Back to Front | How do You Read a Book?

by JudyAnn Lorenz on July 11, 2010

A blog post by  KD McCrite, a writer friend and former neighbor about writing something well along with something ‘good’ pushed my button for justification of what many see as a bad habit.

I almost always read the end of a book first. If the book is even HALF well-written, I will go back and read through the rest of it, putting all the puzzle pieces together. This is my ’speed-reading’ gesture– if the book is junk in writing and/or publication, I can make a speedy decision to move on to the next book.

But, when I confess to my habit and explain why I do it “So many books are badly written that they aren’t worth my time and eyes.” I get the same expressions described in Writer to Non-writer.

Is it the writer id that insists on a decent tale? I can even endure being battered about the head and shoulders on every page spread with FORMULA and THE PLOT. Louis Lamoure was highly skilled at spending 10-20 lines on every page spread telling me why his protagonist was here at all. But a decent tale with interesting filler can hold my attention.

I have long enjoyed the mysteries of Agatha Christie and Dick Francis. They wrote well and I enjoyed their words even though I knew perfectly well ‘who done it.’

My neighbor will grin when I remind her of my rant over an Ozarks writer whose publisher/proofreader/printer is so BAD that the writer shall remain unnamed because anyone with that kind of talent who sells it in such trashy presentation isn’t going to get a commercial from me! This writer had “it”, but didn’t produce his talent. He should beg the forgiveness of trees for the waste of paper!

I have to admit that writing something good offers pleasure to readers who aren’t writers…who don’t watch for certain basics or object to being entangled in messy presentation. Readers who just like to have something to do with their eyes and don’t mind a loopy trail of words that never goes anywhere.

I have to recall that ‘genius’ is often recognized LATE in the story…many of my Victorian pet authors were not well received in their day. And, I’ve never seen a first edition of Mark Twain — maybe they didn’t clean it up either. (Although, I do have a copy of a hilarious essay wherein Twain ‘cleans up’ Washington Irving’s The Deer Slayer, challenging facts and measurements.) We may not be super-popular writers, KD, but we keep good company with writer/readers!

Treat yourself to an elegant read by following the link to KadyWords’ blog post. Writer to Non-Writer

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Ann Duckworth, Ozarks’ freelance writer, recently wrote a book about the baseball career of  Carl Mays and was influential in getting Mays included in the Missouri Hall of Fame.

Author Ann Duckworth at Reception for Carl Mays Family and fans.

Ms Duckworth was part of the reception for the Carl Mays family who came to Mansfield, Missouri on June 26, 2010 to participate in the dedication of a memorial plaque in honor of Mansfield.

Dedication of the Carl Mays Memorial Plaque at Mansfield, Missouri, 2010

She also spoke to the crowd at the dedication, offering statistical information about Mays baseball career and observations about the project to get Mays into the Missouri Hall of Fame, write the book and get an exhibit at the Mansfield Historical Society.

The Mansfield Historical Society celebrated the weekend with a ribbon cutting for the season’s opening.  Their facility has been remodeled, redecorated and rearranged to show various items of history, most particularly Mansfield history.

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Kickin’ Country Weekend Partners | Essential to this Dance Step

June 15, 2010

1-417-967-3353 4 tix! Mountain Grove, MO welcomes Joe Nichols and Jason Plummer to their July 2 celebration | Country Music and Fireworks. Chamber of Commerce, Big Country 99.3 FM and visionary businesses are sponsors.

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The WEEK Magazine | Luv It | Disagree with It

June 7, 2010

I love THE WEEK magazine and read some of it almost immediately. I disagree with veracity of article printed this week.

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Mansfield Arts & Crafts Co-op | Moving Forward Artfully

June 7, 2010

According to Barbara Herring, of Mansfield Woods, there will be a meeting of the Mansfield Arts and Crafts Co-Op on Tues., June 7th at 7pm at the Weaver Inn on the square in Mansfield, Missouri.

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Wilder Days 2010 | Husqvarna Lawn Tractor

June 7, 2010

417-924-3525 Wilder Days 2010 (September 18, 2010) will be a happy day for some lawn warrior.The Wilder Days Committee, Mansfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Sponsors for Wilder Days have all gathered resources to obtain a Husqvarna Lawn Tractor to give away.

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Kickin Country Weekend Website | Mountain Grove, MO

May 25, 2010

At Big Country 99.3 FM, the team of Alexis and Amy have built a new website for Kickin Country Weekend. (July 2, 2010 at Mountain Grove, Missouri with Fireworks & Joe Nichols)

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Mansfield Arts and Crafts Co-op Begins | Missouri and Laura Ingalls Wilder Country

May 25, 2010

Mansfield Arts and Crafts Co-op is still in the beginning stages, but has some solid ideas and a few artisan members who produce locally themed art items for sale. One goal is to product for a tourism visitor market, but to also offer their work outside the community. I’m sure loyal collectors of good work will be very popular.

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Wilder Days 2010 | A Lawn Tractor will be Given Away

May 21, 2010

Tickets for a lawn tractor to be given away at Wilder Days will be available at the Mansfield Area Chamber of Commerce or Mansfield Home Centers or Mansfield Community Center or Bank of Mansfield, plus other businesses in Mansfield.

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Engrave-A-Crete | Mansfield, MO | Going to Australia

May 19, 2010

A neighboring business in Mansfield, Missouri, Engrave-A-Crete is taking decorative concrete engraving training to Australia in June, 2010.
Engrave-A-Crete has a manufacturing and training facility in the little town of Mansfield, creating a positive aspect for the community and providing employment and utilization of a building that I would have shoved into a hole.
Instead, these people [...]

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