Reading and Writing
To be a good writer, they say I must be a reader as well. I hear it all the time. They also say every winter is going to be the worst one yet and bananas are bad for you. I don’t know who the ‘they’ are, but I believe the they are correct when it comes to reading. The banana thing is crazy. Bananas are delicious and I’ve never seen an unhealthy monkey. But reading? I can honestly say it’s helped me be a better writer. So I will give the they that one.
Reading gives me the chance to learn how others create, produce and flow. I think it’s important as a writer to read outside your chosen genre(s). You can always find a new trick or point of view. There’s the argument that time spent reading other’s work cuts into the time you could be writing. I’m not sure about that debate, but I’ve loved reading before I became a published writer. So I have a stack of books permanently fixed to the side of my bed.
It’s an eclectic bunch. A lot of people can only read one book at a time, but I’m weird. I like to read different books according to my mood. Sometimes I want to sweep the day away, so I’ll get lost in a fantasy or adventure book. If I’m leaning towards something darker, maybe I grab a horror or riveting noir. On rare occasions when I feel smart, I’ll read a classic or a non-fiction book if I’m doing research. When the day has been all up hill and I’m worn out, it’s definitely a comedy book.
I switch out my stack constantly. My current pile has Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a superhero graphic novel, Misquoting Jesus is a research book for my next project and I always seem to have the latest from Joe Lansdale.
Mr. Lansdale is my favorite author. I’ve been lucky to chat with him on several occasions, and it’s always a learning opportunity. I loved The Magic Wagon and The Thicket and can never wait for the next in his Hap and Leonard series. After Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, I can’t think of any work more influential to what I try to achieve as a writer. But obviously everyone feels that way. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is the greatest book ever put to paper. Duh. I feel silly even having to mention it.
The biggest thing I’m (still) learning from reading Lansdale is called ‘writing in your own voice’. There are a lot of good writers out there. They have solid plots, are very precise with the mechanics of writing and describe details well. The better ones create realistic dialogue. But there are few writers who make their mark on the first page, the first paragraph and rarer still, the first sentence. You know you’re holding a Joe Lansdale book that quickly. And that is what I mean by a writer capturing his own voice. I may enjoy a book but many times I can swap the writer out for another book similar to it in the same genre. But no one writes like Mr. Lansdale. You can’t even imitate him. And he will be the first to tell you that you shouldn’t. ‘Find your own voice.’
Mr. Lansdale is not only his own voice, but because of his successful longevity he is his own genre. Cormac McCarthy is the only other writer that can hit me as hard. The Road forever changed how I think about writing. Even before I sit at my computer, before I type my first words, those two geniuses are in my head. They throw the rules of writing out the window. The Road doesn’t even have chapters. Mr. Lansdale says he doesn’t write his next book according to what’s selling or what he can aim at his fans. He writes his books for himself, to be true to what he wants to capture in his imagination, and then he hopes readers enjoy it as well. That formula has made Joe Lansdale a modern icon and given him an amazing career that spans decades. He simply channels his personality, his voice, himself into every story. Having readers know it’s you within the first couple sentences? That’s the goal every writer should dream of achieving. Because not everyone can write Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.
Release Day!
Get your copy today!
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~ iBooks
At The End of Church Street
by Gregory L. Hall
YA Dark Fantasy/Horror
Fiery Seas Publishing
October 4, 2016
Homeless, Rebecca finds a family of lost souls just like her- The Vampires of Orlando. Reborn, she revels in the lifestyle of ‘no rules’. Love whoever you want. Seek whatever high you wish. Live forever young. Every night’s an adventure-hunting down tourists, challenging local police, screaming to the world vampires really do exist. It’s Neverland.
Until the first murder.
There’s someone else hiding in the shadows. Goths are found beheaded, with wooden stakes pounded into their chests. The hunters have become the hunted. As the bodies pile up, Rebecca and the Family are forced to ask who do you turn to, who can you trust, when the only person who believes you’re an actual vampire is a vampire killer?
About the Author:
Gregory L Hall has a long history in comedy, theatre and improv. He is a national Telly Award winner and creator of the Baltimore Comedy Fest, which supported Autism Awareness. Many fans know Greg best as the host/producer of the popular live radio show The Funky Werepig.
As a writer his work has appeared over the decade in various publications, anthologies and a short story collection. His novels rarely stick to one genre, ranging from comedy and romance to intense thrillers and horror. His biggest claim to fame is he was once hugged by Pat Morita, Mr. Miyagi of The Karate Kid. We should pause an extra moment to realize how awesome that is.
Social Media:
