Thursday, September 23, 2010

Creative Cohesion

How do you write a book review?  Is it a methodical process, progressing hand in hand with the reading of the book?   Or do you wait until you've experienced everything the book has to offer before churning out your thoughts?

Writing, whether it is fiction or nonfiction, creation or critique, is--for me--a highly creative process.  That is not to say that there is no skill or method involved, only that creativity is the driving force in the process.

I've never much enjoyed dissecting books into sterile pieces, mining out subtleties and imperfections.  I'd rather just dive into it, surrendering myself to whatever magic (insight, beauty, humor) it may hold...discovering along the way those nuances embedded in the layers.  Thus my note-taking and quote-making is rather erratic.  Something has to really stand out for me to take the time to write it down (and when I do write something down, I find it hard not to include it in my review!)

My book reviews are typically written within a day or two after finishing a book.  I wait for all the dust to settle in my mind while I mull over what really stood out as the defining part of the book.  I do try to limit the length of my reviews, striving for organization and clarity, in order to prevent boredom.  (This is directly related to the length of my attention span--not necessarily yours!)  Because of this, I often don't include enough of a synopsis: something I need to work on!


Thank you to Jennifer at Crazy for Books for hosting the Book Blogger Hop. I think I'll finally have some time this weekend to look around at what's new in the Blog-o-sphere.  How wonderful that the question she asked just happened to be one that I've been contemplating lately!  Leave me a comment so that I can be sure to visit your blog, and have a great weekend!

13 comments:

  1. I usually keep an unpublished post in progress as I read. I don't add to it methodically--just as I think of things to say--but that makes it pretty easy to post a review pretty soon after I've finished a book. Usually all I have to do is smooth and polish what I've already jotted down.

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  2. Hello, Happy Hopping.

    I don't include synopsis either. Honestly, I never read them.

    I wait tell the book is completely finished before I start ranting and raving about it.

    Black Disaster Fairy

    literarydaydreams.blogspot.com
    wickedsexybooks.blogspot.com
    aworldofpersonality.blogspot.com

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  3. Just hopping by to say hello. Nice to have met you, I've enjoyed my visit. I love the title of your blog, very clever.

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  4. Happy Hop! I wait until completely done with the book before writing the review. I take notes while I reading of the insights the come and it's helped alot. I don't write a synopsis either. I let the authors blurb speak for itself and instead review about how I felt and the kind of experience I had while reading. Works for me :) I'm now following

    Hop by and visit my blog

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  5. I try to write mine right away, but sometimes it's forced to wait a few days, I haven't decided if this is helpful or not!

    New follower here!

    Check out my Hop here:
    Book Blogger Hop, Follow Friday and a Giveaway!

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  6. I review after I finish a novel. Have a blast hopping to/following new blogs!

    Here is my post! I am a seriously eclectic reader! I follow blogs via google reader!

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  7. Hello, Happy Friday!

    I'm stopping by to say hello on Follow Friday and the Blog Hop. TGIF!!

    Have a awesome weekend!

    http://romancebookjunkies.blogspot.com

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  8. First-time visitor...great design....lovely blog.

    Just hopping by....

    Stop by my blog if you get a chance for the answer to this week's questions…it was my question that was chosen…pretty neat.

    I also have a lot of review you may want to check out.

    Happy Hopping, Everyone....hop on over to my blog to see MY answer to MY question. :)

    http://silversolara.blogspot.com

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  9. Hello, I'm happy hopping this cold Sat morning.

    Cute blog you have here!

    Black Disaster Fairy

    Check me out at:

    literarydaydreams.blogspot.com
    wickedsexybooks.blogspot.com

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  10. Nearly the opposite of how I go about my reviews, but I liked the way you explained it. Looking forward to reading more of your posts!

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  11. hi, Im a new follower through the hop. I wait a day or two for the dust to settle down too ;) i noticed it is easier this way. the weekend is almost over but have a great week!
    booksarelikepeople.blogspot.com

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  12. I try to take notes, but I'm like you and enjoy diving in. Lately I've taken to using an index card as a bookmark and making sure I have a pen near me when reading. That way, if I have a particular reaction to part of a book or come across a quote I like, I can jot down the page number. I'm finding it helps a lot when it comes time to write the review, which I try to do within a few days of finishing the book. Otherwise, I can't cite specific examples of anything, and my review ends up being really vague!

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I'd love to hear what you have to say, leave a comment!