“Wow, I wish I could write like that,” is something I find myself thinking when reading a novel by an author whose writing style stands out from the rest as truly unique and innovative. At the top of my list is the late Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Some writers are great storytellers and others have a wonderful mastery of the written word—Carlos Ruiz Zafón is one of the talented few who has mastered both. The first book in his four-book series, was titled The Shadow of the Wind, and it was the biggest selling novel in the history of Spain, and his second book in that series, The Angel’s Game, was the fastest selling. Carlos Ruiz Zafón could weave together a magical tapestry of words in the manner that Beethoven could string together a collection of notes to form a magnificent symphony. Zafón’s characters are deep and full of life, and his stories transport you into another time and place.
In the category of great storytellers, there are two writers who stand out for me. The first is Tony Hillerman. I have read his entire Detective Leaphorn / Officer Chee tribal police series. Every time I read one of Hillerman’s books I feel as if I am right there with Chee and Leaphorn wandering a dusty arroyo in the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States looking for clues. The second author in the category of great storytellers is James S.A. Corey (the pen name for Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). Picking up a novel in the 500-to-600-page range is something I’ve always tended to shy away from. How many pages would I have to read before the story grabs my attention? Would I get 200 pages in only to put it down because I’ve lost interest. That was not the case with the nine-book Expanse science fiction series written by James S.A. Corey. Each book was 500+ pages and I devoured the entire series in the course of less than one year.
Each of these authors has given me great insights into: incorporating setting as a critical element of their stories, creating characters that jump off the page (you feel their joy, their anguish, their pain and always root for them to succeed), and developing interesting plots with a pace that pulls you along through the entire story. After finishing one of their novels, I found myself anxiously anticipating the next book in the series. Every time I sit down to write, the great gifts these writers have given me and their readers are at the forefront of my mind, and I will never cease in my efforts to maybe someday write as well as they have.