As writers we all love to read. I'm sure as you've started your writing career you've heard things like, "Make sure to read as much as you write" or "read all the books in your genre as you can find." By doing this we are honing our own writing and storytelling skills. We find things we like and find things we dislike. The things we like we mentally note and try and emulate, the things we dislike we make sure to avoid in our own writing. I've listed some current authors below and what I've been able to glean from reading their books. I hope this helps you along your own path.
Janet Evanovich - Dialogue
Janet has perfected the art of dialogue. Her characters interact with one another in a fast paced and often humorous manner. She's able to clearly explain to the reader which character is saying what, without the use of "She said's" or "He spoke." If you find yourself struggling with dialogue in your own book, any of Janet's novels would be helpful.
Steven James - Pacing
I heard Steven James speak at a conference last month and the advice he gave has proven invaluable for my own writing. Steven submerges his readers in the plot of the story, page one. He doesn't wait or take chapters setting up for what will come. He's a master at starting his books off at a sprint and continuing the race all the way to the finish
N.K. Jemisin - Characters
In her book The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N.K. Jemisin introduces us to a solid cast of hero's, villains and other characters we're not sure how to categorize. She keeps her descriptions crisp and unique and is great at painting clear pictures while only using a few words.
