Professional Reading
August 1st, 2013 | Published in Writer and Research
Professional Reading
These days most of my reading is professional reading. Reading prolifically and widely is essential to my own writing. Working as an English teacher has forced me to work closely with texts. Close analysis of fiction has served as an intense study of character, plot, genre and ultimately the craft of writing. These processes have been my best teachers.
A number of years ago I completed a Professional Writing and Editing course over two years and this has also been a key influence on my fiction writing. At the time being a prolific reader didn’t qualify me well enough to write. I have revisited the dos and don’t of writing which are essential to both fiction and non-fiction writing and offer great guidance.
As well as reading for entertainment I have developed the necessary practice of analyzing and deconstructing the texts that I read. I do this to give my writing the best chance to be fresh and relevant.
Recently, I have been entertained and inspired by a number of Gothic and Horror anthologies featuring classic and modern writers of these genres, historical fiction and I enjoy other classic and modern literature.
Recent favourites have been Guy de Maupassant, Truman Capote and a compilation of stories titled The Macabre Megapack. A review of the megapack and reviews on other books I read on kindle can be found on Amazon.
