Reading, Writing, and Reviewing…Oh My!
Being a voracious reader since I was a child,
reviewing seemed like the natural choice for me.
My first taste of book reviewing came while I was
still in school. I was assigned to read three books each term and write a few
paragraphs about them. While my peers were reading and raving about Judy Blume,
I was reading and reviewing Harold Robbins and Sidney Sheldon. My teacher came
to me and said, You really should be
reading the classics.
To me, Sheldon and Robbins were the Masters. Their
works were classics.
Book reviewing is an art that requires a special
skill set. Book reviewing sites are professionally run, and most require
interested applicants to audition. Book reviewers know how a book is put
together, they understand the elements of plot, setting, scene, and point of
view. They look for flow, for consistency, and most of all, they know how to
remain neutral.
So if a book reviewer understands the mechanics of how
a good book is put together, can they become writers themselves? Maybe.
About a year ago, I decided to make the transition into writing. I didn’t want to stop reviewing,
but I stopped reviewing contemporary and paranormal romance (the genres I was
interested in). I did this by my own choice. I now review mostly mystery and
inspirational romance.
I already had my idea for a contemporary romance,
and I signed up for an intensive six month course in the art of novel writing.
This past summer, I sold my first novel, Change
of Address, which will be
available from Secret Cravings Publishing in January. Within a few weeks of my
sale, I was offered a contract for my short paranormal, Antique Charming, which is now available at Books To Go Now.
I have made successful leaps from avid reader, to
reviewer, to finally, writer. But everyone’s journey is individual. Not all
reviewers have a book in them, not all writers choose to review. When people
ask me, how did you know you wanted to
review? How did you know you wanted
to write? I tell them my truth. For me, it was a burn inside of me that
would not let up until I started reviewing, until I started writing. Each
reader, reviewer, and writer must follow her own path to personal satisfaction.
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