Nonfiction, 4/5
This book applies evolutionary and psychological theories of how humans navigate the world, to the writer’s task of creating plot, character, and theme. I’ve read a lot of books on writing, and this is one of the few to give me insights I have not seen in previous books—recommended.
Finished a draft of the biography and will be meeting with the subject tomorrow to go over factual corrections. And, this week, my publisher got back to me with requests for all the ancillary material (dedication, map, bio, etc.) and the back cover copy to review, as well as his response to my last revision (he likes it!) to review with the last picky little details. He is in town and we’re meeting on Wednesday. So–everything is happening at once. Yay?
Memoir, 3/5
Leah and her husband agree that she will spend extended periods of time—months at a stretch—in far flung parts of the world, doing charitable work. I enjoyed the two prongs of this story: Leah’s experiences of working with the poor, refugees, and disaster survivors, and the effects her separation from her husband had on their marriage and her sense of self.
Historical Nonfiction, 5/5
Telling the true tale of the shipwreck of The Wager in 1741, David Grann provides incredible detail about life on the sea in the 18th century—as well as a gripping mystery. As a novelist with a book set on a 1630 Atlantic trading vessel, I’m thrilled with the opportunity to get a sense of the world during the age of sail.
It is so satisfying to cut repetitions, reorganise paragraphs, fix sentences for more impact. The subject material is super-interesting–this guy has led a phenomenal life. I think it’s going to be a really good book. There’s been a lot of picky double-checking of different versions of the stories, but that’s unearthed some wonderful, quirky language and phrasings. Slow progress, though. I wanted a draft by tomorrow and I’m less than 75% of the way through…
