It's the beginning of March so it's time fore the Insecure Writer's Support Group.
Thanks to the awesome co-hosts for the March 1 posting of the IWSG are Diedre Knight, Tonya Drecker, Bish Denham, Olga Godim, and JQ Rose!
This month's question is a good one:
Have you ever read a line in novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?
You have no idea how often this happens to me. I'll be reading along, and something will just jump out at me as being one of the most perfect descriptions or beautiful turn of phrase. And yet, somehow I can't think of a single example to tell you about here. I know it happens quite often, and I always think, "I must remember that", yet here I am...
I'm also in awe of clever plotting when I come across it. Especially mysteries. I love unpicking them after I've finished reading and figuring out where the clues were seeded earlier in the book. I don't think I could ever write a mystery because I'm just not clever enough with plotting (read, I don't plot at all) to make all the pieces work.
That said, there is an element of mystery in the book I have coming out later this year. But it wasn't plotted as a mystery at all. The mystery element was something I added later after feedback from my then agent. I think maybe it's easier to add those clues in after you've written the ending, but I don't actually know any mystery writers so it's all...ahem... a mystery to me.
The worst kind of author envy I get is when I read a book about something and the book just doesn't do the subject justice in my mind. I find that so frustrating because there probably isn't a market for another book on the same topic, but I know I could write that story so much better than the author did. So I'm envious that they got to that idea before me.
What gives you author envy?
I think every book I've ever read has given me author envy.
ReplyDeleteI don't get author envy, but I'm amazed by clever plotting, especially in mysteries, or phrases that pop out to me too.
ReplyDeleteIt's a kind of envy... wishing I could write the way some author's write. When I was young I tried very hard to write like John Steinbeck. But eventually I realized, his style was not my style. His voice was not my voice. I'm happy with how I write now. And sometimes I'm amazed at what I get down on the page.
ReplyDeleteI am envious of Christopher Moore for writing Lamb: The Gospel of Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. I wish I had thought of and written that first. :-)
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