by Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief, Southern Writers Magazine
The
classic writers all have one thing in common. There books are still being read today. They have long passed from this life, yet their words are here. It’s their
legacy to each of us who are readers and writers. In each one of their books,
we find them waiting for us.
Robert Louis Steveson said, "I
kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in."
Stevenson, was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist,
musician and travel writer. We know him from
his most famous works––Treasure
Island, Strange Case
of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and A Child's Garden of Verses. He ranks as the
26th most translated author in the world.
Today
there is a website dedicated to him. http://robert-louis-stevenson.org/.
It is designed for all such as academics, school children and anyone interested
in learning more about him and his work.
We can
still learn from those who came before us.
What I found most interesting about
him was not what he wrote but that he was a true writer in the sense he recognized
the importance of reading (writers read) and
It is in reading books we see
how the writers created the world their story resides in. We can follow along
and see what types of descriptions they use––are they too long, not enough or
are they confusing and if so why or were they spot on.
What about their characters? How were
they treated in the book? Did you get to know them, care for them? Were you
able to walk into the book’s story and become mesmerized by the tale?
There are so many ways we can use
books we read. Certainly, we like to pick up a good book for enjoyment. But for
writers we also need to pick up books to see how others are writing. It’s like
going to writing school and having a lab class with the book.
Next time you are reading a book, look
at it with a writer’s eye. Look at style, voice, point of view, dialogue,
scenes, descriptions, flow, and characters. What did it teach you about
writing?
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