Read, Read, Read, Damn it!
Earlier this week, I thought, “Hell, yeah!” as I read You Need to Read Books to Write Them, a post on SmallPressWorld.com. Here’s my take on the article’s two points.
Writers Must Read
A few years ago, I was listening to a fiction podcast when the interviewer asked the guest author what sort of books she liked to read. Her answer: “I don’t have time to read.”
My jaw hit the floor. Whaaaaat? Good writers read. No exceptions. If you truly don’t have time to read, then cut back on your writing time to give yourself time to read. There’s very little one can say that applies to all writers. “Writers must read” might be the only statement that does.
Also, I’m sure this author was on the podcast so that she could promote her books. Why should anyone buy books written by someone who doesn’t spend a penny on books? Just sayin’.
Research and the Internet
Unless you just want to quickly check a fact, the Internet is only a starting point for research. Sites like Wikipedia can introduce you to the basics, nothing more. If you want to learn about or gain insight into a topic, interviewing an expert or someone who’s experienced whatever you want to write about will take you much further than the Internet ever will. So will reading books on the subject by authors qualified to write those books. There are exceptions, but they’re just that—exceptions.
The Cult will be released next week. As the title suggests and the description tells you, Jillian infiltrates a cult. To get some insight into the minds of cult members and what goes on inside cults, I read two books.
Combatting Cult Mind Control - Steve Hassan used to be a Moonie. If not for an accident, he might still be inside the cult. One night he was driving alone (unusual) after not sleeping for two days (sleep deprivation is common in cults). He dozed off. His van smashed into the back of an eighteen-wheeler and he ended up in hospital. His family was able to get to him, and that led to him leaving the cult.
Seductive Poison – Deborah Layton belonged to Jim Jones’ cult and lived in Jonestown, but she managed to break free and return to the US. Her brother went to jail for shooting a congressman and some of his delegation after they’d visited Jonestown, the catalyst that led to the mass-suicide that claimed over 900 lives, including 303 children and Layton’s mother.
Both books are terrific reads. Layton’s account of how she escaped from the cult is a real nail-biter.
Reading a substantial amount of material written by former cult members gave me much more insight into the mindsets of cult members and how cults operate than a couple of articles and interviews on the Internet would have done.
I know what the Fellowship will investigate in Deiform Three, and I’m already reading my second book on the subject.
Conclusion
Seriously, why would any writer believe that reading isn’t important? If that’s what they think…if reading isn’t a priority…then why are they writing? It doesn’t make sense.
As for The Cult, the eBook versions will be available next week. You can read the opening of The Cult here.
Later.
Read, Read, Read, Damn it! is a post from: Sarah Ettritch
