Sunday 6 November 2011

GUEST POST - NATALIE-NICOLE BATES





Reading, Writing, and Reviewing…Oh My!

Being a voracious reader since I was a child, reviewing seemed like the natural choice for me.
My first taste of book reviewing came while I was still in school. I was assigned to read three books each term and write a few paragraphs about them. While my peers were reading and raving about Judy Blume, I was reading and reviewing Harold Robbins and Sidney Sheldon. My teacher came to me and said, You really should be reading the classics.
To me, Sheldon and Robbins were the Masters. Their works were classics.
Book reviewing is an art that requires a special skill set. Book reviewing sites are professionally run, and most require interested applicants to audition. Book reviewers know how a book is put together, they understand the elements of plot, setting, scene, and point of view. They look for flow, for consistency, and most of all, they know how to remain neutral.
So if a book reviewer understands the mechanics of how a good book is put together, can they become writers themselves? Maybe.
About a year ago, I decided to make the transition into writing. I didn’t want to stop reviewing, but I stopped reviewing contemporary and paranormal romance (the genres I was interested in). I did this by my own choice. I now review mostly mystery and inspirational romance.
I already had my idea for a contemporary romance, and I signed up for an intensive six month course in the art of novel writing. This past summer, I sold my first novel, Change of Address, which will be available from Secret Cravings Publishing in January. Within a few weeks of my sale, I was offered a contract for my short paranormal, Antique Charming, which is now available at Books To Go Now.
I have made successful leaps from avid reader, to reviewer, to finally, writer. But everyone’s journey is individual. Not all reviewers have a book in them, not all writers choose to review. When people ask me, how did you know you wanted to review? How did you know you wanted to write? I tell them my truth. For me, it was a burn inside of me that would not let up until I started reviewing, until I started writing. Each reader, reviewer, and writer must follow her own path to personal satisfaction.




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