<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It’s time to rewind through some of the best blog posts of the week related to writing, b ……

This post was mentioned on Twitter by Writeitsideways: My latest post: Improve Your Writing by Reading Rubbish http://tinyurl.com/yl9myjj…

You make a great point about chick-lit. It's easy to lump in all the examples of those that have admirable qualities with the trashy ones. I suppose the same could be said about award-winning literary fiction. Certain books have won awards and they're wonderful; others I wouldn't even give the time of day.

Thank you!

For instance, recently I was doing some sample chapters for a ghostwriting project and the genre was chick-lit, which I'd always been a bit sniffy about. Well there are trashy examples, of course, but there are also authors whose books are admirable in many ways, with slick characterisation, warm writing, deft plotting and that elusive page-turning factor.

I'm glad you found me! Hope you enjoy the articles here.

I know what you mean about reading for fun. I got so used to reading critically for school that I didn't have time for anything else. Now I'm trying to undo some of that. I think it's important to study literature so we can learn, but you do need to sit back and enjoy it sometimes, as well.

Thanks!

I stumbled across your blog through Twitter and I love the content, keep it up!

As for this particular post, I've always been this way with my reading. I hate to stick to one genre or type of book. I constantly bounce around–from literary classics, to teen dramas, to pop fiction, to sci-fi, to whatever else strikes my fancy. My wife is the same way and we often suggest books to each other. Sometimes I read through a book and it's rubbish, but you're right, there are still things you can learn (like what not to do).

I think it's also important that writers read for fun. You don't always have to look for a lesson. If you're slogging through a book just because someone said it has great writing, but you hate it, stop reading it! I took a literary criticism class in grad school and it nearly destroyed my love of reading. I spent half the semester dissecting 100 Years of Solitude and I almost lost my mind. When my books became specimens and my reading turned into an exercise, my motivation to turn the next page waned. My strategy is just to read as much as I can as often as I can, and be open to potential lessons along the way.