Allison Symes's Blog - Posts Tagged "odd-books"
Odd Books
I suspect, like me, you have a good range of books on your shelves and most of them you can put into categories.
I have a significant amount of crime novels, a whole section of humour (Wodehouse and Pratchett), and many others besides.
With my writing guides, those have their own sub-categories as some cover short story writing while others look at novels etc.
But I do have odd books I can’t put into a section. Some of these are reference books as some stand alone because they cover a particular topic. So I group these in my “odd corner”.
These are the kind of books which would have gone out of print long ago but which are a fascinating read and great for dipping into.
My odd books tend to be non-fiction and I have found that many a fiction story idea is inspired by something I’ve read in a non-fiction book. So this is another good reason to ensure I know where to find my odd books!
I’ve not yet got back to going to charity markets etc where you will often find odd but interesting books on offer. It is something I hope to resume but what I would say is even if you are the most die-hard fiction writer, do have a good selection of non-fiction books in. They are great reads in and of themselves and do use them to inspire your own story ideas.
When you are at charity markets have a good rummage and see what you can find. You may end up being glad you got those odd books in!
I have a significant amount of crime novels, a whole section of humour (Wodehouse and Pratchett), and many others besides.
With my writing guides, those have their own sub-categories as some cover short story writing while others look at novels etc.
But I do have odd books I can’t put into a section. Some of these are reference books as some stand alone because they cover a particular topic. So I group these in my “odd corner”.
These are the kind of books which would have gone out of print long ago but which are a fascinating read and great for dipping into.
My odd books tend to be non-fiction and I have found that many a fiction story idea is inspired by something I’ve read in a non-fiction book. So this is another good reason to ensure I know where to find my odd books!
I’ve not yet got back to going to charity markets etc where you will often find odd but interesting books on offer. It is something I hope to resume but what I would say is even if you are the most die-hard fiction writer, do have a good selection of non-fiction books in. They are great reads in and of themselves and do use them to inspire your own story ideas.
When you are at charity markets have a good rummage and see what you can find. You may end up being glad you got those odd books in!
