Geoff Rod

How it started was that I’d be reading another author’s book. 

And, without meaning to, I’d stumble across something in it that would make me hesitate and consider what I’d just read.  Sometimes it was because of an incredible piece of writing, or an amazingly crafted scene.  Other times it was because of poor writing, or a lack of definition, and the story ground to a halt.

But no matter what it was, I started scrutinizing those parts.  I tried to identify what made them work.  Or not work.  I went backwards in the books; looking for supporting sections that helped define what I’d read in the following pages, or identifying where it started breaking down.

I began looking at things like sentence and chapter structure, spacing, character development, consistency – both in the story, and in the writing – and how effectively the story was told.  Did it pull you inside?  Or was it more like you were looking through a dirty window?  Where maybe you got a general idea of what was beyond, but only superficially.