Ow, My Brain Hurts
Today and yesterday I have been writing like a madwoman. I have days when the pages just flow, and I keep going as fast as my little fingers will type. Then there are the slow days when I know something isn’t right, but I can’t put my finger on it. I’ll rewrite a scene and delete pages for several hours, feeling like a complete hack because I can’t seem to make forward progress.
But so far, the story is starting to take shape. I’m very much a seat-of-the-pants type of writer. I like being surprised by my characters and sometimes they do things that make me say, “Ooooh! I didn’t know that about you!” And other times I want to smack them down and say, “Oh, no, you did not just do that. Tell me you didn’t do that!!” It’s a love-hate relationship between us. 
What I really like discovering are the little details, the habits that make a character compelling. I’m re-reading one of my “comfort reads,” Nora Roberts’s Born in Fire. Her heroine Maggie likes her tea strong enough to walk. Those kinds of details make a character come alive for me, as well as the snappy dialogue. I’ve nearly worn that book out, I’ve read it so many times.
Some other books I’ve read 5 or more times are: Clan of the Cave Bear, Anne of Green Gables, Dark Lover, Lover Awakened, The Mists of Avalon, and Morning Glory.
How about you? What are your “comfort reads?”
Michelle posted in Writing @ 2:51 pm | Viewed 1315 times
Tori Lennox Says:
It sounds kind of silly, but one of my comfort reads is 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. The original book that was written before Disney ever made the first movie.
Missie Says:
Ransom by Julie Garwood is one of my all-time favorites. I find Lynn Kurland books also very comforting.
Jane Says:
My comfort reads include all of Julie Garwood and Lisa Kleypas’ historicals.
Fedora Says:
Hmm… my comfort reads include a few by Jennifer Crusie (Faking It, Welcome to Temptation…), some by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Ain’t She Sweet, Heaven, Texas, It Had to Be You…), Julia Quinn’s Bridgertons (especially To Sir Phillip, With Love and The Duke and I), Sarah Mayberry (I especially like Anything For You and Can’t Get Enough), Debbie Macomber’s Morning Comes Softly, and probably a ton of others…
Stacy Dawn Says:
My comforts are an old Harlequin Flipside, Survive This and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum Series. Romantic comedy makes me happy LOL
Donna Alward Says:
Morning Glory, Rilla of Ingleside, Nora’s McGregor series and her Born In series…anything by LaVyrle Spencer and Judith McNaught’s regencies.
Kacey Says:
hm, Julie Garwood’s early work is comfort reading for me. Poetry is comfort reading. Mary Higgins Clark. And Green Eggs and Ham
Seriously!
Amy Says:
Comfort reads? Crusie, Julia Quinn, Christie Ridgway.
Hmmm, maybe I’m feeling sick today….