Sunday Scribblings #133 - My Style

#133 - My Style

The prompt this week is:

My Style. Do you know what your style is? Or you have you ever said, "That's not my style!" Do you have a personal style? What do you think about style? It's a weird word when you look at it. What do you make of style?

Photo courtesy of Star Seed Gathering.

I honestly don't know what my personal style is, but I do know what I like or don't like. I have never been a person who runs with the herd. I've never gone in for the latest fashions or the latest gadgets. I am more "down to earth", than "living in the fast lane."

I guess the same can be said for what I like to read. In this day and age when it is more "hip" to read books on climate change or global economics, I'm still clinging to my fictional books that will help me escape from the everyday worries of living in the 21st century. Instead of requesting ARC or review copies from famous or popular authors, I normally request books from smaller publishing houses or independent publishers. By doing this I have discovered some interesting new authors.

Now, this is not to say that I don't enjoy a good Stephen King or Patricia Cornwell book, because I do. But King and Cornwell, as well as Anne Rice, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Sue Grafton are not the bulk of books I like to read. I have realized over the past few months, that the book reviews I do for Bobbi's Book Nook has been more mainstream book reviews - so I've decided to make a change.

For the next few months, I will only have infrequent posts on my book blog so that I can build the type of book blog that more reflects my style, or lack of style, as the case may be. In trying to compete with other book bloggers, I have lost my true voice; so this is going to change.

The same can be said for my writing. For the past 12 years, I have written a column for the Mercer's Magazine, which is a subsidiary of our local newspaper, The Harrodsburg Herald. These columns are usually first person narratives or memoirs of my life. I am more comfortable writing these types of stories and articles. But again, for a little while I decided to run with the herd and I've been giving a hand at more contemporary writing. Want to know what I discovered? I don't like writing things out of my comfort zone. I enjoy writing first person narratives.

For the next few months, I have taken on a new writing project - a project I hope will help me find my true voice again. Not only will I be participating in National Novel Writing Month, but I'm going to be editing a book I wrote several years ago. This book has been in a file drawer awaiting the editing process, so I'm going to dust it off and get it finished. It may not be worth publishing, but I get it into a form I enjoy reading.

As I read back over this post, I realize I have finally learned what my style is. I can't sum it up in one word, or even in one paragraph, but I do know what I like. And from this day forward, I'm pledging to get back to my authentic self and spread my style around

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