Reading and Writing

The question with the 18 & Over Tag Along last Friday involved how many books each participant read each month.  I answered that it could be as many as 12, but when I'm writing, the number shrinks to as little as 3.  But I think it's important to continue to read as much as possible in one's genre, even while writing.  I can become too wrapped up in the world I'm creating, and when that happens, I turn to one of my favorite writers to refresh me. 

This weekend I turned to Charlotte Featherstone.  I just love her books.  Her writing is like silk that just drapes over the reader.  I didn't read too much, but just reading a few chapters of any of her books often refocuses me.  It takes me out of my world for even a few minutes, and when I return, I feel rejuvenated. 

I also read my book last night--the one I'm currently writing, Destiny Renewed.  At some point in everything I write, I have to sit back and read it from the beginning.  I imagine some writers do it far earlier than with just four chapters to go, but that's how I like to do it.  So last night, I sat down and read it from beginning to end. 

While there were some parts I re-edited as I read, overall, I was happy to read those earlier chapters again.  And at a few parts, I turned to my son, who had come upstairs to see how I was doing, and said, "I really like this part."  As he usually does, he smiled and said, "That's good, mom.  But shouldn't you like the whole book?"

I love the whole book, but there are parts where the interplay between the characters is just exactly how I wanted it to be.  The tenor of their words is how I intended and the description shows perfectly what I wanted the reader to see. 

So with a week off from work, I plan to stay home and finish Destiny Renewed.  Then when it's complete, I'll begin typing it and re-editing as I go along then too.  The goal is to have it submitted by late spring/early summer, so I feel very good about my progress. 

Gabrielle