I said that I would read a handful of detective books before reading my own so that I would have perfectly written works fresh in my head when I attempt to judge my writing from the eyes of a reader. Well, I decided to read only two books instead of a greater number. I chose to read The Widening Gyre (Spenser #10) by Robert B. Parker and Indigo Slam (Elvis Cole #7) by Robert Crais because these two titles most fit into the genre that I wish to write. I have eight more detective stories on my unread shelf, but those are mostly police procedurals and my book doesn’t fall into that more specific category.

I plan on reading with a red pen and sticky notes to mark things that need changing or that I think can be better. I’m not going to stop and correct everything as I go, but rather I’ll mark the place and take a look once I’ve finished the entire book.

I already have a short list of things that I know I want to change for future drafts and I’m sure I’ll find more along the way.

Wish me luck!

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