Read to Write

One of the best pieces of advice I got from another writer was...read, read, read. And so when I started reading, I discovered that doesn't mean copy someone else's style, but read to find your own. Reading great writing helped me find my voice. That...and writing, writing, writing.

I've added a list of great writing books...great reads. I commute to New York City to work and have lots of time on the train to read. This is the just the beginning of the list...I will be reviewing books as I read them. Hopefully you will find them as inspiring as I have.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.
Read it three times already. Lamott writes in an easy-to-read style. She is brilliant and insightful and most importantly, real. One of the things I learned as a reporter was to keep it simple. She does that while discussing univeral truths, fears, and doubts facing anyone living the writer's life. Her chapter about the "one-inch-frame" has helped clarify and focus my own writing, as well as deal with things that come up in my life.

A great book.

Why I'm Like This by Cynthis Kaplan
Not so much a book about writing as a well-written book about life. Kaplan is hysterical and writes simply. Crisp. I couldn't put it down. It's funny how separate we feel from each other sometimes, and then you read a book like this a realize we all share so many similarities.

Highly recommended.

Writing to Deadline by Donald M. Murray
In this book, Donald Murray taught me that people are the story. People are the story. That piece of advice has stayed with me since I read the book more than six years ago as a new journalist for a weekly community newspaper. The book is filled with wonderful advice for anyone who writes. He stills writes a column for the Boston Globe. Look him up, he's good.

Practical advice. Well-written. A must-read.

I also recommend anything by Jimmy Breslin, but I like his stuff, so I'm partial. He writes simply, too.

More to come...enjoy your day.
Would love to hear about anything you've read lately.
Share with me.