Reading the "Classics"
One sure way to improve your writing is to learn from the best. And while we may not be able to agree on who is best , there are plenty of lists of there if you're willing to bend to general consensus. Pick a list of Top 100 books, and see how many you've read. I chose the BBC's list since it was the first one Google brought up. Since I'm writing a traditional mystery, I find myself drawn to that genre more than any other type of fiction, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover how many of the 100 books I have actually read: forty-eight (*)! Conversely, I'm amazed by the number of classics I haven't read. And even more ashamed that I've never even heard of a couple. *1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen 2. The Lord of the Rings – J. R. R. Tolkien *3. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte *4. Harry Potter series – J. K. Rowling (I’ve read all of them!) *5. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee *6. The Bible (parts, at least) *7. Wuthering Heights *8. Ninet...