Book Review

I just read the book The Dive From Clausen's Pier (which was set in Madison, WI, btw) and I have to say, I really enjoyed it! I think this is the quickest I've ever read a book of this size - 370 pages in 2 days, which is really good for me. The book was extremely liberal and I could have done without a lot of the subplots, but the story line itself and the way the book was written was captivating, and satisfied me enough to overlook those objectionable parts. The middle sagged a bit, and I would have changed some parts if I had written the book, but overall it comes recommended by me if you can handle some of the "(extremely) overly intimate" parts and the obscene language.

Anyway, reading books like this makes me feel so inadequate as a writer - or should I say potential writer ... I do enjoy writing fiction, but I think I'm better at creating a story in my head than putting it into novel-worthy literature that someone would actually be persuaded to read. I can go strong for a few pages, then all of a sudden it's just dull dialogue OR it's just description and I've glossed over the need for people to converse in a good manuscript, and it's hard for me to edit those essentials back in in a real-life way sometimes.

I suppose the more I practice and the more I read, the better I'll get. But sometimes I wonder if I have this notion about writing something publishable simply because of how much I like to write ... or more so because I want to feel like I'm good, really good, at something - anything - and I think writing is my best chance at potentially being recognized in that way. I'd hate to think the latter is what's behind my motivation, although the truth seems to have me leaning in that direction. I guess it's just one more product of a society pressuring us to "do" instead of just "be." I've had some conversations with friends about how, especially as Christians, we are so often focused on what we can "do" to prove ourselves, to please God, to show others that we are good people ... when sometimes, I think God doesn't want us so focused on the "do" part of our lives that we forget the importance of who we "are" - the "be" of life.