I just started another book, a biography about a biography that got turned into a musical. Can you guess?
It’s Hamilton: The Revolution (Miranda and McCarter), which will feature in a soon-to-be-published blog. As I began re-reading this, I thought of the Bonhoeffer biography that I have sitting on the counter from the library or my narrative non-fiction, the newest book from Eric Larson, gifted to my by a friend. Though I mainly read and write fiction, I love historical non-fiction! Whether it’s biographies or history, I try to often include a smattering of non-fiction alongside my fiction.
Oddly enough, my first fiction novel is a contemporary family drama that has yet to be published (November 2024 — two months!). But I keep up with my giant collection of TBRs and my multiple reads. For some reason, I cannot just read one book at a time. I also am not the type of reader who sticks to one variation of book. I equally enjoy paperback, hardback, ebook, and audio. I also love watching the movies for my favorite books.
I read books to learn more about the world. I do not know everything and I have not experienced everything, so I want to hear from others who have. Even if it makes me uncomfortable to hear about a certain condition or cry when someone mentions a tragedy, I use reading to help me remain empathetic towards the people I meet in my everyday life.
Of course, I can develop stories from the things I read, but mostly, I mix experiences and imagination together, then use reading to help propel my imagination as I write out the story. I am a planter by nature, which means that when I write I do some outlining, but then on the first day, I just begin writing. I may or may not follow what I had planned. The bullet points just keep me from getting stuck. Another thing: when I write, I don’t write in order. As much as I would like to get into that habit, I just don’t! Instead, I have taken a teaching strategy that I used to use for teaching fifth grade language arts and create a table of contents for each chapter that I write. That way, when it comes to typing up what I’ve written in my first draft, I can follow the numbered pages and write it in order!
I also don’t read in order. I usually read based on my mood, or when a library book is due. Then I bounce back and forth between audio and ebook if I’m exercising (hint: elliptical + ebook work well!).
Read what you will. But I hope the things that I read and the information I put into my brain, even the silly stories or heartbreaking tragedies, will make me a person who notices the world and others, who looks for a way to encourage others as they encounter similar situations. Those are the things I can write about. Then maybe one day, someone will read my book and write a blog about it!
Leave me alone; I’m reading.
Hannah Marie.
