via Visualhunt / CC BY-NC-SA
Summer is here—stretching out as far as the eye could see. It’s a great time to catch up with our reading, not just for fun but also for our health. Multiple research studies have shown the many benefits of reading, from reducing stress to increasing empathy. The greatest benefit of all? Reading will help you live longer! (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on June 28, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/06/28/this-summer-read-more-books-for-fun-and-good-health/
Study: Reading Completion Rate Correlates with Reader’s Age
Photo via VisualHunt.
Finishing a book depends a great deal on a reader’s age, according to a study by Jellybooks. In most cases, completion rates were higher for readers under 35 and those older than 45. Readers between those two groups had the lowest completion rate. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on May 31, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/05/31/study-reading-completion-rate-correlates-with-readers-age/
3 Writing Lessons from “Catch-22” and “Slaughterhouse-Five”
Courtesy of Simon & Schuster
I’ve been meaning to read Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22” and Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” for their popularity and critical acclaim. I finally read both recently—at the same time. To be honest, they are not my favorite books, but they taught me three important lessons in writing. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on May 17, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/05/17/3-writing-lessons-from-catch-22-and-slaughterhouse-five/
Top 10 Most Challenged Books in 2016 Cover Wide Range of Genres
As Americans, the First Amendment guarantees our freedom to read, and yet to this day, some books are banned. The American Library Association’s (ALA) top ten most challenged books in 2016 covered a wide range of genres: fiction, memoir, picture books, and graphic novels. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on April 26, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/04/26/top-10-most-challenged-books-in-2016-cover-wide-range-of-genres/
Why Do We Buy Books? Let Me Count 8 Reasons
Jellybooks founder Andrew Rhomberg identified eight common reasons why people buy books. Instant gratification is at the top of the list. Compare these book-buying motivations with yours. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on April 19, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/04/19/why-do-we-buy-books-let-me-count-8-reasons/
In Praise of the Perilous Multiple POVs: William Martin’s “Citizen Washington”
Authors who use multiple points of view risk losing their readers’ interest or confusing them with every shift. Only a few pull off such a perilous approach. In “Citizen Washington,” William Martin blows away the competition among “daredevil” authors. He uses not just three points of view (“The Girl on the Train” and “The Help”) or five (“The Poisonwood Bible”) but 16! (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on March 22, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/03/22/in-praise-of-the-perilous-multiple-povs-william-martins-citizen-washington/
Top 10 Opening Sentences of Novels
A novel’s first sentence is so important that Poets & Writers magazine devotes a section to the first lines of notable new books. In the same vein, I rounded up 10 of my favorite opening sentences. Each one is powerful, and the rest of the book delivers what the first sentence promises. (more…)
Posted by cindyfazzi on February 8, 2017
https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/02/08/top-10-opening-sentences-of-novels/
Cindy Fazzi 