I am currently immersing myself in The Dark Legacy of Shannara series by Terry Brooks. As many of you might notice in my list of books read over the years, Brooks' name is one which frequently pops up. Why? The pedestrian answer is: "Because I like reading his stories". And, yes, that is true, but the real answer is as follows:
I often struggle to answer this when I reflect upon my choice, many years ago, to begin reading his stories. I had a really difficult time getting through the epic Sword of Shannara, and after many restarts (as I would get so far and stop reading it), I finally resolved to finish the book. I did. And I was not overly impressed. The book was published in 1977 and very closely emulated J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings storyline. Admittedly, Brooks used Tolkien as inspiration to help propel him into the fantasy genre of published authors. Sword , to me, was a very awkwardly written book and an uncomfortable one to read. Brooks' repeated use of certain phrases (i.e. "...in spite of himself ") had me reading not to find out what would happen next, but to count how many times he used that phrase. Even though I was unimpressed with the book as a whole, the world Brooks created, its history, and certain characters did catch my attention; in fact, it was when Allanon explained the history of the Four Lands that captured my attention and made me consider taking Brooks as a serious author.
When I finished Sword, I was hesitant to read anything else from Brooks, until a friend of mine loaned me The Elfstones of Shannara with the warning, "This is a much better written story." So, I took my friend at his word and began reading Elfstones. Boy, was he ever right! I loved every moment of Elfstones and was hooked from that point on. Why? It was the way Brooks wrote. Something happened between 1977 and 1982 , in my opinion, to Brooks which showed in his writing.
There were probably a multitude of factors, all stemming from the writing/editing/publishing/reader feedback process. But, whatever it was, precisely, I cannot say. What I can say from reading is this: Terry Brooks quickly moved from the status as an amateur writer to an experienced novelist with limitless potential - for me. The story was fresh and expanded upon the history of the Four Lands in a way that captivated me and each subsequent novel did the same. Brooks gained writing experience and showed the qualities of a reflective professional by constantly improving his authorship abilities.
So why Terry Brooks? It is precisely because of his ability to expand and improve upon what he did last which compels me to continue reading his stories and has actually inspired me to continue to write my stories in hopes of being published one day. I enjoy the characters he creates and how he makes them believable - their personalities are not fantastic, but real. They move about his world in a very realistic way. He still repeats phrases and words, but I am okay with that because he has chosen the right time/place to do that now. The words he uses are important to me. He doesn't doctor up his vocabulary with archaic words - to make him sound like a writer - but, instead, crafts his words in a user friendly way that all readers can gain access into his world, but also peppers the writing with uncommon words thus allowing the reader to expand their own vocabulary without alienating them from the story. The bottom line is this: Terry Brooks learned how to write.
Today, with over thirty stories to his credit, Terry Brooks has garnered international acclaim as a stalwart in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, but more importantly, Terry Brooks has inspired me to become a better reader and writer. I am touting his stories to whomever will listen. Every time I start to type, I think about the lessons I learned from Brooks and how I need to improve as a writer. So, why Terry Brooks? Because he is one of the best authors alive today and every time I open a book of his I am whisked away to a wondrous world and when I finish the book I feel fulfilled. Thanks Terry!!!
- Brian
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Why Read?
No matter what we do, where we are, or what we want to be reading is essential to our lives. If we aren't listening to what someone has said, we are reading what they wrote. Texts, blogs, emails, letters, the printed word: these are all examples of the ubiquitous nature of written communication. What makes the written word so special is that it becomes a vehicle whihc carries thoughts, ideas, concepts, and information to any person anywhere across time and space. Writing is a human trait that uniquely empowers humanity. yet, writing by itself means nothing if the recipient of that writing cannot comprehend the words. This makes reading especially important to us all.
If reading is a common occurence in our lives then we must engage it responsibly, with understanding being our goal. If we understand what we read then we are literate. Literacy is a big deal today: especially literacy within the written word. Literacy takes many forms. One can be computer liteate, trade literate, socially literate, etc... Literacy means that we not only comprehend something, but have becomes masters of something.
As a writer I find it frustrating to have my carefully chosen words fall into the "void of uselessness". As a reader, I find it frustrating to cast carefully chosen words into the "void of uselessness". In both cases reading comprehension is the culprit. Why? The English language contains upwards of 600,000 words. None of us know all of them and some of us know more than others. It is the latter which persists in frustrating both writer and reader alike. So how does one overcome struggling as a reader?
Read. That is the answer to many reading comprehension difficulties. However, do not just read anything. We all want to be interested in what we are reading. Certainly, as a preservice Social Studies teacher, I do not like reading all those dry research papers that drag my mind over the sandpaper that is statistics. Why on earth would I read them? In part because I have to, but otherwise I steer clear of them. I have a good understanding of my reading ability and, of course, my reading interests. I love reading. I always have. Yet I had to learn what to read. I have books which I purchased over 15 years ago and still I have yet to read some of them. Why? Because my ambition is to read them, but the reality is that some of them are above my reading level and, much like the research papers, I struggle to get them. But there are times when after a few years I pick up a book I previously struggled with and, from out of nowhere I get what I am reading. This is all about comprehension - and I feel good about myself when I achieve this landmark.
The challenge is to keep reading. Finding books to read that are within my sphere of interest, and some outside of it, helps. Experiment, find out what your reading level is, and then find different levels of difficulty to engage. Some will be easy, some will not, but the challenge is the same - read.
A challenge that I offer to everyone is: 12 in 12. Setting goals for oneself is a great way to read more while developing intrinsic motivation - and motivation is what is required to read. Developing an internal locus of control will only give advantage to readers of all difficulty levels. So why not start with one book a month? This is the essential nature of the 12 in 12 challenge. One book per month equals twelve books a year or 12 in 12. You don't have to wait until January to get started - books are waiting for you everywhere! When we set goals and accomplish them we become stronger and better readers. The challenge is set, now it is time for you to pick up that gauntlet and read!
If reading is a common occurence in our lives then we must engage it responsibly, with understanding being our goal. If we understand what we read then we are literate. Literacy is a big deal today: especially literacy within the written word. Literacy takes many forms. One can be computer liteate, trade literate, socially literate, etc... Literacy means that we not only comprehend something, but have becomes masters of something.
As a writer I find it frustrating to have my carefully chosen words fall into the "void of uselessness". As a reader, I find it frustrating to cast carefully chosen words into the "void of uselessness". In both cases reading comprehension is the culprit. Why? The English language contains upwards of 600,000 words. None of us know all of them and some of us know more than others. It is the latter which persists in frustrating both writer and reader alike. So how does one overcome struggling as a reader?
Read. That is the answer to many reading comprehension difficulties. However, do not just read anything. We all want to be interested in what we are reading. Certainly, as a preservice Social Studies teacher, I do not like reading all those dry research papers that drag my mind over the sandpaper that is statistics. Why on earth would I read them? In part because I have to, but otherwise I steer clear of them. I have a good understanding of my reading ability and, of course, my reading interests. I love reading. I always have. Yet I had to learn what to read. I have books which I purchased over 15 years ago and still I have yet to read some of them. Why? Because my ambition is to read them, but the reality is that some of them are above my reading level and, much like the research papers, I struggle to get them. But there are times when after a few years I pick up a book I previously struggled with and, from out of nowhere I get what I am reading. This is all about comprehension - and I feel good about myself when I achieve this landmark.
The challenge is to keep reading. Finding books to read that are within my sphere of interest, and some outside of it, helps. Experiment, find out what your reading level is, and then find different levels of difficulty to engage. Some will be easy, some will not, but the challenge is the same - read.
A challenge that I offer to everyone is: 12 in 12. Setting goals for oneself is a great way to read more while developing intrinsic motivation - and motivation is what is required to read. Developing an internal locus of control will only give advantage to readers of all difficulty levels. So why not start with one book a month? This is the essential nature of the 12 in 12 challenge. One book per month equals twelve books a year or 12 in 12. You don't have to wait until January to get started - books are waiting for you everywhere! When we set goals and accomplish them we become stronger and better readers. The challenge is set, now it is time for you to pick up that gauntlet and read!
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