Emotional Reading

I am an emotional reader. There, I've said it. Yes, I am one of those people who cry at the endings of books, who laugh hysterically (usually J. Evanovich) at the funny parts, and fold over the pages of the good parts. Y'know what I mean by good parts right? Right.

So, in general, I drive my husband crazy. =)

Many nights I'll come out of the bedroom, tears running down my face, sobbing. "Dear God, are you ok?" he'll ask.

"Yes, I'm ok...." sob, hiccup....."they had to take the dog to the vet, he got hit by a car."

And then I get the Eye Roll.

Occasionally I get the "What the hell are you doing in there?"

"Grandma Mazur just put on a white leather halter dress and is singing with Lula." I'll shout back, laughing hysterically. And even though I can't see it, I know darn well the Eye Roll is there.


I don't think there's anything wrong with being an emotional reader. I mean, I'm not in a twelve step program, and I'm not endangering my liver. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Unless I was reading on a Kindle while riding the subway with gang members (pretty slim chance of that in Iowa) and laughed at an inappropriate moment when Grandma Mazur wore one of her ridiculous outfits.

Oh, and no, I don't actually have a Kindle either.

Writers love people like me. I should be able to hire myself out to any writer wondering if they've put enough emotion in their book, and let them watch me read it. If I'm reaching for the kleenex by the end, they know they've got a winner. If I set the book down and go do crossword puzzles when they think they've written the World's Greatest Novel, well...then they'd just have to try harder on the rewrite eh?

I also loan a lot of my books to other people. I drive them nuts too. Quit turning over the page corners! Whatever, I say. Quit flattening them out! That's the good part!

=)

There's nothing wrong with being an emotional reader. If you're one too, be proud of your skills. I bet it will make you a better writer too.

carrie