Karen H. Richardson, PMP

As an author working on completing my first novel I have been reading first or early novels of other authors in the same genre. This exercise has allowed me to experience other authors, some of which are now widely read, in the early state of their craft. This exercise has been encouraging to me in my own writing. I have learned more about showing not telling and I’ve seen that in some situations the first novels can be pretty rough. Nonetheless, I admire these authors for foraging the way for those of us just getting started. Other lessons I’ve learned are how to write a character and working in subplots.

The authors I have read include, Kristin Billerbeck, Victoria Bylin, Betty Thomason Owens, JoAnn Durgin, Francine Rivers, Lynn Austin, Liz Curtis Higgs, Ann Gabhart, Julie Lessman and Susan Gloss. Many of these authors are considered to be faith-based or Christian. I assure you their stories are just as intriguing as secular authors in the same genre. Romance doesn’t need to be completely shown for the innuendo to be felt by the reader. Comedy doesn’t have to be someone’s expense to be hilarious. Greed and selfishness don’t have to fall into Gordon Gekko style to create intrigue.

Choose one of these or your favorite author or genre and look up their first published book. Read it and see what you think. Let me know.