I am currently very frustrated with my reading situaion. :) Or maybe my writing situation. It could possibly be both.
Anyway, I'm reading a book right now that I borrowed from a friend a while back. Both the author and title are unknown to me: Just Killing Time by Derek Van Arman. Why am I so frustrated you ask? Well, let me just tell you. The very first nerve this little recycled book store treasure hit with me was inconsistency. One of the main characters in the story is a detective. Well there are quite a few detectives to be technical about it, but I am speaking specifically of special agent Scott. We learn on page 25 that "His name was John F. Scott," except I'm guessing the F stands for FUBAR'ed...as we hear him say on page 27, "I am Jack Scott." I guess you could say his name really was John. Why did the editor not catch this?
Now I could just chuckle this off and keep reading, if the book weren't better suited as fire kindle. My rule of thumb when reading is this: If I can write it better, I won't read it. I'm aware that may be conceited and honestly, I don't care. I go to great lengths to use grammar correctly, construct easily read sentences, and a smooth story flow.
Passages such as these are making this book most troublesome to get through:
And together, like a drill team, they swept through the cab, tossing out wrappers and empty cups and old newspapers that they had gathered along their journey. (p. 65)
The duo stopped alongside a white Dodge van as Corless fumbled in pastel blue pants that were too tight for his heavy build. Producing keys, he then slid the bay loading door open. He retreived a dark blue sports jacked with shiny gold buttons that was hanging on a hook. (p. 64)
There is a term known as overwriting. Many authors are guilty of doing it. We think we so badly want you to envision any story we are telling that we feel the need to over explain or give piddly details that simply add words rather than paint a more detailed picture. And for the sanity of all readers who write, please do not use a simile unless you can do it well.
It has occurred to me as I am struggling my way through this book (out of desperation for something to read) that there are so many writers who get published and I have no idea how they made it to where they are. Even some of the most well known authors aren't necessarily the best. I'd dare to say there are few writers who have ever written anything that was beyond criticism. I would even go so far as to say that every writer on the planet knows this, even the most popular authors. There are few so talented they can spin a tale that enthralls their audience from start to finish. Most creative writing majors who become published get stuck in their comfort zone and follow the same patterns, even with very different story lines, book after book. Jodi Picoult is guilty of this, her talent notwithstanding. Modern day literary legends are simply hard to come by, an elite society if you will.
Perhaps I am too harsh, too critical. Even so, the more mediocrity I encounter in the published author the more discouraged I am with the world around me. I devour what compels me with an insatiable hunger then wait for the next tiny morsel like a ravenous lion crouching in the field.
The true genius shudders at incompleteness - and usually prefers silence to saying something which is not everything it should be. ~Edgar Allan Poe
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