Adult Writers, Child Readers?

For our next roundtable, let's look at being child readers and how, if at all, that influenced us as writers. 

Were you read to when you were a toddler/young child? Do you remember favorites that you continued to read alone once you learned how?

Ef Deal: I wasn't read to, but I learned to read very young, three years. I read in secret by the wedge of light from the bathroom after bedtime. Then I found the town library was on my street and ripped through the children's section in six months. Got a library card before I was five. My dad was a reader -- of trash. 

Elizabeth Donald: I learned to read when I was three (or so I am told), so I don’t have strong memories of being read to, but I know I was. My earliest associated memories are of reading to my parents. In fact, I recall sitting next to my mother reading her a Berenstein Bears book and she suddenly stopped me and summoned my father. I had no idea what was going on and wondered if I’d done it wrong. 

Instead, my mother asked my father to please get the box of Nancy Drew books from the attic. They were her books from her own childhood, those older 1950s blue tweed covers with the silhouette of Nancy and her magnifying glass (which I do not recall appearing in any of the books.) Mom realized at whatever age I was -- 6, perhaps? -- that I was ready for chapter books. I dove into Nancy Drew and never looked back. 

From there I discovered Judy Blume, Black Beauty and The Black Stallion, fought beside Johnny Tremain, explored the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, climbed My Side of the Mountain and attended Sweet Valley High. Then Lois Duncan introduced me to horror, which eventually led to swiping my mother’s Stephen King hardbacks which I wasn’t supposed to read but I left the dust jackets in their places so she wouldn’t realize they were missing. When Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered I was hooked into Trek, and started devouring every tie-in novel I could find. Then it was, “Hmm, I like this Peter David guy. I think I should see what else he’s written…”

Jen Mulvihill: Yes absolutely, my mother read all the horse books to me, International Velvet, Black Beauty, Little Nick, all of them. Then she read all the Laura Ingles books to me. When I got older I started reading L. Frank Baum, I still have not read them all yet.

Scott McCullar: I don’t remember my parents reading to me as a child. Perhaps my Mama did when I was a toddler, but I just do not remember it happening in my life. Instead, she would have conversations with me and would encourage me in my love for art. I know my Mama gave me the Little Golden Books before kindergarten. I think I was more infatuated with the illustrations. 

When I was a little older in kindergarten circa 1976, my Daddy started buying me comic books as an incentive to help me learn how to read. At that point, I was this little blonde-headed kid with freckles from Tennessee living in California who still retained his thick Southern accent. The school out in Fresno wanted to put me into speech therapy classes to lose the accent. The other kids in class made fun of me constantly with my Southern drawl – especially when it was time for me to read the “I See Sam” yellow children’s books. I was so infuriated at the time at the other kids that I refused to talk in class and it impeded my reading development at that time. With that, comic books solved the problem and I became a voracious reader. By second grade, I was reading biographies of historical figures like Babe Ruth, Davy Crockett, Abe Lincoln, and others. 

John Morgan Neal: I have no memory of being read to. First reads were Batman comics. And S.E. Hintons's The Outsiders.

Gordon Dymowski: My parents instilled a love of reading from an early age - according to family legend, my father purchased a copy of ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, BLUE FISH the day I was born. Not only was I read to, but I was encouraged to head to the local library when I was a kid. Between Chicago Public Library and my Catholic school, I read several series multiple times: Alvin Fernald, Danny Dunn, Tom Swift Jr...and eventually, Sherlock Holmes.

Bobby Nash: I don’t remember being read to as a kid. I probably was, but don’t recall. My mom did like to read so that got me interested in reading. She used to get the Reader’s Digest collections. It was there I read my first novel, The Snowbound Six. I was hooked. From there I went to Han Solo’s Revenge and comic books. Plus, The Monster at the End of this Book with Grover was a favorite.

Brian K Morris: Yes, my mother read an assortment of Golden Books to me. My father tried to read some of my comics to me, but he grew bored with the task. I don't recall any of the books from back then, aside from The Night Before Christmas (which I own several editions of), but I loved them a lot.

Sean Taylor: Absolutely. Both my Mom and my MeMe (grandma) read to me. And they were both always buying my books. I was fortunate in that all my sets of parents and grandparents (as a child of divorce and remarriage I had "bonus" grands) supported me in being a reader from an early age. When I was able to read for myself, I always went back to the ones I remembered most and best -- The Pokey Little Puppy, Never Talk to Strangers, The Sailor Dog, and How to Make Flibbers, etc. : A Book of Things to Make and Do. I still own each of them, and they are still barely holding it together after all the years of love I gave them. I hope to pass them down to my own grandkids and build memories of reading them together. 

Susan Roddey: My mother read to me every day until I learned to read. It was always my favorite part of the day. My absolute favorite book was called "There are Rocks in my Socks," Said the Ox to the Fox. I bought a copy of it for my own kids... they were not impressed.

How often did you read as a child? Where were you on the spectrum that goes from "lock me in my room with my books" to "please don't make me read"?

Bobby Nash: I loved to read. Comic books became a huge favorite. Spider-Man, G.I. Joe, Space Family Robinson, Star Trek, and the big treasury editions of Captain America, Battlestar Galactica, and Star Wars were constant companions. I read novels. Those small paperbacks of the 70’s were a big influence on me.

I hated being told what to read. That’s probably because I don’t like being told what to do.

Brian K Morris: I grew up in the country, so books, comics, and TV were my real friends back then. I learned to read when I was three so throwing me into my room with my reading material proved to be no punishment for me.

John Morgan Neal: All I needed was to be in my room with my comics and my toys to reenact or create new stories from the characters I loved. School introduced me to The Outsiders, Animal Farm, Nineteen Eighty Four, and such.

Gordon Dymowski: I read voraciously as a child, and my parents encouraged this habit. I read everything from catalogs and newspapers to books and comics. If there's a statement that describes my youthful reading, it would be "Go find a book and entertain yourself." (Keep your minds out of the gutter, people)

Susan Roddey: I started reading early, and have been a voracious reader ever since. I was the kid they punished by telling me I wasn't allowed to read.

Scott McCullar: After discovering comic books in kindergarten where I learned to read and moved on to other “real” books, I became a lifelong reader. I didn’t have to be “locked in a room”, I just instead took books with me wherever I went. To the living room on the couch. Outside under a tree. On the bus with me to school. Wherever I walked.

Jen Mulvihill: I read all the time. I would sneak books in school instead of doing my school work. I didn’t have many friends so I would almost always be reading. You could usually find me in an apple tree eating green apples and reading.

Elizabeth Donald: So I was the bookworm, the kid who had a book hidden in her lap for those long stretches of math class (and got yelled at by my third-grade teacher in front of the whole class for READING when I’d finished the math assignment. “You spend your whole day with your nose in a book!” It did not occur to me for years to question her priorities.) My parents gave up grounding me, as I didn’t watch much television and ordering me to stay inside and not go out to play? Gee darn. Being a shy bookworm with unruly hair and thick glasses, naturally I was a target for bullies (mostly male, the girls just ignored me). So hiding in the storage closet during recess (with a book) or staying inside instead of going to the park (with a book) was definitely me. Instead, if my parents needed to ground me, they grounded me from my books, which got my attention. 

Sean Taylor: I read every time I could. I would spend hours in my MeMe's front bedroom (we spent a lot of time with her) reading. The books got more complex and longer and I branched out more in non-fiction too. I would read every book I could get my hands on about sharks, snakes, spiders, or dinosaurs, and I devoured my set of Childcraft Encyclopedias too. And I went from re-reading the children's books to reading the illustration and abridged versions of classics (not to be confused with the Classics Illustrated comic book though I read those too) with an illustration every other page. I particularly enjoyed the Verne and Wells abridgments. That's also when I found my favorite book that I probably read at least 200 times between the time I was 7 and 15 -- The Adventures of Monkey by Arthur Waley. I was very much into adventure stories at the time. 

Mari Hersh-Tudor: We had a big family so we got sent to the library a lot to keep us out of mom’s hair. Alone with a book was infinitely preferable to getting bullied by sibs. I was reading Asimov and Tolkien by age eight. 

Did those early experiences help to instill in you a love of stories, and how did that reading stories bug transform into a telling stories and writing stories bug?

Susan Roddey: I've always loved everything about the written word. Even before I understood how to write stories, I would pretend to be a writer. It's always been a part of me.

John Morgan Neal: Not sure instill is the most accurate word. Awoked. Revealed. Because I think it was always there.

Brian K Morris: Being in the country, the only companions I had were imaginary. That's who I read to when I was younger. And the storytelling bug is still strong in me.

Mari Hersh-Tudor: Dr. Seuss first showed me what imagination can do. My imagination always took anything I read and made whole universes out of it. And never stopped.

Scott McCullar: By fourth grade, I was writing my own stories. I won a “Young Author’s” contest at school for my first story “Mice Wars” which was loosely based on the historical story of The Alamo with a cast of characters that were all mice. I would continue to write stories here or there in my spiral notebooks, but my other interest wanting to illustrate also pushed me in the direction of wanting to be a comic book creator who handled both the writing and art chores in his own work. 

I just loved storytelling in all forms. Whether it was books, comic books, illustrations, television, film, or even audio-only sources such as radio dramas, records, or listening to someone speak in a lecture, interview, or tell a tale around a campfire, etc.

Elizabeth Donald: I have always been a storyteller, in any form. From my very early childhood I was writing, way back to early-80s Smurf fanfic. I was never going to BE a writer, mind you -- you needed Dumbo’s magic feather and to live in New York for that, or so I believed. But books were absolutely integral to my childhood, developing my imagination, and entry drug after entry drug kept me in fictional magic. I wrote my first novel in high school and it was terrible, as most first novels are. And I rewrote it a couple of times in college, and it was still terrible. I wrote plays as a theater major and they were terrible. But that’s the gig, isn’t it? The more you write, the less terrible your writing. Every word you write -- and every word you read -- makes you a better writer, in tiny increments. Those baby steps start with the Berenstein Bears and Nancy Drew and end up with your name on the cover displayed in the front window at Borders. 

Jen Mulvihill: I really think it did have an impact on me. Especially when I became a teenager and started reading Science Fiction, I could not get enough. But now I see in my writing a little bit of influence of a mix of Baum and Heinlein. As a child and teenager, I used to make up all kinds of stories in my head, sometimes I wrote them down and sometimes I didn’t. I still have an old suitcase full of old short stories, songs, and poetry.

Bobby Nash: Oh, yeah. I started thinking of ways to do my own stories. I studied the books and taught myself how to write, how to create stories and characters, etc. That urge has not diminished over the decades.

Ef Deal: I couldn't separate reading from imagining, so I began writing early, and yes, because I was an avid reader.

Gordon Dymowski: Since I grew up as an only child, I relied on my imagination and curiosity to provide entertainment. One method was drawing stories on scrap paper my mother brought home from work. I think that experience shaped my ability to tell stories since I knew I could take characters from comics and translate them into rough narratives. It wasn't until college that I started writing short stories...and developed a large collection of rejection slips.

Fortunately, the past eleven years as an author helped me realize I have a knack for this whole writing thing. It's still a learning process., but I feel more confident in my abilities now than I ever did in the past.

Sean Taylor: I don't think there's any denying how important the stories I read were to making me want to tell my own stories. I did it with everything from paper to pencil to playing with my action figures. I never played with them correctly. Luke and Leia were never Luke and Leia. Nope, Luke was a swashbuckling hero while Walrus Man wore the Jawa's cloak and became an evil wizard who captured Leia (I was a kid. I hadn't learned yet women didn't need us men to save them.) and foiled Luke's plans with his giant robot (Mazinga) while keeping hidden in my Fisher Price castle with the secret trapdoor. That play became stories that still influence me to this day, hence my love of adventurous tales of heroes and heroines in outlandish situations. 

How Much Do Writers Read?

Authors, how many books do you read per month? 
How much is fiction and how much is nonfiction?

Selah Janel: Depends on the month, reason, format, etc. If it's for graphic novels or manga, I can burn through like 20 volumes easy if I'm not doing much else in my off time. Or if I'm doing other stuff, probably half that. Novels or nonfiction, depends. Anywhere from 3-7 again, depending on how I'm using free time. I'm also reading a lot of genre and lit magazines right now, too, and those numbers are somewhere in the middle. For May I think I did probably 7 manga volumes, 5-7 graphic novel volumes, I'm finishing up a novel, one nonfiction, and two genre magazines.

Connor Boyle: I average 3 novels a month with several short stories in between.

Ernest Russell: It varies. 2-3 fiction and nonfiction; it depends on any research I may be doing.

Ellie Raine: I'm a slow reader, and it depends if I'm writing that week, etc. If I'm reading, I can't write my own stuff. if I'm writing my own stuff, I can't read other works--or else I'll never get the work done. When I'm at a good stopping point in writing is pretty much the only time I get to read, and I'll try to read it ALL before going back to work if I can. It's a really erratic and slow process, but it's how I get the work done while finding time to read as well.

Bill Craig: 17-20 books a month, mainly fiction but once in a while I'll read non-fiction.

Amanda Niehaus-Hard: My goal now is one fiction a week (so 4 a month), 1 non-fiction a month, and 1 poetry volume or a complete literary journal every two weeks (can be a re-read). I end up reading about one short story from an anthology every night, so sometimes I read one collection a month or one every 6 weeks. But we homeschool, so I have to read a ton of stuff for the kiddo, and I don't have goals for that beyond "keep up with his interests." lol.

Robert Krog: I usually read a chapter a night to the children from some classic novel or the other, so that’s one. I’ll finish a nonfiction work for myself and frequently a novel as well. Then, I’ll be rereading certain parts of other works at the same time. At least 4, I guess, volume wise.

Ron Fortier: At least 3 a month. All fiction. I like most genres, a la sci-fi, mystery or adventure. Will occasionally re-read what I consider classics, i.e. Burroughs, Heinlein or Herbert.

Mark Lee: 2-3 a month. A mix of classic and contemporary. Mostly nonfiction but I love me a good epic fantasy.

Kevin Noel Olson: At a normal pace, one or two a week. Lately, so much of my reading goes into reading and re-reading research material it's difficult to gauge. Also, I have about 5 books going at once, one of them being a ponderous book of around 1200 pages. Not to mention comic books, so I won't mention them.

Jana Oliver: 20+, the majority of which are fiction. I read fast. Only a rare, rare few make the Keeper Shelf. I'm an omnivore apparently. When I'm working on my own books, someone's else's shuts down the internal "chatter."

Barry Reese: About 6-7 a month, usually 1-2 nonfiction and the others are fiction.

Derrick Ferguson: I would say three a month. I'm a terrible backslider. I remember when I would read three in a week.

Bobby Nash: It varies. All fiction.

Janice Elliott Howard: I read fiction. 4-5 books a month and non-fiction 2-3 books a month. I write only 10-15 days out of the month.

Angie Gallion Lovell: I read 3-4 books month when I’m not writing. Mostly contemporary and fiction.

Greg Goode: Sometimes one or two a month, sometimes several a day. Nonfiction:fiction :: 80:20

Rob Cerio: Depends if you count graphic novels. Without, 1. With, about 7.

Jason Waltman: One or two mostly sci-fiction, dark modern fantasy or new pulp. I not counting any role-playing game book because they're work-related.

Brian K. Morris: My reading schedule involves an average of five a month, usually 3 fiction, 2 non-fiction (often to do with publishing because I can always stand to be a lot smarter than I am).

Marlin Williams: As of lately, about two. All of it is fiction. It's a fifty-fifty mix between contemporary and classic. I just finished reading Ravenwood Stepson of Mystery collection of short stories by Frederick C Davis.

Danielle Procter Piper: I read a lot less because I'm a lot busier now. I've been reading mostly nonfiction the past few years, but I make time for the newest Agent Pendergast novels and Serge Storms.

Andrew Salmon: 10-15. Getting the Eby Stokes series launched, it's been more research than fiction and the fiction is usually tied to Eby's genre. Still I try to squeeze in some fun reading though.

Neen Edwards: I read all fiction... depends how much per month. Last month I read 17 I think. This month, I'm on my fourth book because I'm doing a review for someone and I have no clue what's going on in the book.

Matt Hiebert: Just two or three and a few short stories (which puts me somewhere close to last in this crowd).

Ed Catto: About one and half books a month lately.

Perry Constantine: Before, about one or two a month. But lately, due to all the sales that have been on ComiXology, I'm pretty much only reading graphic novels and TPBs. Lately when I do read a book or prose story, it's usually non-fiction or it's something I'm reading to teach in my lit class.

Nicholas Ahlhelm: I spend as much time with comics and graphic novels as the pictureless kind of books. I usually read somewhere between two and four prose works and probably a dozen graphic novels (at least) in a given month.

Jenny Reed: It varies wildly how many I read. Mostly fiction over time, but the percentages vary wildly from month to month, too. Both classic and contemporary.

Tom Hutchison: I haven't read a book in years. If I read it's a comic or more likely reference for whatever I'm writing at the time.

Adam Garcia: Depending on the length of the book, amount of free time I have, etc. 1 - 4 books a month, mostly contemporary with some classics sprinkled in.

Stuart Hopen: I'm all over the place. Typically I'll read five or six books concurrently unless something really grabs my interest, and then I'll put everything else down. I read fiction and nonfiction, but more of the former. And everything from golden age comics and pulps to Joyce and Shakespeare. Currently, I'm reading Infinite Jest, Will Durant's Story of Civilization, Foucault's Madness and Civilization, and Mike Cary's The Unwritten.

Lee Houston Junior: At least two library books a month and whatever I accomplish every night on the Kindle before I go to bed, so I'd say a monthly average of about 5 or 6 easy. The genres vary between books because I like variety, but mainly sci-fi, fantasy, detective/mystery with other stuff thrown in from time to time.

Trina Robbins: Typically 1 -4 books per month, depending on the length and how hard./easy to read. Heavier on the fiction than the non fiction, but I'm always reading. As soon as I finish a book, I start another one. Currently reading William Gibson's The Peripheral, and that man is hell to read, so it takes me longer than most writers because I have to keep going back and rereading parts so I can figure out what the hell he's talking about.

Van Allen Plexico: I have stacks of books all over the house, not counting the ones on my various bookcases, and am always reading from different books depending on what I’m in the mood for that moment. So it’s hard to quantify it. 1-2 dozen probably. They run probably half and half fiction and nonfiction. I also have tons of comics from the 1970s on my iPad and read them all the time.

Steve Ekstrom: It varies... I just don't stop reading and/ or writing. I rarely lean into any classic literature but when I do it's like a headlong deep dive into something really dense.

Keith M. Weller: Four to 5 books a month, all depends on what I'm in the mood for.

Kalesjha Madsø: Depends on length of the books, but around 8 to 10 a month. I read high fantasy mostly.

Bethany Hoeflich: 20-40 books a month. Maybe 4 or 5 nonfiction and the rest fiction. They are a mix of genres from fantasy and sci-fi to romance and horror. And most are contemporary. I like to stay up to date with the trends in fiction.

Gael Figueroa: 3-6 depending.. split between non-fiction and fiction.

Goalie Benkers: About two to four. I prefer sci-fi and fantasy but I read everything. Just finished Jane Eyre and really loved it. I'm still in awe of the writing style; very complex and deep. Right now I'm reading a mystery thriller. It's not bad.

Brett Kihlmire: Depends on the length and available time. I've read 14 of varying size since the start of the year. I'm halfway through a 300-page Star Wars novel right now.

Barbara Goode Bodnar: Around 10. Lot of mystery, biographies.

Gabi Balend: I honestly don't read a lot of published books anymore. I mostly read fanfiction stories these days (there are a lot of really well-written ones out there if you know where to look). I honestly couldn't tell you how many I read every month - I don't keep track of my reading like that. In the past, I primarily read science fiction and fantasy, although I did enjoy nonfiction science books as well (Cosmos, A Brief History of Time, The Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos, etc.).

Demetra Had: One per week is my standard for fiction. Last month was crazy, I've read 12. I don't read non-fiction anymore, instead, I listen to audio books while doing other things to save time ... At least one non-fiction audiobook per month

Marianne Reese: 5-10 all genres. I like to read and support indie authors so I make sure I read several indie books a month. I do, however, read traditionally published authors, too.

Michael Grant: 1-10. All fiction. Mostly contemporary.

Eileen Troemel: It varies... I read anything. I read Audacity, which is a biography poetry book -- the author wrote poems to describe a Russian's work in the union -- early Russian refugee... and Quiet which is an interesting study of introverts. I've also read JD Robb, Anne McCaffrey, Kathy Lyons, Anne Bishop, Rebecca Zanetti... and a whole bunch more. My reading is sporadic -- when I feel like it I read.

Joe Noble: About 50 books a year on average, changes from month to month how many I get through.

The Writer Will Take Your Questions Now #348 -- Novels in the Bathroom

How often do you actually read? How often do you read a book, 

as opposed to smaller options like newspapers or magazines?

I read all the time, but it's mostly articles online and stuff like that. I try to read several short stories or chapters from novels each week (often in the bathroom, when I can get my official *Sean time* during the week). I do try to sit down either at home or during slow times at work at least once per week for about an hour or so of devoted reading time. And of course, as the manager of a comic book store, I read about 35-45 comic each week to keep up on the product knowledge I need to run the store.

Writers Read -- Or Do They?

It's said over and over again... Writers read. But, just how true is it? We went to a group of published authors and asked them to get real about just how often they pick up a book and read (and how and when they do that).

How often do you actually read? (Not wish you read, or would like to have readers think you read, but actually, truly read.) How often do you read a book, as opposed to smaller options like newspapers or magazines?

Bill Craig: I still read 5-7 books a week while writing and being a father and single parent with custody and taking care of house and cooking and cleaning...

Selah Janel: All the time. Literally, all the time. I tend to read as a comfort thing, and there are times I have to pry myself away to make sure I'm working on everything I need to be. I don't know if I have a Faust complex or what, but the thought that there's just so much out there to learn and experience is endlessly fascinating to me. Plus, as an author, I think it's really arrogant to want people to read my work without knowing what has contributed to the genres I write in, and at least try to keep up with what's around me. Depending on the time of year, I probably read at least a book a week, probably on average of three to five if I'm not doing a ton else. I read seven this past weekend. Granted, I fly through graphic novels and things like that really fast, but I'm a dedicated reader.

Danielle Procter Piper: Whenever I have free time. I read far more than I watch TV. I keep several books in my vehicle to read and a small stack beside the bed. I've had up to 15 books laying around partially read at any given time and could pick one up and remember what page I left off on without using a placeholder of any kind. Lately I usually have only three or four waiting for me to finish reading, and that's not including comic books.

Tamara Lowery: Not counting news stories and social media posts, I don't read nearly as much as I used to. I take a writing break a couple of times each year, usually when the story just isn't flowing anyway, and dive into my TBR pile.

Elizabeth Donald: I read vast amounts every day, since my job as a reporter requires it. Mostly news articles, government reports, news analysis, etc. Once upon a time I read an analysis that showed humans are reading more than ever before, thanks to the internet. (How much of that means greater understanding of the world or just noise is open to interpretation.) I read much fewer books, unfortunately, due to the hours of the day. Fiction novels are my reading of choice, but it takes me a lot longer than it once did to get through a book, because I get sleepy pretty fast.

Amanda Niehaus-Hard: Fiction? I read some bit of fiction very day. I had a teacher tell me to read a short story a day, every day, and this has been my practice. At minimum, I read one short story. When I’m exhausted, I’ll pick a random story from the New Yorker archive and read that without trying to analyze it. I also try to listen to the weekly New Yorker fiction podcasts so I get a better sense of how language sounds read aloud. I read in and out of my genre, but I tend to read mostly literary fiction and horror.

I very rarely read novels anymore since I’m focused on short fiction, but when I do, I read more novels in the summer when the kids can play outside. Sometimes I’ll listen to popular fiction audio books while I’m working out. I’ll read story collections on weekends. I don’t really read newspapers or magazines other than the fiction in the major magazines, but I do enjoy reading creative nonfiction. I usually just get the Best American Essays and read one of those collections through over a few months.

Kevin Noel Olson: I'm fairly regular about reading. I usually have five books going at once, though I won't necessarily finish them all. Currently, two non-fiction books and one sizable anthology. I have read five Radium Age novellas this month off the internet.

Andrew Salmon: I read every day! Without fail! As I'm preparing a lot of historical series and novels, the bulk of my reading is research related. As anyone who knows me can attest, I LOVE to do research. Absolutely LOVE IT! But I still squeeze in novels, shorts s tories and comics for my "leisure" reading. I put that in quotes because no writer can read for pure leisure. Great fiction, or non-fiction, can spark an idea, remind you of something you wanted to revise in your own work, etc.

Kristi Morgan: I read every day. I take a book with me everywhere I go. When I have free time I read. I have tried ebooks but I dont like them. Not only do they tire my eyes out, I just like the smell of a real book. I used to go to bookstores and spend way too much money, and also buy used whenever I could but lately my books have all been sent to me free since I do reviews. It has been a while since I actually paid for a book.

Van Allen Plexico: I read all the time. Novels, nonfiction, articles, papers. All kinds-- SF, crime and detective, spy, history, politics, etc. Because I want to, not because I feel I'm "supposed" to. But I can't imagine any writer not reading a lot. It would be like being a chef without ever eating food. It's critical to having a solid grasp of how to string together words, phrases and sentences in attractive ways, as well as gaining and developing an intuitive sense of how a narrative is structured.

I keep a nonfiction book open on my desk at work (currently THE YEARS OF LYNDON JOHNSON: PASSAGE OF POWER by Robert Caro) and read it whenever I have a spare moment.

Ralph Angelo, Jr.: I read a half hour a day , 3 days a week as well as a few minutes each night. I use dto read a lot more a year or so back, but things have gotten complicated.

Bobby Nash: I read something every day. I don't get to read as much as I used to because if the responsibilities of being an adult and all that, but I read novels, comic books, and short stories on a fairly regular basis. I also read for work, but that uses a different part of the brain. I still enjoy getting lost in a good book.

M. B. Weston: I read a lot each day, but intermittently. Most of what I read is news articles.

Gordon Dymowski: I read every day - I've been trying in get into the habit of taking some quiet time to read. Usually, it's an hour to an hour and a half, and focused mainly on books. Newspapers and magazines are usually a once-a-week indulgence. (It also helps that my apartment is a ten minute walk from the local library, so even when I'm concentrating on work or research....I can grab time to scan the shelves and/or catch up on periodicals).

Ruth de Jauregui: Take a book to bed with me every night. Have one in my purse, so wherever I am, I can take in a few pages. I read a minimum of a book a week, and usually more. Plus reading articles and stuff online.

Jen Mulvihill: I probably get some reading done maybe 2 to 3 times a week about 20 minutes at least each time maybe more sometimes.

Terri Smiles: I average 2-3 articles on some topic per day, but also read fiction almost everyday. Sometimes the fiction is only 10 minutes or so, but I'm pretty consistent about reading some of a novel everyday.

Mark Bousquet: Ironically or conveniently, I talked about this a bit the other day on my blog. The idea that reading makes you a better writer is a good one, but at some level this idea relies on osmosis. That is, that just by reading more and more we'll gain knowledge about genre or story or characters. For me, it's not enough to just read. I have to go the next step and pull apart the thing I'm reading, and break it down scene by scene to see the nuts and bolts of how writers put their stories together. Then I gave an example of what I meant: http://themarkbousquet.com/2016/03/09/behind-the-typewriter-breaking-down-hinterland/

I write more than I read. I might read three books one week and then not finish the next one for a few weeks. I've usually got a fiction read and a non-fiction book going, but most of my reading time is taken up by research.

Nancy Hansen: I read for pleasure just about every day. I am primarily a novel or how-to book reader, though I will glance at a newspaper or magazine article that catches my eye.


Melissa Gilbert: I read at least a few pages of a book every day.

James Ray Tuck, Jr: I always have at least one book going at a time. Usually one print and one ebook. I also read 3-10 comic books a week (on Wednesday!) and usually about every 3rd or 4th book is a graphic novel. I read approx 60+ books a year. I buy approx 247 books a year. Not including comics, magazines, and graphic novels.

Darin Kennedy: I once read voraciously, but between writing, editing, appearances, eating, sleeping, seeing girlfriend/family/friends, and the 8-6 day job, reading has unfortunately been edged out. Trying to recalibrate to reincorporate reading back in, but for now, writing the new book has priority.

Alexandra Christian: I have had to force myself to find the time to read.

Where and how do you do most of your reading? Do you set aside time for a long read before bed, for example? Or do you snag the time available with an e-book while taking a kid to the dentist or on a break from a day job?

Ralph Angelo, Jr.: When I’m walking the treadmill at the gym. Most nights I read for a few minutes before bed as well.

Mark Bousquet: I don't set aside time for reading. If I'm reading a story I like, I find time to read it. When I was taking the train in to work, that was 1.5 hours, each way, that was largely devoted to reading, since the train was too bouncy to write.

Nancy Hansen: I have a Kindle Paperwhite and a Fire, so for recreational reading, I read in bed most of the time. I try and get to bed early enough so that I have time to finish a couple of chapters or a short story in an anthology. Most of the appointments I go to these days are my own, so the E-reader stays home. I might grab a magazine that interests me and page through it until I get called in. My day job is writing and editing, so other than research online or poring through the occasional reference book, my reading is limited to what's on the screen waiting to be worked on. I tend to use the Paperwhite Kindle as my main E-reader, and the Fire is my backup (they can be synced). I like the color capability of the Fire for anything with graphics. It's especially handy for things like cookbooks or the occasional craft & crochet book, where having a picture to look at explains a lot of what is going on.

Terri Smiles: I read articles at my desk. If its nonfiction that I'm reading as background or ideas for a novel, I tend to read it in bed at night. For novels, I have a great big recliner in my office and set aside one afternoon per week for reading fiction, and otherwise, just pick up a book and read some wherever I am.

Andrew Salmon: I read at home. I'm a night owl and read until I can't keep my eyes open. This applies to research reading as well as that "leisure" reading mentioned above.

Elizabeth Donald: I read each night when I go to bed. The night job keeps me awake a lot later, so I'm pretty tired by the time I go to sleep and it's hard to get far before I doze off. I also keep ebooks on my iPad for doctor's offices, closed sessions and other devoutly dull moments. The hardest part is finding books that have the "hole in the paper," as Stephen King calls it. I find as I get older, my tastes are pickier. It's not so easy for me to just disappear into a book and forget the world as it was when I was a kid. I used to read every book I started, but as I get older, I find time is too precious to waste on a book that isn't grabbing me.

Tamara Lowery: When I read, I usually do it during work breaks, just as I do most of my writing during those times. It is easier to tune out coworkers than the myriad distractions at home. The majority of my reading for pleasure is of authors I follow and books I've picked up at conventions.

Amanda Niehaus-Hard: The daily short story I read after my son is in bed. It’s my evening wind-down. Sometimes I can read during the day, but I tend to “binge” read on weekends or holidays, when I can get the family to leave me alone for an hour or two. I’ve tried reading while running or working out on cardio machines, but it’s usually easier to listen to audio books. I will use my tablet to read in bed sometimes, but I try not to do that because I end up staying up all night.

Jen Mulvihill: If I am reading it's at night in bed before I go to sleep. However, If I am smart enough to remember to get an audio book then I "read/listen" twice a day 5 days a week for 20 minutes. Basically between home and work. If I am on a roadtrip to a convention I will get 3 to to 30 hours reading time in depending on how far I have to drive.

Gordon Dymowski: Most of my reading takes place in transit - if I'm freelancing from an office downtown, or I'm heading out to appointments, I'm carrying around my e-reader. I also try to set aside an hour either early in the morning or (more likely) in the evening - reading is a great way to wind down and relax. And if I can grab some time in between work tasks....I'm reading.

Alexandra Christian: Now, I make it a point to read every night in the bathtub for about an hour (yes, I take long baths. DON'T JUDGE ME!!).

Kevin Noel Olson: I read most of my reading at home. In the early morning and right before bedtime.

Bobby Nash: I read on my lunch break, in the bathroom, or whenever I can snag some free time. I work it in where I can.

Van Allen Plexico: Any and all opportunities. I've read before going to bed every single night for as long as I can remember, since at least kindergarten. I cannot remember the last day I didn't read part of a fiction book at some point during the day, and I can probably count the total number of days in my life that I haven't read something at all during the day on one hand, since learning how to read. Unfortunately I usually fall asleep pretty quickly when reading before bed. But if a book really has my attention, I can stay awake longer with it, and I can find times to read it during the day.

Selah Janel: It depends on the genre. Some books are definite before bed books, and others I prefer to be more focused. Cozy mysteries and chick lit tend to be before bed, and things like nonfiction or action-heavy stuff is during the weekend or on a free evening. Granted, all bets are off if I've just come home from a library run. I try to keep smaller books at hand if I've got appointments, and I keep up with news articles and the like when I've got breaks throughout the day.
 
James Ray Tuck, Jr: I'm a dude. Books are flagged. And I read in bed at night when its ridiculous to still be awake so I am winding down.

M. B. Weston: I use my iPhone and check out articles throughout the day.

Melissa Gilbert: I read for 30-60 minutes in bed and 15-20 minutes in the school pickup line and whenever I have a spare few minutes.

Danielle Procter Piper: I do most of my reading before work in my vehicle, before the morning meeting begins, between lunch and our afternoon meeting, then again at the end of the day before I clock out if I have a spare minute or two. If I'm partnered with someone during work, I'll read while they use the bathroom or enter a store to get a drink or snack, or while they've gone to drop off paperwork and pick up more. I also try to read at least one chapter of a book before bed every night.

What percentage of your reading is printed books? What percentage is using digital formats? Do find having options like digital give you more opportunities to indulge in reading?

Mark Bousquet: Almost all my reading is digital these days. I love the convenience of the Kindle and as much as I miss that old paper smell, the clean white screen and readable type more than makes up for it.

Gordon Dymowski: Since I live near a library (and can get books via interlibrary loan), I would say that half of my reading is printed, half is ebook. (Research finds that many people who are heavy readers tend to split between the two media). I like e-books - they're available, easy to use, and take up much less space than traditional printed books (For those who claim that it's "just not like" traditional paper books, the right tablet - mine is an Android Nextbook - plus the right cover can come *really* darn close). I also find that I can get free ebooks (thanks, Manybooks.net!) and cheaper out-of-print options that allow me to expand my reading options without breaking the bank. It's also nice to be able to have a ton of books in one place, and that if one e-book is boring, I can switch to another with a swipe of the finger.

Melissa Gilbert: I generally read on my kindle because it's easier reading at night with the lights off. And it's portable the next day on my phone. I read paper books for a lot of my work stuff. Fun reading is almost entirely digital.

(And for those who prefer "real, printed books"....yes, I read those, too. I'm not so snobbish as to deny the power of technology, but I am snobbish about the fact that I enjoy reading. In the evenings, I prefer to be totally unplugged, so I'll be reading from a traditional book).

Nancy Hansen: I'd read a lot more print books if I could actually make out the pale, thin, & small fonts. My eyesight is very poor and not correctable at this point, so I struggle with print books, magazines, and newspapers. I do better with an electronic device where I can adjust things to suit me. Plus, five years ago we downsized to a smaller home, so I don't have much storage room for books anymore. I love print books and always have, but they're heavy and take up a lot of space, so the lion's share of my recent purchases have been E-copies. I'm reading a lot more often these days than I was 10 years ago because of the E-readers. My Paperwhite is lightweight and backlit. I can adjust the brightness and the font size on it, and read without my glasses on, and it's very easy on my tired eyes. It's also limited for what you can do online, so there's little temptation to surf. Depending on what you buy, E-books can be a lot less expensive (or even free), which allows me to expand my library to things I might not consider buying in a paper format because of the price or the storage size. Generally speaking, nobody can yank out my bookmark, so that I lose my place and have to hunt for what page I left off on. Yeah, I'm a happy E-reader.

James Ray Tuck, Jr: I read about 2 print to 1 ebook, not including comics, magazines, and graphic novels as they are almost exclusively print and would skew the numbers. My ebook reading at night is short, hitting the sack reading.

Alexandra Christian: I rarely read magazines unless there's one lying around and I'm bored. I do a lot of digital reading for work, so probably about 40 percent is digital format.

Bobby Nash: Most of my reading for pleasure is printed books. This is mainly because the bulk of my reading/writing for work purposes is digital so even when I read an ebook for fun, my brain slips into editor mode out of habit. I don't have a problem with ebooks, but I prefer paper.

M. B. Weston: Probably 99 percent digital, but if I read fiction, it is a flesh and blood book.

Jennifer Nahrstadt: I read all the time, and I read printed books that I get on loan from my local library. I have one with me in the car and look forward to evening so that I can settle in with a good book. We have no television, and I don't miss it one bit.

Ralph Angelo, Jr.: Mostly kindle books, by far. Occasionally I’ll read a paperback. But for the most par, and I mean by a vast difference, I’m reading on the Kindle.

Darin Kennedy: When I do read, I prefer paper books, though I've done ebook and audiobook and enjoy those as well.

Terri Smiles: I read about two-thirds digital and 1/3 print. I prefer print, but I have been so disappointed with the last few traditional press novels I've read that I can't justify buying them unless they are free or deeply discounted - which typically means digital. I'm more inclined to buy books by indie authors in print. And, of course, it's easy to have digital books at my fingertips.Elizabeth Donald: I am reading fewer and fewer printed books, simply because the iPad is usually with me and, to be honest, it gives off its own light at night. It's funny how little things influence it; my bedside lamp is on the fritz, so I read more on the iPad because I won't have to get up to turn off the overhead light when I get sleepy. smile emoticon The iPad is wonderfully convenient, allowing me to have dozens of books at any particular time, so it definitely makes it easier to read whenever I want.

Van Allen Plexico: I've been able to read maybe three full novels on Kindle ever. Virtually everything I read is in print. I also listen to a lot of audiobooks. Particularly nonfiction audiobooks.

I think it is absolutely critical and vital for a writer who wants to be truly professional and who wants to create writing that in any way touches on "artistic" to absorb as much and as many kinds of writing as possible.

Danielle Procter Piper: Probably 95 percent of what I read is hand-held books. Most of them come from thrift shops, rarely do I pay for anything new. The only time I'm reading anything digital is when I peruse fanfiction maybe once every few months and read maybe half a dozen short stories. I do not own an ereader, although I have a Kindle app on my home computer. Once the average prices of eBooks went up, I stopped buying them.

Amanda Niehaus-Hard: Almost 95% of my reading is books. I have an old Kindle so I can read outside in bright light and a tablet with about a bazillion ebooks on it but I very rarely actually read a whole book on the tablet. If I don’t see the book sitting there on my desk I forget it exists. Having the kindle was wonderful when I first had the baby because I only needed one hand to read it, but I’m less interested in e-readers now.

Sometimes I’m really surprised by how many young writers tell me they don’t really read. To me, reading is the first step to learning how to write. I subscribe to the osmosis theory, which states that by reading, over and over again, excellent literature, at least some of that excellence will rub off. I know that if I’m struggling with some technical aspect, I can always find an answer to my problem in the Norton anthologies or any of Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror anthologies. To me, a writer who doesn’t read is like a musician who never practices scales. It’s just mind-boggling to me.

Kevin Noel Olson: Ninety-five percent or more of the material I read is in physical books and magazines, if I were to guess conservatively. I do read a lot off the internet, yet mostly short articles. I still haven't found a comfort zone with reading from a computer screen, and have no reading device. For the greater part, I only read from the internet if the material isn't available in a reasonably-priced, physical format.

Jen Mulvihill: So I have printed, Kindle and audio. Usually if I have purchased an autographed book I buy it on Kindle so I don't mess the book up.

Tamara Lowery: I haven't touched my poor Kindle in over a year, other than today to make sure the software upgrade is done so I can use it when I'm ready to. I've got about half as many books on it as I do dead tree versions on the floor surrounding my full bookcase.

Selah Janel: Probably 95 percent printed, I'd guess. I prefer it,it's what I grew up with, I find it more relaxing to look at a page than a screen. I do use my laptop and I have an ereader for comics I review, mainly because I only get those as files, and I've sprung for some e-book only titles I've really wanted. I think while digital may give more opportunities, I also still am really attached to the physical process of finding a book at a library, going to the new stacks and getting something because I like the look of it, then giving it a try, having the heft in my hand and physically flicking through the pages. I find myself more engage with print, and while I think e-readers are awesome for travel, for the experience alone I'm pro-print.

Andrew Salmon: Although I'm a big fan and reader of ebooks, the bulk of my reading is still the good ol' fashioned printed book. This is partly due to getting so much research material out of the library but also because the printed book is still my preferred method of reading. That said, I've read dozens of ebooks and have hundreds more on my tablet. It comes down to time in the end with all the research I have to do. I love both formats even if the scale is heavily weighted to one side.

Nugget #75 -- Read It All

Real everything. Read genres you like. Read genres you don't like. 

Read fiction. Read non-fiction. Read good and bad books. But for 

crying out loud read. (Especially if you want to be a writer.)

 

Ideas Like Bullets -- Writers Read (So Read This)

Sometimes coming up with what to write about in a regular weekly blog (well, okay weekly most of the time) isn’t just off the top-of-your-head easy.  Especially for someone like me who has a ton of snippets, pieces, and singular lines running through my head, any of which I likely could weave into a decent post.  So, faced with this issue recently, I narrowed down my several options for this week’s post to two and asked a few people what they thought I should do.  One option was sharing writing tips, the other sharing an extended excerpt from my most recently published work. 

Although the scales were decidedly tipped one way as replies came in, I realized that I could actually do both, especially since my plan for giving writing tips was going to follow a sort of plan I had in my head. Essentially, I will share tips here every now and again, from the very first tip I would give any one wanting to be a writer all the way through the last one, in my own makeshift order, that, if it all comes out like I think it will, could carry a writer through the completion and possible publication of a story. 

Now, why I thought I could do both options in one column this time around is that my very first tip to any writer is a very simple one.  One so simple that almost instantaneously people will answer ‘Oh, sure, I do!’ when I ask them if they do this.  But, upon further questioning, at least one out of every three can’t recall the last time they did this or the last thing they did this to.  Even established writers often stumble with this one.  And no, it’s not ‘Writers write,’ although that is a tip I’ll get into in future columns.  And it’s not ‘Write what You know,” because that’s a tip I have touched on in a previous column and will revisit in detail later as well.  No, this is something so rudimentary, yet so essential to being a writer that we often forget that it’s a part of the process.

You want to be a writer? Fine. Then, to be a writer, one must read.

Sounds simple, right? And also, you’d be amazed at how many people wanting to be writers, after saying they do read but being unable to recall the last time they did or the last book they read, decide to tell me that reading and writing are separate.  They don’t really have but the barest of connections.

No, really. Not making it up. Heard it a hundred times.

A writer must read and, in my opinion, a writer must read almost as often as they must write, that being every day.  Why? Well, there are two answers I’ll explore briefly here.

First, reading is the best way to learn about writing styles. Not just the personal styles of others, but the way that types of stories read and are put together. Want to write a western? Well, reading one wouldn’t hurt, to both show you the conceits that may be required for a western AND ways you can write your take on it that sets it apart from other westerns.  You pick up stylistic inferences and tricks as well as different ways to approach structure and grammar.  Pulp Fiction, for instance, makes great use of two things most literary writers and English teachers would tell you to never use- Dialogue tags and sentence fragments.  Used to excess or poorly, these things can cripple a story.  But read tales where they’re used like scalpels by surgeons, and they make a story sing on a whole new level.  So, yes, read to learn how to write.

Secondly, writers should read so they can figure out what they like.  Yes, a writer should write what they know (again, more on this in a later post), but one wanting to put pen to paper should also read to figure out what they like, at least in fiction.  And it’s really a rather simple concept.  I am not a big romance reader. Bet that surprises you, but it’s the truth.  Now, could I write it? Sure, I could, I think.  Would it pop, though? Would it reverberate with the personal energy and involvement that I want all my works to have in them? No, it wouldn’t, it would simply be I hope a well told story of two people finding love and maybe making all sorts of connections (wink, wink) and then….yadda yadda yadda.  And why wouldn’t it have that? Because I don’t like romances.  How do I know that? Because I read and have tried reading them…and guess what? Not a fan.

Now, some of you are already out there yelling and screaming at your phones and computer screens that I’m wrong and that you can write in any genre you want to, whether you like it or not.  If you’re doing that, then go back and read the paragraph I just wrote. Yes, a person can write in genres they don’t like, sure they can.  But there’s a vital aspect added in when an author writes something that they like, when they’re focused on a genre or a style that impacts them, not as a creator, but as a person, as a fan. As a reader.

Read. Read so you can write what you like and so the rest of us will hopefully like it as well.

And, making myself my own example…I read all sorts of things, but I absolutely adore mysteries, especially those featuring a Private Investigator type.  So, my latest tale is definitely a PI story, introducing a new character and a new world, based on another type of thing I like- magic in the modern world. So, without further adieu, read the opening pages of the latest story written by a writer who writes what he likes to read…

THE LADY WORE VENGEANCE
A Free Mason, P.I. Story

She cut a haunting silhouette out of the darkness of the office doorway, only the dull jaundiced glow of the single light bulb dangling in the hallway behind her. Her left hand rested on its matching hip, delicate, long fingers riding dangerous, deadly curves.  Her right hand snaked elegantly up the doorjamb above her head, giving her shape the look of a sultry hourglass in repose.  Hints of crimson along her form flickered in and out of the black of night seeping in through the windows of my office.  A tight fitting, perfectly suggestive red dress, tailor made for her by some dowager on the outskirts of Paris, if I remembered correctly.  It was the last thing I’d seen her wearing before her unannounced, but not wholly unexpected arrival a few minutes ago.  The last thing she’d probably ever wear.

“As stunning as ever,” I said, turning my back to my desk and shrugging back into the trench coat I’d nearly shuffled off seconds before.  I’d only just opened the door, put the brown paper sack cradling my bottle of dinner and desert on the corner of my desk when those tiny little hairs, those holdovers from earlier states of evolution great minds tell us, stood up and did their ‘Somebody’s coming’ dance along the back of my neck.  No footfalls on the ancient stairs, no pained sigh of the third story hallway floor, no hushed whisper of skin and fabric against the wood of the door.  No sound. Just a sudden chill running like the blood of a dying winter down my back.  “Being dead and buried a month looks better on you than most.”

“Aw,” she cooed, her voice like thick velvet poured over melting ice.  Just soft enough to breathe new life into old memories, but enough rough to remind me why the memories were from long ago.  “I bet those are words you don’t say often to old girlfriends.”

“More than I’d like to admit.”  I stood, studied her as my eyes adjusted to the darkness.  Familiarity allowed the shapes of the battered couch and the war scarred hat rack to solidify.  The twin windows in the wall to the right gave off such little light due to opening on the dullest alleyway in the city, but still enough to pierce the black of a still unlit room.  Yet as my eyes played along her exquisite road map of a body, a joyride I’d taken as a naïve boy who didn’t know better and one I’d gotten off of as a jaded man who just didn’t give a damn anymore, I saw more dark than light.  Shadow danced around her like flickering streamers, allowing glimpses of the dress, a hint of thigh through the slit, the shimmer of her matching red heels.  But unlike the rest of the room, the darkness around her seemed alive. And selfish.

I took a deep breath, the scent of lilacs and earth filling my nostrils.  Lilacs I remembered. The smell of dirt laced with decay was new for her, but not unfamiliar.  “So,” I offered, “you just come back to be on display in my doorway?”

The shadows around her face shifted just enough to allow me to see those pouting scarlet lips, the bottom one making like the eaves of a roof over her chin.  “Didn’t you ever have manners? Too much to ask for you to invite a lady in?”

I stepped forward, crossing my mouse hole of an office nearly in one stride.  Standing now only three or four feet from her, I still only saw hints and glimmers in the dark.  It worked that way sometimes, I knew. I also knew a little more than I had minutes ago about who she now was. Or more, what she was on her way to becoming.  “You carried being a lady like most men wear ties.  Loose and long.  But yeah,” I said, my hands idly pulling my trench coat tighter, closed, “sure.  I think there’s just barely room enough in this hovel for two.”

She laughed, something lost between a giggle and a purr, and slinked toward me.  As she moved, the lingering black that had before clung and crawled over her like silken ribbons faded and the woman I’d known as Evelyn Passmore, never ever Eve or Evie, came into view.

She moved in the dress as if she flowed inside of it, all the grace of a lazy river ready to turn into raging rapids if just given enough reason.  The frock itself still held much of its luster, only slightly dampened by a film of ashen dust spotting it.  A random thread had begun to unfurl in one place or another, but not in ways that anyone who wasn’t looking for it would notice.  Hair the color of burnt amber still framed an almost doll like oval shaped face that ended in rather a sharp chin, the point softened slightly by the thickness of her lips.  I let a sardonic smile curl my mouth as she stopped just inches from me, allowing me the once over.   She really didn’t look like someone who’d lain in a coffin for the last thirty days.  A tease here, a lint brush there, and she’d be ready to rejoin the elite of the city in their nightclubs and society balls again.  Except for her skin and the eyes.  They were now more suited to the darker pursuits that Evelyn had always found fascinating.

Once vibrant, almost china white to go with the dollish face, her skin was now pallid, gray like burgeoning storm clouds.  Her flesh was mottled, her face a uniform light shade, while her bare arms sported spots, almost like dark, deep gray bruises.  What was revealed of her chest by the low cut of the dress also looked as if it had begun to pass from healthy to decomposing, but only slightly.  And her eyes, the glittering green of dew heavy grass before, they had changed as well.  Black, darker than starless nights, a shade heavier than whatever evil might lurk in hidden hearts.   As black as the arts that Evelyn Passmore had more than dabbled in.  But, they weren’t dead eyes.  They simmered with life in a way they never had before.  An unearthly, corrupted life, a morbid electric hunger that would never know peace and only demanded more.

She leaned forward and then draped herself on me, pinning her body to my chest like a quickly wilting corsage.  I felt her breasts rise and fall, her lungs filling with air they no longer needed more out of routine than necessity. She stared ahead for a second, her eyes squarely planted at the base of my neck, then she looked down, a throaty chuckle rolling out from her welcoming mouth.  Her hands slid from around my neck and snaked their way down my chest, the right one hesitating about mid stomach on the right side. 

“You were always glad to see me,” she mewled, her fingers teasing the hard bulge, dancing along the length of it.

“Maybe,” I said, “but you know Nature didn’t leave me that well armed.” I pulled back slightly, forcing her fingers to fall away from their exploration. “Holster, same place it’s always been.”

“Okay,” she replied, a gray tongue playfully wetting her scarlet lips, “Just seems…longer than I remember.”

“World changes every day,” I said, turning away, giving her my left profile, the one she said she always favored. “What keeps a man alive has to change with it.  And that,” I said, my eyes falling on the bagged bottle that sadly was not going to get my attention as I had planned, “begs the question.   What’s keeping you alive, Evelyn? Why are you here?”

I let silence rise in the room like a slow tide.  Just as the quiet passed from uncomfortable to all encompassing, she breathed in sharply. Old habits died hard, apparently. Just like her.

“I died.” She said it as if it was something I’d not known, something she was reporting for the first time.  And I let her continue on, easiest way to get anyone to talk was to let them do it naturally, in their own time.  “I know it wasn’t much of a surprise to most,” she looked down at the floor, her hands folded in front of her, forming a gray fleshy arrow pointing at the floor.  “The way I was living. The parties, the drinking.” She paused. “The men. And the women.”

“But,” her voice sounded different, almost as if an innocence that had never truly been there was edging its way in, “I was actually a little caught off guard by my death.  I’d taken precautions, I thought.  Dabbling here and there with the dark things,” I grimaced at her familiar pet name for something so much more complicated than she made it sound, “that became more than just playing around.  But you knew that.”

She’d raised her head, I felt her eyes fall heavy on me. “Yeah,” I answered because she expected it. “I never cared for magic. Have no use for it.”

“I know. You made that quite clear when you walked out of my room two years ago.  Funny,” she mused, taking a step closer to my desk, to me.  “That’s when all that went from party games and silly little séances to…more.” She waited, wondering if the guilt she’d slung at me had hit its mark.  I didn’t move a muscle. “And I got pretty good at it,” she continued, disappointment tingeing her words.  “Learning the right words, putting all the pieces together. Moving up in that world, so to speak.  Didn’t think anything could stop me.  Or hurt me.”

“Until it did.” I turned to face her again. She had drifted to the corner of my desk opposite me, her fingers out, teasing the battered metal.  “You were awful young, everyone said, for a heart attack.”

“Is that what they said? Everyone?”

“No.  The coroner said he didn’t know of any reason your heart should have just exploded the way it did.  Nothing left but tiny pieces scattered all inside your chest. Like confetti, he’d said.”

Her head bobbed up and down, a shuddering nod.  “There were reasons.  And all of them far beyond highballs and spirit boards.  I had made…deals, allied myself with others who went from playing to pursuing the dark things like I did.  Eager to, to become a part of what made the world turn, what really makes everything around us move forward.  You know,” her words came faster now, a burst of passion behind them, “that it is what comes out of the shadows that fuels what light we have. You know that.”

“No,” I said flatly.  “No, I don’t.”

Her face wrinkled in frustration.  “Well, it does. And I wanted to be a part of that. I was tired of being just a person, just someone else for others to use, to move around. I wanted to be a force, a shadow all my own.  And I was almost there. Almost there. But I couldn’t do it alone.  No one can access the dark things that way alone.  They…”her words caught in her throat, “they demand too much for just one person to be able to give that much.”

“So, you made deals.  And someone, one of your partners, crawfished you.  Made you a part of the process instead of one of the benefactors.”

“Thought you didn’t know anything about magic.”

“Never said that, just said I didn’t care for it.  You were double crossed.  Sacrificed.”

As the word left my mouth, her entire body trembled.  Violently shaking, sounds like sobs rippled out of her.  I stepped toward her, then stopped just as quickly.  Her black eyes burned like ebony flames, raging fires fueled by hatred unquenchable.

“Yes,” she seethed. “And that is why I am back.  For retribution.  They…” her voice was little more than a growl, although she struggled to keep the ladylike ring to it, “Someone used me.  Killed me, knowing I would come back, wanting me to so a ritual could be finished.  But the dark things, they were already in me. They made sure I came back, not mindless, not a thrall, but something else. Something that could take what I needed.”

“Yeah,” I barked, moving forward suddenly, slapping her hard across the face, “But what flavor?”  She jerked back, staring at me, her eyes wide with shock. I slapped her again hard across the left cheek. “You were dead.  You’re not now.  But,” she was looking at me once more, her black eyes narrowed, her scarlet lips opened, her breathing short and ragged, “the dead come back in so many ways on the side of the street you’re walking. So, what are you?” I hit her again on the opposite cheek with my open palm.  “Ghoul? Fiend? Somebody’s undead plaything?” She glared at me now, anger creasing her gray face. Her eyes were little more than black slits and the red lips peeled back, baring startlingly white teeth.  “For once in your life, Evelyn,” I roared in her face, “be honest with me and yourself! Show me what you are!”

I raised my hand to hit her once more, but was stopped in mid swing.  Her left hand now held my wrist, nails digging like tiny blades into my flesh.  The rage in her features had gone from fury to something bestial, the wrath of an animal.  Her eyes sliced through me, the black in them almost palpable, seeming to pour forth from them, threatening to envelop me.  And her teeth glistened. Especially the four canines. A little longer, sharpened to a needle point, and wet with saliva and need.

“There you go,” I said softly.  “Whoever did this to you expected a dumb little lamb wandering to the altar.  But, you came back as the hunter.”

As I spoke, her grip on my wrist relaxed. We both lowered our hands and I watched as her appearance changed once again. The teeth receded and her lips closed.  Anger flushed from her face, leaving only sadness. Her eyes widened again, though still dark like the night, and looked woefully at me.

“It’s…”, she struggled to speak, “not like the book…or those silly movies.  It takes time.  My heart, it’s even back together, though not like before.  It doesn’t beat, but it’s there.”

“I know,” I said, almost soothingly.  “Everything takes time, it’s how corruption works.  But,” I smiled, “Lugosi sure makes it look elegant.”

“Elegant.” The word had no meaning for her as she said it.  “It is an existence, like anything else.  I am controlled by the same emotions, the same needs. The same…appetite.  Just for different food.” She turned away, her head lowered.  “And those I feed on, they don’t change, they don’t become.  It’s…not like that.”

“No,” I said, reaching out to her, my hand falling gently on her shoulder. “That’s all fiction. Because the fact is too terrifying to believe.  The idea that a person dying with hate and unfulfilled vengeance in their heart is all it takes to come back as a vampire, most minds can’t deal with that.”

“Not all it takes, “she said quietly. “I opened myself up to this, up to all of it. And I can’t stop it. I can’t even find the one who did this to me, even though that is why…all of this.” She spun around, her hands grabbing my coat lapels, desperation wracking her entire body. “I can’t even get the bastard who did this to me! I get distracted! I get hungry and…”

“That’s why you came to me,” I said, knowing her words would have been something different. “You need a babysitter.  Someone to hold your hand.”

She let go of my coat with her right hand and slapped my face this time. “Go to hell, Mason.”

“No,” I said, grinning through the stinging pain, “not again.  All right,” I said, pulling away from her.  “I’ll play tour guide, make sure you don’t dine on the regular folk.  But,” the smile never left my lips, “I work pretty much like your ‘dark things’.  Nothing’s free once you walk through that door, doll.”

From somewhere around her waist I didn’t see, she raised her right hand, fingers splayed out. In her palm rested two coins. Gold.  “Something,” she said huskily, “I had hidden away.”

“Good thing for me the Ferryman didn’t check your bags,” I said, taking the gold from her hand.  “Now, you may not be Pied Pipering your way back to your killer like they planned.  But I bet you have an idea who the most likely candidates are.”

She nodded. “I only worked in the darkest things with two people.  William Bygard. And Fineas.”

“Okay,” I said, already walking toward the door.  “Your nightclub owning boy toy and the milquetoast husband.  Let’s start with obvious and work our way to ludicrous, then.”

FIND THE REST OF THIS STORY AND MORE THAN SIXTY OTHER TALES WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY THE BEST PULP CREATORS IN THE BUSINESS TODAY IN ‘LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION’ FROM AIRSHIP 27 PRODUCTIONS, AVAILABLE AT AMAZON!

Nuggets #30 -- Cereal Highlights

  

Writers are the kind of readers who can't eat cereal 

without reading the back of the box, even when it's full 

of boring health facts and that pyramid food chart. They're 

the kind of readers who skim even medical journals or GOOD HOUSEKEEPING (though they prefer HIGHLIGHTS if it's available!) while they're waiting in the doctor's office. 

In short, writers read because they love words.