A while back, I made a post about the writing rules pulled from R.J. Palacio’s Wonder. This was a good book to dissect for the Writing Rules Project in particular, because I happen to be writing a middle grade novel.
But what about reading outside my chosen genre? The most-often repeated advice of seasoned authors is to read, read, read. Today I’m going to look at a few modern classics I’ve been reading outside the middle grade bookshelves to see what rules I can find to apply to my own writing.
READING OUTSIDE THE GENRE RULE #1: FIND A STRONG VOICE
Just like Wonder, Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible is a perfect example of an author integrating multiple viewpoints into a single story. It follows the family of an evangelical preacher as they to a small village in the Belgian Congo in 1959.
The story is told through the point of view of each of his four daughters, as well as his wife. Each voice is so unique that I always know who is speaking when I pick up the book. Even in the middle of a chapter!
The Book I’m writing only uses one first-person narrator, but I can still use The Poisonwood Bible as an example of how to write a strong, unique voice.
READING OUTSIDE THE GENRE RULE #2: KEEP IT CONSISTENT
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon clocks in at nearly 700 pages. It tells the story of two Jewish cousins who create their own American Dream success in the comic book industry while World War II rages across the ocean.
What fascinates me about this book is that Chabon is able to keep a consistent tone and strong plot throughout the length of the story. There are events near the end of the book that are foreshadowed in the first chapter.
In a longer novel, you can generally write a more gradual character arc, which is true of Chabon’s main characters. As a writer, this book showed me the kind of thing I want to happen with my characters, but in slow motion. Applying this to a middle grade novel, I have to crunch that process due to length. But the consistency of the characters and plot is definitely something I can keep as a rule.
READING OUTSIDE THE GENRE RULE #3: MAKE EACH LINE BEAUTIFUL
Ah, The Alchemist. Paulo Coehlo’s inspirational, metaphorical tale of a shepherd boy who crosses the desert in search of his treasure has sold millions of copies and is definitely one of my favorite books of all time. I make a point to reread it every year or so, and I always discover something new to take away.
In terms of writing, what sticks out to me most is Coehlo’s ability to make practically every sentence something you could put on an inspirational quote board. The language is so simple, yet there are hidden meanings in nearly every line.
Now, I don’t think every line of my middle grade fantasy novel should sound like a mini parable. But when I go back and edit, I think it’s worth taking it word by word. Every sentence should be crafted so smoothly that it fits perfectly into the bigger picture of the story. If I pulled a random sentence from my novel, would it accurately represent my ability as a writer?
Yikes. I think I have some work to do.
What are some of your favorite books to read with a writer’s eye? Let me know in the comments below.
(P.S. I launched a new Writing Rules Project logo and some stickers! Check them out here. You can also get the designs on notebooks, clocks, t-shirts, you name it!)