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Welp, I "won" the severely abbreviated version of NaNoWriMo that I attempted. Woo! Among the things I let slide was putting the personal bit from my last market newsletter up here. So here it is!
Does reading nonfiction make you a better fiction writer? This question came up in a writing group I'm a member of. The standard answer for SFF writers is that reading history makes you a better fantasy writer, and reading science (including anthropology) makes you a better science fiction writer.
I'd go farther and say that reading widely, especially things that are different from the type of thing that you write, will make you a better writer. Of course, you also need to read things similar to what you write so that you don't find yourself reinventing the wheel. This might sound like I'm saying, "Read anything!"
Well. Yes. Read anything.
But also, pay attention to what you are already reading, and balance it by reading something else. Do you read a lot of SF? Read fantasy. Do you read a lot of fantasy and SF? Read a thriller or a romance. Do you read a lot of fiction? Read non-fiction. Do you read a lot of books by women? Read books by male authors. Do you read a lot of white American authors? Read something from a different culture. Do you read a lot of so-called "disposable" urban fantasy or paranormal romance books? Read something that won an award. Do you only read award-winners? Read something with five stars on Amazon and no awards.
Next year, I plan on intentionally widening my reading list by intentionally limiting my options.
(Do you have a writing question? Send it to me, either by replying to this email or by using the comment form on my website, and it may get answered in the next newsletter.)
What I've been up to lately, writing-wise:
I've been trying to do a severely shortened version of NaNoWriMo, and boy, even hitting that wordcount goal has been a huge challenge. I wince every time I look at my pacemaker.press wordcount chart, but I'm not giving up! Wait, what do you mean we only have nine more days?!?
My bittersweet little SF story about love and what we leave behind us is now available in audio! Listen to it here: http://centropicoracle.com/