Obsession Confession

First of all, a HUGE congratulations to my friend Liesl who just announced that she has an agent! Wahoo! I had the opportunity to read an earlier draft of her manuscript and I loved it, so I'm super excited for her. Yay!!


I often find it hard to read in the genre I'm writing in, particularly if I'm revising. I find myself far too critical of the book and I don't enjoy it. But I still love reading and I still want something to read, so what to do?

Sometimes reading outside the genre works. And I don't mean going from YA paranormal to adult paranormal. It has to be more of a change than that. Lately I've been obsessed with enjoying some manga series. I guess it counts a different genre, but I love that I can read in genres I enjoy without setting off my internal editor. Plus, I've been surprised at how much I've learned about writing from reading them.

Seeing the story in a visual format has taught me a lot about pacing. It's a lot easier to see how lengthening a scene adds to its impact. It's also a lot easier to understand the "enter a scene late and leave early" thing. Rarely is there a lot of set-up for a scene and I've realized that the set-up isn't needed. As a reader, I get what's going on and I don't need it explained anymore.

I've also learned a lot about character development. I know it's easier to "show" something with a picture, but I'm surprised by how little it takes for me to get a clear idea of each character and what makes them different.

Action in a story is very important. I’m guilty of often having heads talking in a blank space. That’s not interesting. It’s much better to have characters doing things.

One of the other things I appreciate is that manga often sets up situations where tension is inherent. Like having a scholarship student at a very elite school accidentally break a vase belonging to the school's host club. The boys in the club make the student act as a host until the debt is paid off. The problem is that the scholarship student is a girl. (Ouran High Host Club) Or having a girl stay with three guys who turn into animals from the Zodiac whenever they're hugged by a member of the opposite sex. (Fruits Basket) Both of these stories have tension already built into the story because of the situation. 

Plus, manga is fun (at least the ones I like). Sure, there are serious moments, but they also poke fun at themselves and they make me laugh. And I like to laugh. For the most part, manga does a good job of balancing the serious with the silly and I really like to do better with that.

I also love the artwork. I shouldn't be so surprised by how much I like the pictures. After all, I loved The Last Unicorn as a kid and was, ahem, a little too interested in Dragon Ball Z for a while. I even dressed up as Vegeta for Halloween once, complete with spiking my long (at the time) hair. And, sorry, I can't find the pictures of that. Anyway, I'm surprised it took me so long to try reading manga.


And did I mention how nicely the books fit on my elliptical? Plus, they're the perfect length for me to read while I exercise. How can you beat that?

On a negative note (so you don't think I'm a totally obsessed fan-girl), I've realized how much I dislike flashbacks, especially long flashbacks. I understand that they can be necessary, but I don't enjoy them and prefer them to be as short as possible. Tell me the story that's happening now.

One note about manga. There is manga written for every age and every interest. Literally. So if you tend to be prudish (like me), just know to be careful. I pretty much stick to the stuff written for teenagers. It's what I like best anyway.