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O.L. Colter
Writing for me grew out of my reluctance to read. I think there are a lot of reasons to not like reading, many more than my own at least. It's not that I didn't enjoy reading itself, I just didn't ...view moreWriting for me grew out of my reluctance to read. I think there are a lot of reasons to not like reading, many more than my own at least. It's not that I didn't enjoy reading itself, I just didn't like any of the books. I also had family and friends who hated reading for lots of other reasons and so I had a circle of reluctant readers who I began to realize needed something to read. I discovered through those wonderful (or not) standardized tests we all suffer through as children, that I had above average reading comprehension. I went on the assumption that books simply weren't offering anything of interest to me and finding good reads was virtually impossible given the way they are organized in most libraries. I have always been creative and so I think the need to create is stronger than my desire to experience. Reading is an experience for a lot of people. It is a framework which they can use to stimulate their own imagination. My imagination however, is in a state of constant stimulation and it takes writing it down just to get it all out. And then there is one last piece to the puzzle. Time. Books are often just too long. Perhaps another reason I didn't like reading is that it takes too much time and often involves wading through descriptions of things, places, or ideas which my imagination is perfectly capable of filling in on its own. If readers are looking for an experience, it certainly isn't singular. What I mean is, we're all looking for something different, an experience just for us. No author can write for everyone, so I decided to write for only a few. The reluctant readers like me and the people I know who don't care for reading. I think I'm more visual. I love movies, and I love art. Books however, are not visual. But reluctant readers like me can see clearly through that thing called the mind's eye. My writing is short and to the point without any wasted language, or as little as I can manage. My goal is to leave enough of it to the reader's imagination that it doesn't cloud the vision seen in the mind's eye. I also focus on the interest. The interest is that experience, the trip you take while reading. It has to be real, but it has to be a fantasy. The reader can ask, what if I had this opportunity? I gloss over when a book gets something wrong. My typically sited example is "cocking the hammer on a Glock" which cannot be done. If reading something like that causes you to gloss over, you might enjoy my writing. If those core interests are done incorrectly in writing, the reader realizes that the author isn't writing for him or her, the author didn't take the time to make sure those details were covered. It's not wrong, it just happens. There are people who might read my writing and find themselves glossed over because of something I got wrong. But my personal interests are in cars, firearms and street crime and I try to get those aspects correct. I would love to know more about how special police task forces operate in regard to the grime they deal with, but I don't. As I learn more, my books will focus more on it because I require realism and that is one of those interests. I also don't care to water my writing down for all audiences. I want it to be a little rough and I want it to depict the things that actually go on. At the same time, I just don't get off on a constant bombardment of violence and despair and shock value language. I could go on and on, but you get the idea, and what reluctant reader is going to read all this! Maybe if you read my writing and then come here to learn more, you will get the impression that I am writing for you and yes, there will be more to come and I will always try to stay true.view less