tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934041490878801751.post8830289292123995992..comments2024-03-17T12:30:03.009-05:00Comments on Teaching Authors--6 Children's Authors Who Also Teach Writing: Children's Book Week--Reading as a WriterCarmela Martinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15543808551988338496noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934041490878801751.post-20257611272192999272009-05-11T22:13:00.000-05:002009-05-11T22:13:00.000-05:00Regarding the Adler/Van Doren book: I should have ...Regarding the Adler/Van Doren book: I should have mentioned in my blog post that I've read only two of the four books listed: <I> How to Read Literature Like a Professor </I>and <I>Reading Like a Writer</I>. The other two are on my to-read list because they look helpful, but I haven't gotten to them yet.Carmela Martinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15543808551988338496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934041490878801751.post-32479814966650156112009-05-11T22:09:00.000-05:002009-05-11T22:09:00.000-05:00Thanks for your feedback, Sarah. And great point a...Thanks for your feedback, Sarah. And great point about comparing fiction and nonfiction treatment of the same material by the same author. I had a similar experience reading Tobias Wolff's memoir <I> This Boy's Life</I> and his novel, <I> Old School</I>, which is based on events from his life.Carmela Martinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15543808551988338496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3934041490878801751.post-80971031711107365642009-05-11T21:23:00.000-05:002009-05-11T21:23:00.000-05:00Thank you for including this Writing Workout. I ha...Thank you for including this Writing Workout. I had a similar experience last year when I re-read Writing For Story by Jon Franklin. I was in the midst of revising my first picture book. I had read the Franklin book years ago when I was a working daily journalist, but I found his technique difficult to apply to the run-of-the-mill legislative meeting stories I wrote most days. I had decided that I was a writer who didn't/couldn't outline. Re-reading his book and using the techniques he described made my book "light-years" better than it had been. (my editor's words) I finally saw the power in the story arc and I saw ways to build tension.<br /> Another way I learn from writing is to read authors who have published both nonfiction and fiction -- sometimes using similar material. Margaret Forester is an example. Her Lady's Maid is a novel she wrote after learning that Elizabeth Barrett Browning had a Lady's Maid about whom little was known. She was curious about the woman's life and wrote a novel to fill in the unknown parts. In reading other memoirs by Forester, I was able to see how she put nonfiction material to use in her fiction.<br /> I love posts that get me thinking. You folks at Teaching Authors are on to something good.<br />SarahSarah Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04306229509907096254noreply@blogger.com