Read to Write

I have the privilege of receiving monthly newsletters on the art of writing from best-seller Joseph Finder. Joe has written several thrillers set in corporate environments including Paranoia, Company Man and Killer Instinct (check him out at http://joefinder.com).

The April 2009 edition featured the concept of influences and reading as learning to write. I won't rehash. Joe strongly advocates reading and reading what you love. Your early voice as a writer may echo those authors. But as you learn, as you grow, a new voice emerges. Your voice emerges.

What do I read? Two things.

First, I love all mysteries, but particularly procedurals. These usually involve someone in law enforcement, maybe a private investigator, an antagonist with a cross to bear, and lots of clues. I absolutely love the way authors like Nelson DeMille, Stephen J. Cannell, Dennis Lehane have laid out clues for you to find and tie them to a list of possible perps. All the while, we learn about the demons of our heroes and the desires of our villains. Other early influences of mine were Harlan Coben, Brian Haig and Daniel Silva.

Second, I can't get enough of Stephen King. Salem's Lot is my favorite work of fiction, period. Right up there, the epic quest for the Dark Tower is fueled as much by the tortured character of Roland of Gilead as by the landscape through which he travels. King's descriptive talents are beyond compare and I think what makes him so good (beyond his general genius) is the ability to build a world and describe it in detail while remaining concise. Two pages to describe a hallway ending with a door would have me mention Tom Clancy and helicopter specs. No thanks.

My goal, specifically in my second novel, is to blend descriptive power and a little of the supernatural with a procedural mystery.

It is timely, then, that I recently came across Dublin's John Connolly. I was trying to find new authors to tackle. Connolly can be found in the Mystery section and writes about a PI named Charlie Parker operating in the Portland, Maine area. Connolly also blends PI mystery aspects with the paranormal. I'm excited to read the whole series as well as Connolly's two stand alone novels.

Did I mention that A Hunger takes place in Old Orchard Beach and the surrounding area?

I find it both ironic and prescient that I discover Connolly now, concurrent with work on A Hunger. As I finished work on Beneficiary, a co-worker compared it to Lehane, which I had never read. Aside from the stylistic compliment, it led me to read the Patrick Kenzie/Angela Gennaro series and beyond. Lehane is phenomenal in his structuring and setup and I can only hope to attain a fraction of his skill.

Next weekend, I'll be in and around Portland, ME myself. In addition to 5,000 words, my goal is to do a little setting research (get a few streets right, check out the layout and write a good description of the Maine Medical Center in downtown Portland, etc.).