I recently finished Libba Bray's GOING BOVINE. What a wild ride! Sixteen-year-old Cameron finds out he's sick and he's going to die. With the help of quirky, unforgettable sidekicks, Cameron sets out on a mission to find a cure. I learn something new with each book I read, and here's my writing takeaway from GOING BOVINE:
- Drama and humor go together like peas and carrots (for you Forrest Gump fans out there). Cameron experiences a life or death situation, but the book is funny. Seriously.
- Embrace the unexpected plot twist. This book should require a seatbelt. The author cleverly whisks her readers away on a crazy journey. There's no way to predict what will happen to these characters.
- We should let go of our fears and inhibitions & let our imaginations run wild. This book showed me that sometimes the zaniest scenes work, depending on the storyline.
- The acknowledgement pages can be just as entertaining as the book. Bray opens this section with, "I would like to thank everyone I've ever kissed or punched and anyone who has ever kissed or punched me." And it only gets better!
Learning from brilliant authors is an entertaining perk of writing. What have you learned from an amazing book?