"The writer builds, creates a world the reader doesn’t want to leave.

When that happens, it’s magic."—Stephen King

I saw this quote recently, and it really hit home, both as a writer and a reader. 

 

As an author, it is always my goal to create a story a reader wants to read over and over again. As a reader, I love to lose myself in the world a writer creates and have done so time and time again over the course of my life. 

If you are inclined, I would love to hear which books have engulfed you and made you hate to reach the end.

HELP!

I've a question I wanted to toss out there to see if any of you have a suggestion. I'm finding very little time to sit and write and am a bit stagnant in the thinking capacity in that regard. I have so many great books I've started a bit of here and there but have not finished any. I'm hoping to stimulate some creativity and get myself back in gear, so I wanted to name a few and see if there are some that have been particularly helpful and/or inspiring to any of you out there.

--The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron
--From Where You Dream, Robert Olen Butler
--Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul, Jack Canfield
--Out of the Dust, Karen Hesse
--How to Write a Children's Book and Get It Published, Barbara Seuling
--Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott
--One Year to a Writing Life, Susan M. Tiberghien
--On Writing, Stephen King
--Writer Mama, Christina Katz

Does anyone care to cast a vote regarding on which book I should first concentrate my efforts? I would appreciate any advice you have to share!

Stephen King, On Writing

Have any of you read Stephen King's On Writing? I just picked it up to start following many recommendations to do so. A paragraph right in the beginning struck me profoundly: "This is how it was for me, that's all--a disjointed growth process in which ambition, desire, luck, and a little talent all played a part." I most certainly feel I am well within a disjointed growth process mixing in some healthy doses of ambition and desire. Hopefully, luck and a little talent will be parts of the equation as well. I can only hope this mixture will take me just a fraction of where it has taken Stephen King. I look forward to reading the rest of the book. He does say, "This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit...I figured the shorter the book, the less the bullshit." I'll be sharing words of wisdom as I proceed. If any of you out there have thoughts or comments on the book, please do feel free to share them.