Most writers I know are word whores. That’s right, you heard me, whores. We love
and crave words and will offer our minds up to the gods for acquisitions of new
words and better skills at manipulating them. When a sentence falls together, words
following each other in poetic narration, we practically moan with intellectual
orgasm.
Or maybe that’s just me.
Sure, when I read I take pleasure in a good story, a finely
crafted plot with engaging characters. But what really sends me is artful writing.
Some writers have the gift of conveying their story and thoughts in words
oozing with emotion, personality, intelligence, rhythm, poetry, visuals. Their words can conjure movie-like stills in
my mind, or evoke feelings with such ease I scarcely notice the craft and yet
when I do, I stop amazed, admiring-- nay lusting-- their skill.
The Crushes
A few of my favorite authors in this regard are Bill Bryson,
Michael Perry and Anne Lamott. They each have their own unique voice, but man,
can these people write. I’m not sure if
these authors inspire me or bring me to my knees in humbled admission that I
will never be as accomplished or smart or funny or clever. I love them. I hate
them.
 |
| Michael Perry |
Michael Perry, is the author of non-fiction books including,
Coop, Population: 485, Truck: A
Love Story and his most recent, Visiting
Tom. He is my writing hero. He
completely gets that memoirs are not about the events, but about the heart’s
inner transformation. Somehow he manages to take topics I would never initially
think would engage me, and weave together a story with such intelligent, poetic
narration, I am in the throes of word ecstasy and author-crush by the time I
complete his books.
 |
| Bill Bryson |
Bill Bryson is just flat-out a very thoughtful and correct
writer—the man remembers his English lessons. When required, his research is impeccable
(At Home, Shakespeare) and his story-telling skills, especially for non-fiction,
are delightful, written with humor and vivid description and contain admirable, smart, well-constructed
writing (The Life and Times of the
Thunderbolt Kid, A Walk in the Woods).
 |
| Anne Lamott |
Finally, most every writer is familiar with Anne Lamott of Bird by Bird fame. But all her books (Traveling Mercies, Grace
(Eventually), Plan B: Further
Thoughts on Grace) are a treat-filled lesson on how to create casual,
narrative conversation with very well-thought out writing. At a book’s completion, I feel like I’ve just
had a witty, warm and thoughtful chat with a friend. In fact, I have to resist the urge to call
her up for coffee and admit I have a crush on her, which of course would
probably freak her out a bit and destroy our budding wrimance (writer’s
romance).
Who are your author crushes? Who makes you bite your lip in
sheer word ecstasy and why? Reading a
great writing craft book can teach wonderful fundamentals, but watching an
artist apply them with skilled talent is like being on the set of great word
porn.
Keep writing (and reading)—
Julie
I usually don't go for the poetic writing. But fast writing that reads like a movie grabs me. Like the way Preston and Child write.
ReplyDeleteNew writers for me to look up, thanks Alex. None of those writers, if you're familiar with them, are poetic, but their words are finely crafted.
DeleteJohn Steinbeck. He's my object of envy and affection.
ReplyDeleteI love Steinbeck-- such tight and clean writing with beautiful composition. Congratulations on the book tour.
DeleteI had to laugh at the love-hate feeling to authors you admire. I had a similar issue with Rowling. Loved the movies but couldn't make myself to read the books until I digested that love-hate. Took me about 7 years.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny Al. I only hate them because I'm petty and insecure and want to be them. It's an envy issue LOL.
Deletehahaha, that's right and envy is soooo ugly. Must stop doing that. On the bright side, that only happened with Rowling. Don't know why.
DeleteMy heart still belongs to all the greats...Fitzgerald is probably my favorite. Classy, eloquent, poetic. To have dinner and cocktails with him and his tribe...it would be like a midnight stroll in the city of lights.
ReplyDeleteI should read more Fitzgerald. I think the only book I've read is the Great Gatsby, which was yes, very good.
DeleteI've read them all, finally reading "The Last Tycoon" only a few months ago. He died in the writing of it, but I tell you - it would have probably been his best, if fully realized. I mean, figure it was his shitty draft. He must shit diamonds.
DeleteThat's a most awesome question! I'd have to go with Shannon Hale, Orson Scott Card, Steinbeck ... this is getting weird now. :)
ReplyDeleteDavid, after reading just a few comments, I'm glad I wrote this post. There are authors out there in genres I'm not familiar with. I'll have to look up Hale and Card. Steinbeck I know. ;)
DeleteI love Anne Lamott and Bill Bryson, but haven't read Michael Perry. I'm going to have to change that!
ReplyDeleteMy most recent author crush is George R.R. Martin. I read the Game of Thrones series last year and fell totally in love with it. I'm amazed by the extent of Martin's imagination.
Happy weekend, Julie! :)
Hi Julie --I am always amazed by the imagination of some writers and even more by their ability to weave their visions into such comprehensive stories.
ReplyDeleteOrson Scott Card and Martha Alderson are a couple of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteYour post really inspired me today. I got that tingling feeling that happens write before inspiration strikes. I'm looking for my ink right now...
Oh Ink, you going to write a little word porn? Awesome!
Deletelove your descriptions! my fave authors are piers anthony & michael crichton (forever!)
ReplyDeleteCrichton I'm familiar with-- the other I'll have to look up. I'm loving the suggestions.
Delete*shakes head* Julie, I am totally laughing... you paint us all in such a pretty picture! LOL.
ReplyDeleteMan, I love Jim Butcher. He's my literary crush. LOVE HIM!
Morgan, when ya lust for words, you just need to own up to it. ;)
DeleteOK another author I have to get to know. I've always thought I was fairly well-read until this post!
I loved Bird by Bird! But I don't really have a crush on any writers - maybe J.K. Rowling. She uses a lot of adjectives and I love them. I know I shouldn't, but I do :)
ReplyDeletePat Conroy, author of the Great Santini and others, says BAH on the rules of adjectives. He uses them with lush appreciation and rolls his eyes at the style of lean and stark.
DeleteI find I don't love ALL of any one author's books, but of the ones that I love, you can't pry them out of my hands. Anne McCaffrey was one such author, along with Preston and Child, Michael Crichton, Piers Anthony, Mercedes Lackey, - off the top of my head.
ReplyDeleteMy all-time favorite book is Replay by Ken Grimwood. He died after it was published and I always wondered what he would have written next. The book spoke volumnes to me about not wishing you could go back and change your life.
OK starting to seem some patterns in names I need to check out. I'm gathering some of these authors write more fantasy stuff, which isn't usually what I look for. Replay sounds good-- definitely going to look it up.
DeleteYou'd like Replay. It starts based on a fantasy premise but the characters aren't fantasy at all. It deals with alternate history - what would you do if you could go back to an earlier point in your life?
DeleteHi, I nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award! Details are here. :) http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/
ReplyDeleteWell thank you! That's so sweet. :) I'll have to get over there and check it out.
DeleteJulie, I laughed when I read the love 'em, hate 'em line. I seem to feel that way a lot when I read a really good book. How dare they write something so spectacular! Ha!
ReplyDeleteSome authors that have taken my breath away are Alice Walker and Wally Lamb. Ernessa T. Carter has only one book under her belt but it was such an emotional read that I would definitely put her in my fave pile.
Oh Alice Walker-- yes, great choice. Lamb and Carter are new names for me. Must check them out. Love books that stir me. Thanks for stopping by Melissa!
DeleteAs a craft book addict, I couldn't agree with you more, Julie. It's when you see these writing masters at work, it brings things into perspective. And possible brings out the jealousy you didn't know you possessed. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's encouraging and inspiring as well as frustrating to read great authors who are a master at the craft.
DeleteLol - great way of expressing it! For me, Mitch Albom, Chuck Palahniuk, Ali Smith and Margaret Atwood - I have very eclectic tastes! Oh and Toni Morrison.
ReplyDeleteOh a wonderful selection.
Deletehahahahaha
ReplyDeleteNo. You're not the only one.
Ummm thanks? ;)
DeleteMy writer crushes? I don't think I can take up that much of your comments. I have serious envy of your abilities to take the mundane and make it seem like more.
ReplyDeleteRecent books which have pulled me in and didn't let go include: Denise Grover Swank's The Chosen series, Jenna Black's Morgan Kingsley series and Kim Harrison's The Hollows series. Lynne Stevie's Angel's Kiss. Tricia Skinner's Angel Bait.
All with strong female leads, trying to survive, using their brains to get out of situations. Not one fell down because a heel broke. They wove their fantasy worlds into reality so well I had remind myself it wasn't based on true stories.
That, my friend, is a sure fire way give me wordgasms.
Wordgasms. Love it.
DeleteI love when an author can weave a story about a subject you wouldn't, on the surface, be drawn too. But they're so good at the craft, they draw you in.
You're right, Julie, you've got to just own it when you lust for words. I own it. And like you, I LOVE when words follow each other in poetic narration. It's sheer genius.
ReplyDeleteOne of my author crushes is Elizabeth berg. I also like Marrissa de los Santos, but she can get long-winded sometimes. My only favorite novel of hers is titled, Belong to me. But her dance with words in all her novels is amazing.
Great lust post, Jules.
Dance with words --love that. I find that kind of writing so inspired. I'll have ti check out those writers.
DeleteLOL, Julie, I love the term, "word whores." So true. My author crushes are Karen Marie Moning, Janet Evanovich, and T.D. Jakes. What an eclectic collection of crushes I have. ;)
ReplyDeleteWonderful post!
Cheers,
Anna
I'm familiar with Evanovich and Bakes but not Moning. A new one for me to check out Anna. Thanks!
DeleteI have all but one of Moning - her latest. If you were closer I'd walk them to your house :)
DeleteWhat fantastic comments. I'm scribbling some of these names down, too.
ReplyDeleteLike Swifty, I'm a sucker for classic literature. My first lesbian relationship was probably with Jane Austen and the Brontes in highschool.
And I love the compelling Aussies: Peter Carey, Bryce Courtney, Colleen McCullough.
I must check out the Aussie contributers. Thanks for the input.
DeleteI don't know that I can point to any one specific writer like this, but I too have a weak spot for some powerful prose. I love a good plot, an intriguing character and a subtle twist, but tell it to me in a way I'd want to quote it and I'll read it a half-dozen times before moving forward. Word whore. LOL
ReplyDeleteThat's it exactly for me too Jeff and I'm constantly frustrated with myself because I can't quite reach that level.
DeleteI would rather call myself a wordskank. A whore suggests you do it for money.
ReplyDeleteI have a staggering crush on Cormac McArthy. More of an
S & M thing because his writing is an exercise in sadism, but damn, is it good. For a while, I had a thing for John Irving, Owen Meany in particular.
Now that I ruminate, I am more impressed with story and character than words and sentences.
The responses have been great I love learning about new authors. I love a good story --you're right --it's essential. But tell me with thoughtful and intelligent words and I swoon.
DeleteI know what you're saying and I totally agree! Emotion, feeling the characters, and learning new perspectives as well as word formations are great.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I love to read memoirs, especially people's of different cultures. With fiction, I like to be able to get into the characters' head. Of course, Stephen King can make you truly know the characters. Gloria Naylor - I'm in love with some of her writing.
Baylor is new to me. Thanks for the suggestion. I love memoirs and biographies. I'd say for every one fiction I read, I read seven non-fiction.
DeleteOops Naylor. Auto correct.
DeleteJohn Hart, hands down. That's why he's won the Edgar Award TWICE in the last few years. His novels are like my Bible. I read them to get in the proper flow of how writing SHOULD be done. Absolutely beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI love reading books that inspire the kind of writing I want to do. Thanks for that suggestion too.
DeleteJulie, this is a fabulous post! I think it almost deserves its own monthly schedule! I have to do some serious thinking about this because I feel the same way you do about when words fall together and/or create movie-like stills in my mind! Three of my favorite authors have been mentioned: Anne Lamott, Mitch Albom, and Elizabeth Berg. But I'm not sure if any of their books have held those magical words you speak of....ya know? This really intrigues me, and it's wonderful to know I'm not alone and there are so many of us who swoon just by reading a sentence or two! Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteReading through the comments, some people are plot/character driven and the writing style is secondary. And while I agree those are very important, I just love really well written narrative and prose. I envy that skill and yet know it doesn't come easily for any author. It's all about the hard work.
DeleteHmm... I actually don't think along those lines. I love when people write well, but for some reason, I never remember who has a way of words. I rather remember good stories, characters etc.
ReplyDeleteHi Misha-- Your point is well-taken and agrees with other comments here. Perhaps one sign of really good writing is that we don't notice!
DeleteI've seen a number of bloggers endorse Bill Bryson and the Thunderbolt Kid. I'm moving this book toward the top of my TBR List.
ReplyDeleteI don't love every Bryson book, but I do love his writing-- it's smart. This book is especially fun if you're of a "certain age" and by that I mean, probably over 45. It will bring back childhood memories.
Delete