Let’s face it. I love my MacBook, but after the substantial outlay of cash it takes to bring one of these puppies home there simply isn’t enough money left to buy an eReader or an iPad. And books are free at the library…
Today, however, I stumbled upon the free download version of the Kindle Reading App. It runs great on my Mac and, better yet, I was able to download my first ebook for the astonishingly low price of 99 cents. The book I selected for the maiden voyage of my e-reading adventure was a fine work written by ‘Storyfix’ blogger Larry Brooks, titled ‘Bait and Switch.’
I haven’t finished it yet, so there will be no spoilers in my review. However, even at this point, I know I will not be disappointed. The writing is magnificent; agile prose and nimble storytelling supplemented by sharp insights into the main character’s psyche via short excerpts from narrator’s own novel, a flourish that elevates the piece from entertainment into art as it pokes fun at the twisted idiosyncrasies of our own society.
Needless to say, I am thrilled with my purchase.
As if that weren’t enough, Larry Brooks has offered to deconstruct the novel in upcoming blog posts, breaking it down into its components to demonstrate his story engineering method for novelists who aspire to emulate his process. All of this absolutely free.
He says it’s an experiment for getting into e-publishing. For a skeptic like me, it’s a huge step as I begin to accept e-publishing as a viable alternative to print.
I have been careful about whom I choose as my guides on my writing journey, but I am always happy when I find one worthy of my trust. One simply cannot have too many good teachers.
