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01/25/2005: "Fiction writing - For the Love of Books"

From time to time I like to read about other writers. Something about learning their traits helps me to overcome my own weaknesses. Especially fun is the discovery that some great writer likes the same things as I do, or writes in the morning like I do. Not too long ago I came across For the Love of Books, 15 Celebrated Writers On the Books They Love Most, compiled by Ronald B. Schwartz, Putnam, 1999. In this wonderful book I discovered that John Irving was most impressed by Charles Dickens and Gunter Grass, Robert B. Parker wrote that he first read about Philip Marlowe when he was fourteen, and Wouk discovered and was deeply affected by Don Quixote when he was serving on a minesweeper during World War Two. Complied from questionnaires the author has given us a tome to pick up when we want inspiration and one that will help us to understand the feelings writers have in common about our craft.