Tayari Jones Reading

When being forced into going to something like an author reading, a person like me tends to expect the worst, thinking the event will be more boring than watching paint dry and a struggle to stay awake.  With that in mind I was actually pleasantly surprised that I relatively enjoyed Tayari Jones’ book reading.  The book she read from was about the topic of bigamy, which is something I was definitely not expecting.  It was a good story to listen to but not something I think I would ever find myself ever actually reading. 

The main reason I am glad I went was because of the question and answer section of the event.  I actually learned a lot of useful tips that I am definitely sure will help me when the time comes.  The first piece of helpful advice that she gave was to read your writing out loud, especially dialogue.  She said this will help in seeing if the writing actually sounds good when spoken and not just on paper.  Probably the most helpful advice came when she told us the story about the topiary.  When she saw a bush carved in an image she realized the bush didn’t just grow to be that way but was cut down by a gardener.  She said that this is a great way to go about writing, just write then go back and cut it down into something good.   This was an extremely helpful piece of advice because I tend to be a slow methodical writer who has to put thought into each and every word I write before I put it down on paper.