I don’t usually read really long books. But there are a few authors whose longer books are so intense, and I get into them so deeply, that I never want them to end. One of those authors is Stephen King. He’s a master at character development and story telling. I was just listening to his long “author’s note” at the beginning of his short story collection, “The Bazaar of Bad Dreams”, where he talks about the difference between long novels and short stories. He called a novel an “immersive experience”. That’s exactly what it is. I’ve been trying to figure out what to call how I feel when reading his longer work, and that’s it. There are VERY few authors who give me an immersive experience. That’s why I usually read shorter novels and novellas. Yes, I’m entertained. But I’m not immersed. King said when you’re immersed like that, it’s not like having an affair, it’s like being married. You never want the book to end. In most books, I can’t wait until I’m done so I can start on the next one, then the next one, etc. But with King and a few others, I want it to go on and on.
He also said short stories were hard to write. He said it takes a lot of work to write something that short and make it work. I find that to be SO true. Most short stories leave me unsatisfied. It’s like they come to an abrupt end, and I’m like “what just happened?”. King is as good at short stories as he is with those LONG novels. I’ve written a couple of short stories, and I’ve always tried to make sure they have a satisfying ending. That’s what I want from a short story.
Another thing he said was that he was still learning his craft. The KING of horror said he’s still learning. That should give all authors the determination to keep learning, keep perfecting, keep writing.
Honestly, I don’t think I have the talent to ever write a story like Stephen King does. But I want to strive for that. This is the biggest reason I want to quit my day job…so I can spend time working on my craft. It takes time. It takes dedication. It even takes courage, I think.
So I’ve been thinking about my genre lately. I have a sequel to Soul of a Vampire coming out in 2016, which is paranormal romance. Most of my paranormal romances are pretty dark, so I lean a little toward horror in those. I have a possible science fiction romance I want to write. But I’m wondering if I ought to do some more horror. The Gnome and Hearts of Evil were really fun to write. The Gnome was most definitely horror, and I would categorize Hearts of Evil as at least light horror. Horror has always been my first love in my reading genre. Something to think about.
What about you? What author gives you an immersive experience? If you’re an author, what author would you strive to be most like? Do you like to read long or short works? What’s your favorite genre?
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