{"id":22906,"date":"2020-03-27T03:00:22","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T10:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=22906"},"modified":"2020-03-25T06:24:24","modified_gmt":"2020-03-25T13:24:24","slug":"reading-bad-books-by-kay-keppler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/27\/reading-bad-books-by-kay-keppler\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading \u201cBad\u201d Books by Kay Keppler"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Reading<\/a>Let\u2019s welcome back monthly columnist, editor, and novelist, Kay Keppler<\/a>, as she shares with us \u201cReading \u201cBad\u201d Books.” Enjoy! <\/em><\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve started a lot of books lately that I haven\u2019t been able to finish.<\/strong> The characters are passive or unlikeable. The writing is unimaginative or colorless. The solutions are unlikely or rushed. Some of these books are best sellers. I don\u2019t understand this phenomenon. Who would publish such a book? Who could enjoy it?<\/span><\/p>\n

And most of all\u2014why did I waste my time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I rejected these books with impatience or regret. But I\u2019ve been rethinking that attitude, because you don\u2019t learn how to write only by reading books you enjoy. You also learn how to write by reading books you dislike.<\/span><\/p>\n

So why should you read (even if you don\u2019t finish) books you don\u2019t like?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t learn how to write only by reading books you enjoy. You also learn how to write by reading books you dislike.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

1. \u201cBad\u201d writing refines your own writing style.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t like something you read? Think about why not. Analyze the text. Be vigorous. You\u2019ll learn just as much from identifying what you don\u2019t like as from what you do. What turns you off? Why?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, if you\u2019re reading the manuscript of your critique partner, be honest but gentle. Tell others what doesn\u2019t work for you and why not.<\/span><\/p>\n

But be kind. <\/span>Just because the writing doesn\u2019t work for you doesn\u2019t mean it wouldn\u2019t work for someone else.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

2. A book that bores you can lead to insights.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

My favorite cousin gave me a book she wanted to discuss with me. It was a memoir, not my favorite genre, but I gave it a go. I thought the chapters were repetitive and the author didn\u2019t have enough to say. But I skimmed enough of the book to be able to discuss it.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was disappointed that I didn\u2019t like the book more,<\/strong> but reading it quickly made me think about what I\u2019d have done with the material\u2014what I would have included to make it meatier, how I would have trimmed some parts to sharpen the author\u2019s points.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the end, I felt that if I\u2019d ever wanted to tackle a memoir myself\u2014or have a fictional character write a memoir\u2014I\u2019d have a much better idea of how to do it.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. The tropes of genre fiction can invigorate your writing.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s face it<\/strong>: literary fiction can drag. Genre fiction, not so much. Writers of mysteries, romances, and science fiction know how to write action and emotions so strongly that readers can\u2019t put down the books. Who among us has not stayed up until four in the morning finishing the latest Stephen King novel?<\/span><\/p>\n

If you dislike the current literary bestseller\u2014or you don\u2019t like your current manuscript\u2014think about how you could improve it by employing some of the rules of genre fiction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If your manuscript has too much drama, would it benefit from a romance subplot? If your romance is too cut and dried, maybe it would benefit from some paranormal activity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So that\u2019s why you should read \u201cbad\u201d books.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not enjoying any particular volume, don\u2019t read the whole thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Life is short, after all! But read enough to know exactly what that author did that you don\u2019t like. And then, when you\u2019re writing your own book, you\u2019ll know what to do to create something you do like.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Editor\u2019s Note:<\/strong> Can you articulate what you didn\u2019t like in the last \u201cbad\u201d book you read? Share in the comments, and share how you applied that awareness to your work in progress (WIP)?<\/span><\/p>\n

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR<\/h2>\n

\"On<\/a>Kay Keppler<\/a> is an author Zero Gravity Outcasts<\/a><\/em>, Betting on Hope<\/a><\/em>, Gargoyle: Three Enchanting Romance Novellas<\/a><\/em>, and editor of fiction and nonfiction \u2013Angel\u2019s Kiss<\/a><\/em> and Outsource It<\/em>!<\/p>\n

She lives in northern California. Contact her here at Writer\u2019s Fun Zone in the comments below, or at kaykeppler@yahoo.com<\/a> to ask questions, suggest topics, or if you prefer, complain.<\/p>\n

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More popular articles by Kay Keppler on Writer’s Fun Zone:<\/strong><\/p>\n