But the road from that train ride to publication wasn’t paved with magic. Rowling spent years building the world of Hogwarts, writing in cafés around Edinburgh while caring for her newborn daughter as a single mother. Despite her passion, the first Harry Potter manuscript faced rejection after rejection. Literary agents and publishers dismissed it, unable to see the potential in a story about a young wizard discovering friendship, courage, and belonging.

Everything changed when the manuscript landed in the hands of literary agent Christopher Little, who recognised something special and spent a year trying to get it published. Barry Cunningham, an editor at Bloomsbury, read the first chapters and was instantly hooked. His young daughter couldn’t put it down. Barry had to tear the pages away from her as she read non-stop, desperate to find out what happens next in Harry’s journey. That reaction sealed the deal. In June 1997, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was finally published in the UK, under the pen name J.K. Rowling.

The K in J.K. stands for Kathleen, which was Joanne’s grandmother’s name. The publishers requested the initials in the name because they thought it would make the books more appealing to boys. At the time, it was the common belief that boys weren’t interested in books written by women. The initials in the name made the author brand name ambiguous.

Rowling was told she might never earn much from writing children’s books, but the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone quickly proved everyone wrong. Rowling received around $4,200 in royalties before the second book had even been released. That number is a major success for a first time author.

A year after Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released in the United Kingdom, Scholastic brought Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to the United States, igniting a global phenomenon. Rowling would make the prestigious New York Times bestseller list in December 1998. And after that, Harry Potter would begin charming the hearts and minds of readers all around the world.

Soon, readers everywhere were queuing at midnight for the next instalment of the Harry Potter books, and the world of wands, owls, and spells became part of popular culture.

With the success of the first two novels, publishers quickly commissioned the series to continue. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire would come in quick succession.

Warner Bros. then purchased the film rights for the first two Harry Potter novels in 1999 for $1m. Rowling accepted the offer under the provision that the studio would only produce Harry Potter films based on the books she authored. She retained the right to approve the final scripts for the movies.

Rarely does an author have so much say in a movie deal. But, Harry Potter, the boy who popped into her head all those years ago, had become a success, giving her all the leverage in the world.

What makes this story so remarkable isn’t just the success, it’s how it began. The Wizarding World was born not in a boardroom or brainstorm, but in a quiet moment of daydreaming. Rowling’s story reminds us that creativity often strikes when we least expect it. Sometimes, all it takes is stillness. Maybe when we learn to stop doomscrolling, the magic will find us all.

Nowadays, people instinctively open up their feed of choice and find themselves glued to the screen for a longer time than expected. And while we lose valuable time in the algorithm, the world keeps turning around us.

The trick isn’t to stop engaging in the doomscroll completely, but to instead set a designated period of time (or free time) where you’re allowed to do just that. The aim is to reclaim the time lost from doomscrolling and spend it doing something else that actually has a tangiable impact on our lives. Dopamine is healthier for us when it’s earned.

Here are 6 activities to replace doomscrolling

Journaling and/or creative writing

With the reliance on digital technology, the written word is now under-appreciated, as well as the act of physically writing things down by hand. Many are unaware, but writing things by hand exercises the brain in a way that typing digitally doesn’t. It challenges your brain to be more precise, and intentional with your words.

I have personally found that writing by hand improves my speech and vocabulary, more than typing does. If I haven’t written or read a book for a while, I find myself stumbling and searching for the right words. When I resume my reading and writing habits, my speech comes naturally again.

Students also process information more when taking notes by hand, rather than typing. This is because while typing notes, we have a tendency to type what we’re hearing; but because it’s impossible to keep up when writing by hand, we must first process what the lecturer is saying and write a summary in note form.

This is why I recommend that everyone keeps a journal or commonplace book for expressing themselves through the written word. And if you have a love for literature, you should also try writing a short story or novel.

People assume that these activities take time and effort, but the time you used to lose by scrolling websites is adequate time to journal your thoughts or write a few paragraphs in your manuscript.

Don’t let the page intimidate you. It will treat you better than the algorithms.

Practising art for pleasure (colouring in, sketching, painting)

No matter what level of artist you are, there’s hardly a more satisfying feeling than working on a piece of art. There is also pleasure to be had through seeing the evolution of your art skills as you stay consistent with the habit.

The trick is to remove all expectation, insecurity and self-doubt behind your art. Most people will say they’re not good at drawing; but that’s not a good enough reason to not draw. The truth is, nobody cares how good your drawing is if you never intend to sell it. You may never earn money from your art, or be priased for it, but there are serious mental health benefits to gain from drawing, sketching, doodling, painting and colouring in.

Mixing my journaling and art habits has provided me an outlet to deal with the stress, anxiety and acute pain that comes from living with my sickle cell disorder. And if I’m honest with myself, social media used to do nothing but add to the stress and anxiety.

Practising art is the best way to replace doomscrolling, because the more you do it, the more powerful the dopamine release becomes. And because you’re working on a tangiable skill, this dopamine is earned.

Remember, you don’t have to create a masterpiece. This could literally be a bunch of simple doodles.

Social events and group meetups

Going outside and socialising was once normal behaviour, before the internet took over every aspect of our daily lives. I truly believe that getting out and socialising with friends is essential to the development of a young person’s mind.

And as a grown up, getting out and doing things doesn’t need to stop. We need something more fulfilling than doom scrolling while listening to Netflix to break up the monotany of work life.

It’s important that we all get out and see the world outside. Think of it as a giant explore page, full of random discoveries that fill our minds with healthy dopamine.
You can:

• Go to a museum
• Go hiking
• Try a new restaurant
• Read a book at the library
• Travel to a new city or county for the weekend
• Go to an event catered to your personal tastes (example: comic con, anime conventions, health & beauty or fashion shows)

And if you’re the type of person that doesn’t have a large circle of friends to do things with, you can always meet new people by joining hobby-based groups. These are things like:

• Book clubs
• Life drawing groups
• Board game groups
• Anime meetups
• Events designed for mingling or networking

You can find these on sites like Meetup or Eventbrite.

Walking and exploring your environment

Similarly to above, a great source of dopamine is getting out and exploring the environment around you. Walking has both physical and mental health benefits, so why not spend the 30 minutes you were going to spend doomscrolling walking around your local park or woods?

Gym & exercising

There’s a misconception that everyone should be working out or going to the gym to look like a god or goddess. It’s not just about looks, it’s about being the healthiest version of yourself. And again, working out has both physical and mental benefits.

If the gym is too intimidating for you, then know that a gym subscription isn’t even necessary. Buy yourself a gym mat, a skipping rope, and any workout gear appropriate for your goals, and bring the workout to your home.

A workout combined with your music of choice is another satisfying replacement for doomscrolling.

Practicing mindfulness

Many of us are used to the idea of exercising our body, but there are too many people out there who don’t engage in the act of mindfulness and meditation. This is the mind’s workout, but it’s far more pleasurable than physical exercise in my opinion. It’s a great counter to the continous noise of social media and technology.

Because of how we’ve been conditioned in today’s world, we no longer know how to operate in silence or quiet moments. Our natural instinct is to now pick up our phones. Instead, try 5-10 minutes of meditation. It’s the perfect cleanse for our brains, and allows us to think and focus clearer.

Other mindful exercises include:

• Gratitude journaling
• Mindful colouring: Similar to what I mentioned above. Colouring does wonders for the mind no matter what age you are. The progression of colour, and the sound of the pencils or markers against the paper is soothing for the mind.
• Planting vegetables or flowers in your garden
• Practising self-care (grooming, doing your hair, bathing etc…)

Reading books, comics, manga or manhwa

Reading a book, whether fiction or non-fiction, is always more fulfilling than scrolling through content on social media. Books allow you to learn, develop empathy, and gain critical thinking skills. They give you experiences that you can’t get elsewhere, and they broaden your understanding of people from all walks of life.

There’s a reason that the practice of reading has been around for over 5,000 years. Becoming literate, and sharing thoughts, ideas and stories through the written word (or illustrations) is humanity’s best trait.

Social media does give us some percentage of this, as many posts online are being read. And the problem isn’t so much that social media technology exists, the problem is that the algorithms are designed to exploit our dopamine and dripfeed us constant hits of instant-gratification that ultimately rewires our brain.

Reading is longform, meaning that the dopamine rush has to be earned by focusing our attention.

You don’t have to stop scrolling completely!

It’s important to note that this article isn’t telling you to stop using social media or browsing your favourite platforms. There are benefits to using these platforms, like keeping up with your friend’s activities, and staying informed about the world.

The point is, that algorithms are designed to keep us scrolling by drip-feeding us content that is tailor-made for our brain. And because we don’t have to do anything to earn that dopamine, it rewires our dopamine expectations. It wrecks our attention span to the point we can’t watch a movie or finish a conversation with someone without scrolling our phones.

Some algorithms also focus on highlighting negative and harmful posts because they know these types of posts will drive engagements through the roof. But seeing too many of these negative posts alters our perception of the world and people around us.

With that being said, we need to get into the habit of setting a designated time for scrolling these platforms. It could be when commuting to work, while eating lunch, or during your free time before bed. Whichever time you choose to submit to the algorithm, be sure to stick to that set time, while also introducing some of the other activities listed in this article to your routine.

Let’s get back to earning our dopamine!

Thankfully, reading won’t be on the chopping block any time soon. However, I felt it necessary to remind myself why exactly I love reading so much by writing this piece. This article was originally an entry in my journal, and I’ve chosen to adapt it as a post here on Redital. Be sure to add your own commentary in the comments below.

Why I Read Books – The Benefits of Reading Books

For the Escapism

My real life is stressful. It’s full of pain, pressure, and anxiety. That’s why I love nothing more than losing myself in the pages of a story, whether it’s real or fictional. Reading allows me to visit different worlds and realities. Ones where I’m not sick, and where I don’t have to bear the weight of the consequences. Of course, it’s also important not to neglect your real life at the same time.

For the Craft

For me, it’s not just about the story being told. Sometimes it’s also about how the author expresses their ideas. I appreciate excellent word choice and unique phrasing. Consuming different styles of writing is important to me as a reader. There may be a set syntax that books need to be published in, but each writer has a distinctive style that makes them stand out, and I enjoy seeing how everyone accomplishes their goal of expressing events to the reader.

Reading Helps Me Visualise Things Better Than Speech / Audiobooks

There may be many out there who don’t agree with this one, but I believe a fair number of readers will. Many people have often recommended audiobooks to me as a way to enjoy literature when physically reading isn’t possible. I’ve often tried audiobooks, but for some reason, I cannot visualize a story through audio as well as I can by reading words. Reading words on a page just works better for my imagination. I can’t explain why this is the case, but I’m sure there’s some scientific reason why. Some people have an audiobook brain, and some have a book brain.

I’ll take this a step further and say that I’m able to be far more immersed in a book than in a movie or TV show. I would rather read the book of a specific IP before watching the movie. And I’d rather read the manga before the anime.

Seeing the written word stimulates my brain like nothing else.

Because the Only Subject In School That Kept Me Engaged Was English

So, here’s a confession. I believe I had a learning disability in school. Paying attention during my lessons was something my brain didn’t allow me to do. Whether this was ADD, ADHD, or some spectrum disorder, who knows? All I know is that I zoned out through most of my lessons at primary and secondary school, and I suffered the consequences. However, there was just one lesson that I could pay full attention in. And that was English. Particularly, the lessons focused on literature. I came to enjoy those classes where we had to review Of Mice and Men and Romeo and Juliet. English was also my highest GCSE level.

Quite simply, I think my brain was designed to consume books and discuss them afterward.

Books Have the Power to Affect Me Emotionally

I’m known for being stoic and somewhat emotionless. In actuality, I’m a master at hiding my emotions. When it comes to books, the right one can touch me in a way that not many mediums can. Examples of books that have touched me on an emotional level are The Goblet of Fire (I was fourteen at the time to be fair), The Vegetarian, Norwegian Wood, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, and A Brief History of Seven Killings.

Maybe I didn’t cry after reading them, but I remember experiencing a lasting feeling of sadness after finishing each of these books. Some may think that’s a bad thing, but when a book can touch you that deeply, I believe the writer did a phenomenal job.

Books Help to Build Empathy

Reading books forces readers to understand the thoughts and feelings of others through creative means. Understanding characters while reading stories, and becoming emotionally involved with them vicariously is the key to developing empathy. Reading also sharpens one’s critical thinking skills, which come in handy throughout your daily life, without you even realizing it.

It Takes My Mind Off Of My Chronic Pain

If you have some form of chronic illness, then maybe you’ll understand this. I was born with a chronic illness that causes frequent painful episodes. Thus, I have found much comfort in movies, TV shows, video games, and of course reading. Reading engages the brain so intimately that it helps to block out the pain, at least for a little while.

I have fond memories of being in hospital suffering when The Order of Phoenix released. My mother brought the book for me, and throughout my hospital stay, I lived vicariously through those pages. I was in intense pain and suffering, but the desire to know how Harry and his friends would best Professor Umbridge gave me the strength to suffer through the pain. I was barely strong enough to hold up the massive hardback book in my arms, but I did it, because the story was that engrossing to me.

Books are painkillers!

Reading Boosts Your Vocabulary

This is no myth. When a period of time passes without me reading, my vocabulary worsens. It feels like running out of fuel in the tank.

I’ve never been the best speaker, writing comes easier for me. But when I’m reading in abundance, I feel that both my speech and writing improve. I find optimal words far easier. I can communicate ideas with precision. Fewer filter words are needed for me to make a point. Any career writer will tell you that reading is essential for maintaining their career.

It doesn’t have to be books. Magazines, articles, academic papers, journals, video games with subtitles, or anything that involves the physical act of reading helps to fuel your vocabulary.

It’s impossible to predict where the book publishing industry will be three years from now. For now, authors have already embraced the use of AI in their work. Bestselling authors have even used AI-created illustrations on their book covers. One of my mentors, Joanna Penn was an industry leader on this AI trend, predicting how it would disrupt the market 4 years in advance.

While you will be heavily judged for publishing a fully AI-generated book, there isn’t a problem with using AI in a more ethical way. Those who copy and paste without editing, proofing or fact-checking are creating substandard content. Furthermore, they miss out on including a necessary dose of humanity in their writing.

But can a writer use AI ethically? Yes, it’s absolutely possible to do so.

Here are several ethical ways for authors, writers, and creatives to use AI in their work.

How to Use AI Tools Ethically as a Writer or Creative

Improving your Prose

I admit that I’m a sucker for some well written prose. But poetic prose isn’t easy to put together for everyone. This is where AI can be a useful tool. Language models like Chat GPT have somewhere over 15million words in its vocabulary, and that’s just English. It can also utilize a number of writing styles in its output. The best way to improve your prose with something like Chat GPT, is to give it a snippet or paragraph of your own work that you want to enhance. Ask the AI to improve your prose, and give it any context that’s relevant to the scene, characters or subject.

The AI should give you back a vastly improved version of your own work. But wait! I’m not saying you should just copy and paste the AI’s version and drop it right into your manuscript. I would still tweak the passage a little more to ensure your own personal voice is in the piece of writing. Because one thing the AI can’t do is mimic your own unique quirks. Your work is a representation of you, so take pride in it.

Naming Things

How many times have you needed to introduce a new character, city name or group name, but you can’t think of anything that sounds right? AI is the perfect way to get a list of name ideas, tailored to your work.

Ask the AI to give you a list of name ideas, making sure to include any relevant context that fits your project. For example, if you’re writing a Space Opera and you need an organization name themed around the names of stars, you could ask ChatGPT:

“Please give me a list of organization names for my Space Opera universe. I need the names to be themed around popular stars and systems. The name of the fictional planet where the organization is based is called Plantopia.“

As I said earlier, I still encourage you to add your own unique flare to these names. You can use the AI’s ideas to spark your imagination and still come up with your own version of the name.

Help With Worldbuilding

Similar to getting ideas for names, you can also use ChatGPT or Gemini to help you develop your worldbuilding. Worldbuilding is essentially the bible of your story. It is the lexicon, the wiki, and the main reference point. A good piece of worldbuilding includes the history of your world, the backstory of your characters, the technology in your world, philosophies, and various other aspects.

Now obviously it’s a big ask to get AI to put together your entire wordbuilding, but you can certainly use it as a time-saving tool.

The majority of your worldbuilding is for you to know, and not necessarily the reader. This means that you can indeed ask the AI to do large chunks of your worldbuilding for you, by just feeding it the essential details that are key to your story. You can then save the worldbuilding entries given to you by the AI and tweak them where needed. Now you have the perfect reference points for your characters and plot.

Remember, worldbuilding is the parts of your story that readers wont see. And therefore you can copy and paste as much as you want from the AI. Just know that when you reference these worldbuilding entries in your manuscript, that’s when you need to get creative. Because copy and pasting chunks of worldbuilding doesn’t make for an enjoyable read.

You can use AI as a research tool

Have you ever needed to fact check certain subjects in your work? AI is making this a 1000x easier to do now. No longer do you have to scan dozens of websites to ensure you’re fully clued in on a subject when writing about it. Now, you can simply ask the AI any research queries you might have.

But please understand that you shouldn’t take the AI’s answer as 100% fact. You still need to fact check the AI’s answers if you want to be accurate. This is especially important if you’re working on a piece of nonfiction. Be sure to cross reference your AI research with actual sources.

Translation

In actual fact, there are already many translation tools that can help you out. But what’s great about ChatGPT and Bard, is that the AI can also explain the nuances of the translation to you. On top of this, it can give you a number of ways to say the same thing in the intended language.

As with everything, I still recommend fact-checking and cross-referencing what the AI gives you here. And after all, there is no better validation than someone who speaks the native tongue. See if you can find someone on a forum (or social media platform) to verify that your translated text is accurate.

AI Editing Services Are Super Ethical

AI is a godsend for indie publishers who need their work edited. Now, I would still advise all writers to run their work by an actual human before publishing it. This could be in the form of developmental editing, or line editing. But before you even prepare your work for a human editor, you now have the ability to run your work through a number of AI tools that will help you get your work in the best shape possible before human editing.

To get access to the best kind of editing, I recommend some AI tools other than just ChatGPT and Bard. Here are a couple.

Grammarly

Grammarly’s AI system combines machine learning with a variety of natural language processing approaches to offer in-depth text editing services. Their goal is to help you express yourself in the best way possible. But their service may be better suited for letters, blogs, emails and nonfiction.

ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid pretty much specializes in long-form writing projects. This makes it perfect for both nonfiction and fiction authors. When using ProWritingAid, you can even select the style of writing that you’re working on from a dropdown menu, and the tool will then tailor all of its editing advice to that specific style. They have a free trial that let’s you try the service out for yourself, so why not give it a try?

As long as the work you feed these AI editors is from your own mind, then these tools are totally ethical. You’re not asking the AI to do your homework for you, instead, you’re giving your work a much needed edit before giving it to a human. And all writers need to get into the habit of editing their work. It’s part of writing, period.

Bonus Usage: Marketing

Here’s a bonus usage case for writers. Most writers that I know despise the marketing aspect of their writing business. Writers tend to want to focus on creating. The business side of the business means interacting with others, and talking about our work as if we’re narcissistic. Nobody loves doing this.

Thankfully, you can almost fully automate your marketing process with AI. You can ask it to create a 30 day social media content calendar for you. Giving it enough information about your work for it to come up with effective posts.

Another usage case is using the AI to draft your synopsis, book descriptions, back cover text, newsletters and much more! Draft, not write.

As always, I suggest that you edit anything the AI gives you and add your own voice to it. But AI is a powerful tool for marketing. Have fun!

In Summary, Writers Can Use AI as a Writing Assistant that Saves Time on Tedious Tasks

At this point, no one can ignore the use of AI in their industry. Its something that will be used in almost every industry moving forward. Any writers choosing not to use AI, will be left behind. And that’s because competing writers can use artificial intelligence to effectively save time and be more efficient with their business.

The ones who will lose the most, are the ones that try to use AI tools as a way to get rich. These are the ones that will over-saturate the market and turn people off in the long run.

Writers who understand that THEY themselves are the real asset, and merely use the AI as a way to save time, are the ones that will outlast everyone else. Remember, nobody can tell your story better than you can, not even AI. But artificial intelligence can be a damn good assistant that helps you get the job done at a faster rate.

Image credits

• Forbes
• Judit Peter
• Tara Winstead
• Andrew Neel

If you’re someone who flies through books, and already has a stacked bookshelf, these little wheeled wonders can revolutionize your reading experience. Here are six remarkable reasons to own a book cart, followed by a list of book carts that you can buy.

A Book Cart Helps You Organize Your ‘To Be Read’ Pile

We all know that feeling. Our list of books to read next is already clearly defined. Yet, we find a bunch of new and exciting books that we just can’t resist. And so, the notorious TBR (To Be Read) pile grows faster than we can keep up.

Enter the book cart. The book cart is a solution to this problem. Dedicate a shelf to your TBR pile, and you’ll have a beautifully organized, mobile reminder of all the worlds awaiting your exploration!

As a bonus, if you’re someone that reviews books like me, you could reserve the bottom shelf for the recent books you’ve read so that you still have them at arm’s reach if you need to reference them.

2. Clear Your Shelves

Book carts can help you declutter your main bookshelf. If you plan to sell or donate books to charity, put them in your cart. Not only does this give you an idea of the number of books you are parting with, but it also gives you an ‘out of sight, out of mind‘ peace as you still have them in your possession until you finally decide to part with them.

3. They Say Books Take You on a Journey. Well, Now You Can Take Your Books on a Journey, Too!

Do you love having your books with you in every room? With a book cart, you can literally wheel your favorite reads around with you wherever you go in your home.

Imagine the luxury of having your literary companions by your side, ready to dive into, in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and even the bathroom if that’s your thing.

4. Embody a Goodreads Shelf In Real Life – Great for Bookish Content Creators

Now, this is where things get interesting. Think of your book cart as a real-life Goodreads shelf. It can be a fun way of keeping track of what you’re reading, what you want to read, and what you’ve loved reading. Most book carts have at least 3 shelves, so if you wanted to get creative, that could represent three of your virtual shelves on Goodreads.

Want to recommend a book to a friend? Snap a picture of your cart! Plus, let’s be honest, a book cart looks aesthetically pleasing in your home.

If you’re someone who creates bookish content online—whether it’s booktok, bookstagram, booktube or your own blog—owning a bookcart will give you an endless supply of content to pull from. It will become an extension of you as a reader.

5. A Prologue to Your Bookshelf:

Your book cart can be the welcoming committee for your books. Before they find a permanent spot on your bookshelf, they can rest on your cart. This is especially useful if you like to plan your bookshelf aesthetic, whether by color, genre, or size. You can play around with their arrangement on the cart before finding them a forever home on your shelf.

6. You Can Literally Use Your Library Book Cart as a Libary Book Cart

A book cart isn’t just for owned books. It can be an excellent place to keep your library loans separate, so they don’t get lost among your personal collection. Plus, this gives you an easy visual reminder of your due dates. You can put the new loans on the top shelf and gradually move them to the bottom as that due date looms nearer.

Nothing screams responsibility like a well-organized borrower!

Here Are Some Book Carts You Can Buy Now

Which book cart do I buy? I hear you ask. I like to look out for my fellow bookworms, so I’ve taken the time to put together a list of the best-reviewed book carts on Amazon US and Amazon UK for you to save you some time.

The Best Book Carts on Amazon USA

SimpleHouseware Heavy Duty 3-Tier Book Cart – 7 Color Options

Currently $36

SunnyPoint 3-Tier Book Cart – 5 Color Options

Currently $43

AOODA 3 Tier Book Cart

Currently $38

The Best Book Carts on Amazon UK

CASART 4-Tier Book Cart- 2 Colors

Currently £49

DOEWORKS Storage Cart 3 Tier Book Cart – 9 Colors

Currently £39

Hamone 3-Tier Book Cart – 2 Colors

Currently £59

So there you have it, fellow bibliophiles! Six reasons why a Library Book Cart is a game-changer. And a list of great Book Carts that you can buy right now.

This small, wheeled piece of furniture is much more than a book transporter. It’s a space of infinite possibility, creativity, and, most importantly, the joy of reading. Let’s wheel our way into a more organized, enjoyable reading journey.

On the flipside, this list can also help content creators, reviewers, writers, and anyone who likes to share what they read. You can use this list as a reference point when creating a book-related post.

How to use this Bookish Hashtag list

Mix and match bookish hashtags from the lists below!

I would advise against simply bulk copy/pasting and posting hashtags. Too many hashtags will make a post look cheap. You want to maintain an authentic post aesthetic when posting any content on social media. For that reason, I recommend selecting a maximum of five hashtags for each post, using the ones that best represent the content of the post.

And remember, if you’re posting about a specific book, then you’ll want to use the specific hashtag for that book as one of your hashtags. Look for the author or publisher’s posts about the book to see which hashtag they’re using for that book.

For example, if you’re writing about Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns & Roses, then include the hashtag #ACOTAR or #Acourtofthornesandroses

General #Book related Hashtags to use on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram

#book #books #bookshelf #bookstore #ilovebooks #lovebooks #booksbooksbooks #bookshop #yabooks #kidsbooks #ebooks #bookshelves #bookslover #bookstack #picturebooks #readmorebooks #booksarelife #newbooks #oldbooks #textbooks #booksph #sketchbooks #vintagebooks #booksigning #read #bookish #booknerd #bookaddict #bookaholic #libros #reader #bookphotography #booklove #literature #bookblogger #bookrecommendations #kindle #bookcommunity #booknerdigans #bookdragon #amreading #readingcommunity

The Best Hashtags for Book Bloggers and Book Reviewers (Twitter/TikTok/IG)

#bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookreviews #ilovebooks #lovebooks #bookworm #bookaholic #newbooks #oldbooks #literature #booksarelife #newreads #nowreading #currentlyreading #englishliterature

The Best Hashtags for Non-Fiction Books (Twitter/TikTok/IG)

#nonfic #nonfiction #nonfictionbooks #selfhelp #textbooks #memoir #selfhelpbooks #SupportIA

The Best Hashtags for Comic Books

#comicbooks, #comicart, #comicbookartist, #comiccover, #indiecomics #comics, #marvel, #dccomics, #imagecomics, #makingcomics #comiccon, #detectivecomics, #comicstyle, #comicsart

The Best Hashtags for Manga

#manga, #mangaartwork, #mangaworld, #mangamemes, #shonen, #otaku, #comic, #cosplay

The Best Hashtags for Web Novels

#webnovels, #webnovel, #novel, #isekai, #lightnovels #lighnovelreview #recommendedreading #lightnovelrecomended #lightnovelisekai #webnovelrecommendation #animeisekai #manhwaisekai

The Best Hashtags for Web Comics

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The Connection Between Visual Art and Literature

Visual art and literature are two sides of the same creative coin. While visual art primarily relies on images to convey meaning and emotion, literature uses written language to create imaginary worlds, characters, and narratives. Artists and writers draw inspiration from their experiences, culture, and the world around them, intertwining visual elements with text to create a cohesive and captivating experience.

Many classic works of literature have been enriched by visual art, from illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages to modern book covers and illustrations. Manga and comic books also thrive on their duality with visual arts and written storytelling. Visual art has also been inspired by literature, with countless paintings and sculptures depicting scenes, characters, and themes from beloved texts.

How Visual Art and Literature Appeal to Different Parts of the Human Brain

Visual art and literature stimulate different cognitive processes and areas of the brain, which can evoke contrasting emotional responses.

Visual art primarily engages the brain’s right hemisphere, which is responsible for processing images, spatial awareness, and emotions. This allows the viewer to form emotional connections with the artwork, often in a more immediate and visceral way. The human brain is adept at discerning relatability and meaning from abstract forms. Each time you look at a piece of art, your brain works subconsciously to make sense of its meaning. And the more you do this, the easier it gets to form some meaning from a piece of art, no matter how bizarre and abstract it is.

I myself remember returning to comic books and manga after years of only immersing myself in literature. And because my mind was so in tune with taking in words and formulating meaning, I would only focus on the actual words in the comic books. I had to train myself to slow down and take in the illustrations on the page, which tend to tell the story even without the text bubbles. Illustrators follow a disciplined set of principles to ensure that the images convey the thoughts, emotions, and expressions carried in the respective scene. It’s a crime to only read the words in a graphic novel.

There is even data that suggests our brains experience developmental changes when looking at a beautiful piece of art. A study in The Telegraph revealed that looking at a gorgeous painting, sculpture, or other artwork increases blood flow to the brain by as much as 10% — the equivalent of looking at someone you love.

On the other hand, literature activates the left hemisphere of the brain, responsible for language processing, logic, and analytical thinking. Reading requires us to decode written language and construct mental images of the story, characters, and settings. This process can lead to a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the narrative and themes, engaging our emotions through empathy and identification with the characters.

Neuroscientists have even suggested that reading stimulates the part of the brain, called the dorsal raphe nucleus. This part of the brain helps us to make friends. Meaning that reading helps us to feel connected with characters, real people, and the world around us.

In addition to this, reading has been proven to improve our memory, empathy, and emotional awareness.

How Visual Art and Literature Work Together

The interplay between visual art and literature allows them to complement and balance one another. Visual elements can enhance and clarify a narrative, guiding readers through the story and aiding comprehension. Meanwhile, the written word can provide context, depth, and nuance to visual art, allowing the audience to better understand and appreciate the artist’s intentions.

The Stigma of Illustrated Storytelling

Despite the harmonious relationship between visual art and literature, some purists argue that illustrated forms of storytelling, such as manga and comic books, are inferior to traditional literature.

In my personal opinion, this line of thinking discounts the skill, creativity, and emotional impact that these mediums can provide. Illustrated storytelling is a powerful and accessible form of expression that combines the strengths of both visual art and the written word, offering readers a rich, immersive experience that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers.

Graphic novels can be seen as a delightful marriage between visual art and literature that is able to convey concepts and emotions in a unique way. In the same way we can stare at a classic painting for hours, extracting its emotional messages and expressions, graphic novels also provide powerful storytelling experiences.

The illustrations serve to broaden the scope of the story, going beyond what the words themselves can offer. There are often spreads in graphic novels where no words or speech bubbles are used, leaving just the art to represent the meaning behind the scenes.

Sometimes, art can carry the mind where words cannot.

Conclusion

Visual art and literature have always been intertwined, enriching and inspiring one another while engaging different cognitive processes in the human brain. By appreciating the unique strengths of each medium and its potential for collaboration, we can learn to enjoy the contrast between the two.

And that’s not to say that visual art and written literature always have to co-exist together, as they each stand on their own. We are spoilt for choice with talented artists and writers spreading their works online.

Modern technology has empowered artists and writers, making it easier than ever to express themselves and present their works to audiences. Platforms like Webtoons make it so that there is no gatekeeping for who gets to share their stories. You just have to be skilled and dedicated enough to hone these respective crafts.

Therefore, we live in the perfect age to celebrate the beauty of both visual art and literature, embracing the diverse forms of storytelling that enrich our lives and broaden our understanding of the world.

References

University of Arizona: How Looking at Art Can Help Your Brain

Children Literature Archive: Comics for Creativity: Why Comics Should Have a Place in Art and Literary History

Images from Unsplash.

But what are the origins of his writing journey? Today, we dive deeper into the life and times of Haruki Murakami.

The Origins of Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami was born in Kyoto, Japan during the post-World War II baby boom in 1949. Murakami is an only child, raised in Nishinomiya, Ashiya, and Kobe. Growing up, Murakami inherited his father’s traumas from the war, as his father served in the Japanese army. In later years, his father would pray every day for the lives that were lost during the war.

Murakami once overheard a story from his father about Japanese soldiers decapitating Chinese captives. Murakami was haunted by the visions of his father’s story for a long time, and couldn’t recall whether his father had told the story from the viewpoint of carrying out the decapitation, or as someone who witnessed it. Determined to learn more about his father’s role in the war, Murakami later dug into the family history and was relieved to find out that his father wasn’t part of the documented Nankin massacre. The event involved a six-week mass murder of Chinese civilians in 1937, carried out by the Japanese army.

Being an only child, Murakami deeply internalized his father’s PTSD and trauma from the war. His father’s trauma became his trauma. And this deeply affected how Murakami came to process the world around him.

Despite this, Murakami had many distractions during his upbringing. He was deeply immersed in Western culture. He enjoyed Russian and American music and had a thirst for Western literature. Some of his favourite Western authors include Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, Gustave Flaubert, and Franz Kafka. His taste for Western literature would later give birth to his unique style of writing.

Meeting his Wife Yoko

Murakami went on to study theater arts at Waseda University in Tokyo. And it was here where he met Yoko. The two of them were students in the same class. For a long time, Murakami and Yoko would swap knowledge with one another.

Murakami didn’t know it then, but Yoko would end up becoming his wife. Haruki Murakami and Yoko would marry in 1971. Together, they made the decision to not have children. He later related this decision to the guilt he felt about his bloodline, due to the fact that his father had participated in atrocities against China.

In Murakami’s writing memoir Novelist as a Vocation, he talks about how Yoko is an essential part of his editing process. She is always the first to read his work and give feedback. Having his wife proofread his work only makes it more powerful. Her perspective is greatly valued.

Murakami’s days as a jazz club owner

Shortly before finishing his studies, Murakami would make a bold move and open his own coffee house and Jazz bar in 1974. The club was called Peter Cat, and he and Yoko would run the business together.

Murakami’s love of Jazz would grow deeper, as he collected many classic Jazz vinyl records for his club. He would sit and absorb the music for hours and think deeply about life. He often observed his customers and thought about the lives they lived. At times he would immerse himself in a novel while playing Jazz in the background, creating the perfect euphoric ambiance. He was gradually developing the mind of an artist, but his only focus was running his club. Murakami was not a creator yet.

Murakami would run the Jazz Club from 1974 to 1981. The music still plays a huge part in his life today, as he hosts a live radio broadcast on Tokyo FM once a month. He was once limited to the customers who turned up in his cafe, but now he gets to share his love of the music with the world.

The moment it all changed. Murakami becomes an author.

One incredible moment would spark Haruki Murakami’s desire to write. He previously had no desire to pick up a pen. But one eventful day would become his calling. In April 1978, Haruki Murakami was watching a baseball game with his wife. The Yakult Swallows were facing the Hiroshima Carp, and one of the U.S born players, Dave Hilton, hit the ball way out into the left field. As the ball flew through the air, an incredible realization materialized in Murakami’s head. He realized in that moment that he could write a novel. He described this moment as a warm sensation that he could feel in his heart.

“It was very strange,” Murakami says about this event. “My customers didn’t believe it. My wife was so surprised. I had no ambition to be a writer because the books I read were too good, my standards were too high. But that’s what happened. I bought pens and papers and started to write that day.”

Murakami worked on Hear the Wind Sing for ten months in brief stretches during the night after working at the bar. When he completed the story, he sent it to a literary contest and won the first-place prize. This out-of-the-gate success encouraged him to continue writing.

Murakami’s early successes

Haruki Murakami’s success with Hear the Wind Sing encouraged him to continue writing. The story follows the life and times of an unnamed narrator as he struggles with his writing. He begins telling the story of when he was a student, which leads to some captivating stories involving himself and his friend The Rat.

Murakami chose to continue writing about his unnamed protagonist in his next two works, forming what would become the Trilogy of The Rat. The second book, Pinball, 1973 would release in 1980, and it contains themes of loneliness, companionship, and destiny.

In 1981, Murakami co-wrote an unrelated short story collection called Yume de Aimashou with author Shigesato Itoi. But in 1982, Haruki Murakami would write the third book in The Rat trilogy, and this book would become critically acclaimed. That book was A Wild Sheep Chase.

A Wild Sheep Chase adds layers of complexity to Haruki’s storytelling. This is perhaps the book that gave birth to his famed ambiguous style of writing that leads much up to the imagination. The book is a quasi-detective tale where the narrator is sent a photo from his long-lost friend The Rat. The narrator publishes this photo—which includes a photo of a mutated sheep with a star on its back—and is contacted by a representative of The Boss, a revered Japanese figure. The Boss’ secretary tells him that his agency must immediately cease publication of the photo. He is then threatened and given an ultimatum to find the sheep or face dire consequences. This sets off a chain of engrossing events that encapsulate an array of emotions throughout the book’s journey.

This book allowed readers to fall in love with Murakami’s unorthodox style of writing in which resolution is less of a priority. It’s the emotional experience that the story presents that is his true gift. The art is in the journey the characters take, and how they reflect on relatable aspects of life. His writing is known for its surreal, dreamlike quality and its themes of alienation and loss.

Other celebrated titles from Haruki Murakami

Following on from his success with The Trilogy of the Rat, Murakami published Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World in 1985. The book pushes the magical realism aspect of his writing further, being set in a surreal version of Tokyo. The book features a character known as a Dreamreader, who can interpret people’s dreams.

Murakami would see major breakthrough success when he published Norwegian Wood in 1987. Norwegian Wood tells the story of a college student named Toru Watanabe who is torn between his love for two women. The book is set in 1060s Tokyo and holds themes of love, loss, and mental health. The book also touches on the cultural and political changes in Japan during the 1960s, showing how these changes affect the lives of people. Following the release of Norwegian Wood, the previously unknown Murakami would be mobbed by fans at airports.

In 1995, Murakami would release The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, a story about Toru Okada who is trying to locate his missing wife and cat. This sends him down a surreal path where he begins to discover a web of lies and secrets that connect his ordinary life to the violent history of Japan. It is one of Murakami’s most socially conscious works up til this point in his career. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle won Murakami The Yomiuri Prize for Literature.

Haruki Murakami had spent a number of years traveling Europe and the United States. In January 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake shook the region of Hanshin in Japan. A few months later, The Tokyo subway sarin attack took place in Tokyo. In order to come to terms with these events, Murakami wrote his first non-fiction bodies of work titled Underground and After the Quake. Underground consists of interviews of victims of the gas attack.

Sputnik Sweetheart was released in 1999. Followed by another of Murakami’s beloved classics, Kafka on the Shore in 2002. Kafka on the Shore follows two parallel plots: one involving teenager Kafka Tamura and one involving Nakata, an elderly man with the ability to talk to cats. The lives of Kafka and Nakata intersect in strange and unsuspected ways as the book explores themes of identity and fate. It’s a complex and multi-layered novel with many elements at play.

More of Murakami’s works are listed below.

The importance of running in Haruki Murakami’s life

Haruki Murakami is an experienced marathon runner. He started running at the age of 33 as a way to stay healthy despite the hours he spent sitting down and working. Not only does running have serious health benefits, but running each day also provides the repetitive structure and mental fortitude needed to write and publish so many books. Taking up this new habit also pushed him to quit smoking.

Building a new pattern of life for himself, Murakami would follow a set daily routine of waking up before 5 a.m. and going to bed before 10 p.m. When he is actively working on a piece of writing, he wakes up at 4 a.m. and writes for five to six hours. He follows his writing with ten kilometers of running and/or fifteen hundred meters of swimming. He then reads and listens to music for the rest of his evening.

Murakami has followed this routine religiously. Citing that it has also ruined some relationships with friends who don’t understand why he turns down their invitations. His defense is that he also has a responsibility to satisfy his millions of readers around the world, and this routine is what allows him to keep doing it.

Running is an intensely physical activity, whereas writing is a test of the mind. For some, it might not be obvious to see how one affects the other. Some may wonder how the act of running can aid writing consistency. When asked about this, Murakami said that to be able to write every day for three years, you have to be physically strong. “Physically and mentally you have to be strong.”

In an interview with The Guardian, he went on to give a profound metaphor about how his running gives him the strength to open the big, heavy door to go into that other room.

It’s clear that to have the type of career that Murakami has had, sacrifices must be made. A writer of this magnitude is likely unable to binge 12-hour shows on Netflix and go clubbing every Friday. Not to say that it can’t happen, but churning out this many quality books shows a form of mental discipline that must be worked hard on to achieve.

Murakami describes his relationship with running extensively in his memoir What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

Novelist as a Vocation / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Haruki Murakami’s writing style proves that less is more

Many see perfect prose as an amalgamation of complex wording and phrasing that paints a picture. And while many wordsmiths can produce impressive sentences out of obscure words, Murakami instead focuses on simplicity with his word choices. He is able to do more with less. He has mastered writing with clarity whilst simultaneously conveying a number of emotions. In his latest memoir offering, Novelist as a Vocation, Murakami describes how he first developed his unique style while writing Hear the Wind Sing.

After struggling to come up with something satisfying, Murakami decided to write the opening of his story in English. He admits that his English composition was limited by his vocabulary at the time as he didn’t have the best grasp of English syntax. “I could only write in short, simple sentences.”

But instead of scrapping the page, like the ones he had already scrapped before it, Murakami analyzed his text further. He noted that in writing like this, the language had to be simple. And that however complex and numerous the thoughts that ran through his head were, they had to be summarised in an easy-to-digest format. It led him to the realization that he could express his thoughts and feelings with a limited set of words, as long as he could combine and link them together in a skillful manner.

Murakami then took his English composition and translated it back into Japanese, forming his own brand of Japanese prose that was unique from traditional Japanese fiction writing. Murakami would continue to write Hear the Wind Sing in his new Japanese voice. It set the foundations for what became his globally recognized style.

Haruki Murakami also works as a translator. Translating both his own works into English and the works of various beloved authors into Japanese. Murakami is closely involved in translations of his work into English, encouraging adaptations of his texts to be inclusive of Western realities, rather than being a direct word-for-word translation.

If you’ve read a body of work by Haruki Murakami then you’ll understand the man’s gift of being able to make you feel something deeply without many convolutions of words. Whether positive or negative, the emotions seem to radiate off of the page itself.

The stories just flow, giving readers a new lens through which to look at life and its many complexities.

Haruki Murakami Bibliography

Novels

Hear the Wind Sing / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Pinball, 1973 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

A Wild Sheep Chase / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Norwegian Wood / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Dance Dance Dance / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

South of the Border, West of the Sun / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Sputnik Sweetheart / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Kafka on the Shore / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

After Dark / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

1Q84 / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Killing Commendatore / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Short Stories

Yume de Aimashou /

The Elephant Vanishes / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

After the Quake / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Men Without Women / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

First Person Singular / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Non-fiction

Underground / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Absolutely on Music: Conversations with Seiji Ozawa / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Haruki Murakami Goes to Meet Hayao Kawai / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Novelist as a Vocation / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookshop

Links

Haruki Murakami website

References

The Running Novelist (The New Yorker)

Haruki Murakami: ‘I took a gamble and survived’ (The Guardian)

Murakami – Famous Authors

Dark master of a dream world

Nikkei Asia interviews Murakami about life as a DJ

If you want a cost-effective way to listen to audiobooks, Audible is the best way. You get credits each month which you can spend on the Audiobook of your choice. They currently have an offer for $0.99 for the first 3 months. Visit the following links to claim: (Audible US / Audible UK)

Alternatively, Students can also get 3 months of Audible for free if they take up a Prime student subscription here.

Automatic Habits by James Clear (Audible US / Audible UK)

This is the bestselling book that has helped readers to transform their life by urging them to make tiny little changes to their routine. It’s one of those books where you must enter with the right state of mind to really benefit. If you want to work towards developing new habits in the longterm then this book has all the best advice for plugging these new habits into your life, gradually making them become a part of your everyday routine. Students often have to go through phases of adjustment as they discover new things about themselves. When you’re an academic, you’re always forming new ideas and interests. That’s why this book will be useful for figuring out how to balance new habits and hobbies while staying on top of studies.

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle (Audible US / Audible UK)

A New Earth is a philosophical book that helps you develop a new way of thinking that will ease some of the anxiety and tension in your life. The book is structured like a traditional narrative that offers many anecdotes and philosophies centered around the idea of dis-attaching yourself from “ego”. The book explains that our attachment to the ego creates dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness. And with that, it urges you to develop a new state of consciousness that will uplift your spirits and allow you to focus on the things in life that matter most. It’s a very powerful philosophy for students as it will equip them to deal with the many pressures that present themselves in their social and professional life.

Deep Work by Cal Newport (Audible US / Audible UK)

This book examines the idea that “Deep Work” is the way to produce successful results in our professional careers. Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. But where this book earns points, is that it looks at this idea in an objective manner. It also breaks down why having a good balance between a deep work state and a state of procrastination can be healthy. Hyperfocus is an important skill to have as an academic, but it’s also important to strike the perfect mean between deep working and slacking for peace of mind. This book might focus heavily on work productivity, but there are many lessons (and parallels) in this book that pertain to student life.

Improve Your People Skills by Patrick King (Audible US / Audible UK)

When I entered higher education, the social experience was overwhelming for me. I’d been around my classmates at primary and secondary school for years, but then I found myself stepping into a campus where I knew almost no one. Overcoming the social hurdle of entering college is not easy for everyone. Some of us are more reserved than others. But whether you’re an introvert or not, there will be a need to connect with your peers. And you must do so in a cordial manner that is the best representation of who you are as a person. That’s why this book, Improving Your People Skills is ideal for those entering the world of academia.

Organised Chaos by Elizabeth Filips (Available on Gumroad)

When I found Elizabeth Filip’s YouTube channel, I felt like she completely understood how my mind works. She speaks a lot about the chaos of the mind. In one video, she speaks about setting aside time to work on something specific, only to then lack the motivation to go through with the intended session. This is something I find myself continuously struggling with. And a workaround that I found is to figure out a motivating factor for the work I am trying to get done. Elizabeth Filips speaks a lot about this in her brand new book project Organised Chaos. It is a divergent approach to our culture’s assumptions around work, productivity, and living a successful life. She also explains how she uses Notion as her second brain to help organise her thoughts in a constructive way. Elizabeth herself has lived the academic life of a med student, and so, her rationale comes directly from the experience of functioning within an academic framework.

Organized Chaos comes bundled with both the PDF and audiobook in one download.

Educated by Tara Westover (Audible US / Audible UK)

Educated is the story of Tara Westover, who didn’t step into a classroom until the age of 17. She was born into a Momon survivalist family. Her parents were suspicious of doctors, hospitals, public schools, and the federal government. As a teenager, Westover began to want to enter the larger world and attend college and this led to her being awarded an admission to Brigham Young University. As you can imagine, she was extremely behind in her education. But today, Tara Westover is a famed memoirist, essayist, and historian. This memoir covers her journey, and it’s one that is inspiring for anyone who is experiencing the academic cycle.

Despite the public jabs the two authors have thrown at one another, the situation is likely not as serious as fans would like to believe. But the question lingers, is there any truth to King’s claim that James Patterson is a terrible writer? This is a question I’ve thought about quite deeply, and it’s one I aim to explore further.

As with any form of art, writing is subjective. Much of this debate comes down to what you perceive to be “good writing.” Stephen King and James Patterson respectively are the perfect contrast of what many would feel is the difference between good writing and average writing. Stephen King is clearly a writer who has spent years draining the ink from his pens while perfecting his craft. To the point that his works were often groundbreaking. On the other hand, James Patterson’s strength lies in figuring out the right formula for success, and not necessarily being a craft wizard.

A strong parallel of this argument comes to mind as a rap music fan. Those of us who are embedded deeply into the hip-hop culture—enough to look past the mainstream representation of the art that is force-fed to the world—know that rap battles have long been an important part of the culture. Back in the 90s and early 00s, a rapper who has reached the heights of success would often end up in a verbal war of words against a lower-tier rapper, who is often more lyrically gifted than the mainstream rapper. But the battle would still be even despite the clear difference in skill.

This is because, while the lower-tier rapper has the hunger to master his craft, the mainstream rapper has simply figured out the keys to success. They are strong enough lyrically to garner a fanbase. Maybe their simpler form of rapping sounds smoother on the beat than the lower-tier rapper’s multi-syllable rapping which is harder for a mass audience to catch.

In one of the more high-profile rap battles, we saw two Hip Hop titans going back and forth. Jay-z versus Nas might be the closest parallel to this Stephen King and James Patterson discussion. Both rappers were at their peak when they released diss songs towards one another, but fanbases were split. The consensus is that Nas won the battle and Jay-z won the war. Hip Hop purists often praise Nas as the better lyricist of the two, while Jay-z’s success and mass appeal trump Nas’.

This is how I look at the Stephen King and James Patterson debacle. Patterson isn’t as gifted at the skill of writing as King is, but he is able to capture a larger (and more general) audience. King has mastered the art of writing, while Patterson has mastered the art of publishing.

Patterson has produced over 150 books. He has made it to the Guinness Book of World records for the highest number of hardcover best-selling books. And while he doesn’t write all of them in full, his comprehensive outlining is what brings these books to fruition. In Patterson’s Masterclass, he shows that his outlines are designed in a way that the story is already there, it’s already written. The co-writer adds meat and seasoning. And this mini-economy that Patterson has established, allows for new, talented writers to make a name for themselves. This in itself is an extraordinary achievement.

But what if we take away Patterson’s publishing accomplishments and focus entirely on writing?

Stephen King – On Writing / Buy on Amazon US / Buy on Amazon UK

Stephen King has an entire memoir on writing. This book makes his high standards of writing abundantly clear. “I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs,” King wrote in his book. That quote alone makes King’s passion for the art of literature apparent. And to his credit, from the moment you open that first page of a King novel, he’s able to hook you in an alluring fashion. Opening lines like: “Almost everyone thought the man and the boy were father and son,” will immediately pull you further into the story he wants to tell you. A King novel is often a masterclass on writing.

On the other hand, James Patterson’s books won’t sweep you away with wonderful phrasing and descriptions. Sometimes, I even notice Patterson breaking the very rules that I’ve had to learn myself. But what many of Patterson’s books accomplish, is hooking you into a fast-paced storytelling experience that will have you flying through the pages. This is something that not every writer pulls off. It’s a talent in itself. And for many readers, this is all they could ask for.

James Patterson by James Patterson / Buy on Amazon US / Buy on Amazon UK

Both writers are able to achieve a level of escapism with different methods of getting you there. James Patterson’s short paragraphs, exaggerated scenes, and movie-like characterization is still considered quality writing, so long as it captivates readers.

I’m not here to flare up an old clash of two successful writers in an attempt to make a statement. My intention here is to have us all think deeper about what good writing means to us. I’ve witnessed many writers be classed as bad, despite the fact they are able to capture a significant audience. One thing I pride myself on is being able to appreciate when a writer has excellent technique, while also appreciating when a writer is able to catch my attention with a minimalistic skillset. Many consider Brandon Sanderson’s style to be blander than the more prose-heavy fantasy books on the market, yet, Sanderson’s other strengths are so potent that his “basic prose” isn’t remotely a concern to his fanbase.

There are many aspects that make up “great writing”, and allowing the reader to escape from reality is one of them. I’ve read far more Stephen King books than Patterson ones in my lifetime, but I’ve read enough Patterson to know that his talent shouldn’t be undermined.

-This is an opinion piece. Please share your thoughts on the topic below. We welcome all voices and opinions.

As this website was rebuilt, we have decided to include some of the excellent comments from the previous version of the website in this article. The following is some of the comments we received on this article in the past.

Ryan Thompson

I have read several James Patterson books, mostly in the Alex Cross series. When it’s good Patterson creates an fast paced, entertaining story with a predictable yet familiar protagonist. However, his stories are very much the same, like the characters of a long running TV show with a self-contained plot that’s usually wrapped up at the end. I have trouble telling one Alex Cross book from another.

–GaryASwaby – Replying to Ryan Thompson

I have finished two Alex Cross books so far, and currently reading the 3rd. So far I’m really loving them. But I can definitely see how the formula may get repetitive over the span of the series. I’m wondering how he’s gonna be able to keep it fresh with over 30 books. I suppose what he gains in fast-paced storytelling, he loses in originality and creativity.

Shelby James

As someone that has read all except the last two, I can confirm that they do get a bit repetitive. I believe JP just got lazy. Not to beat a dead horse but I believe this is one of the primary reasons Alex married Bree, instead of Christine. Bree had no life of her own and everything was tied to Alex, literally everything. She had no family, no friends of her own, no job of her own, nothing. I think it was simply easier for JP to write everything about their lives together as oppose to them having separate arcs that somehow came together from time to time. Again, I think it was lazy writing. Christine was just the opposite and had they ended up together, he would have been forced to be more creative and less redundant. He tried to fix it later and take Bree away from the police department but by then, it was too late. Besides, they still ended up working the same exact things. Overall, the books aren’t bad reads. They can be a bit repetitive though.

Other than the redundancy, I don’t think he adds enough Black culture to the characters and their lives. You would think he would hire an African American Black consultant. NanaMamma cooks everything EXCEPT soul food. Alex plays Gershwin and Bach and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, would be nice for him to also play Dizzy, Fats Domino or Joe Sample more often. The likelihood of Nana being born and raised in DC and not a part of The Great Migration, migrating from the Deep South is improbable. Her being Catholic, at her age, and not Baptist is also unlikely. Sure, there’s a lot of Black Catholics now but considering her age, the era she grew up in, and the fact that she should be from the Deep South, she lacks Black culture. I observed more non-culture practices but those are just a few.

I know I talk way too much LOL. It’s just nice to have someone to chat with about the series. Most people I know only read one or two books or haven’t read any. Thanks for reading!

–Gary Swaby – Replying to Shelby James

You’re absolutely right about the lack of Black American culture in the books. Also, I remember thinking a couple of times that the slang terms JP had characters use seemed a little inauthentic lol.

Have you watched the Alex Cross show on Amazon Prime? I’m wondering if that has better representation for black culture. Maybe I will try and check it out.

—Shelby James – Replying to Gary Swaby

So much of a lack of Black American culture that at times I thought of “Black face.” Like is this dude really Black?! Lol. Exactly, inauthentic language at times as well Lol!

Yes, I watched the series. However, before I offer my opinion, let me just say that my opinion is completely biased based on reading the books. My sister and one of my friends actually thought it was good. Take away the fact that I read the books and I may have liked it better as well.

Let me also say that the one thing I do think they finally got right was the casting. I realize Alex is supposed to look like Muhammad Ali in the book, but I’ve always pictured him more like Aldis. Dark smooth and sexy (sorry, that’s a female thing LOL!) I don’t care for Morgan and Tyler at all though. They did a good job with Sampson as well, although HE is suppose to be the “dark” one LOL

Having said that, it is absolutely NOTHING like the book. They made up a completely different story. The series is based on “Cross” the book that provided the back story about Maria, his wife, and how she died. Since you haven’t watched, I won’t go into too much detail. However, the only thing they kept were their names. The entire plot was totally created differently. This woman and her children were not in any of the books. Maria was killed by a rapist, that did not happen at all in the show. She died in Alex’s arms, he was with her when she was shot, didn’t happen. Maria wasn’t a singer, Christine was the only woman he heard singing. Damon played the piano, didn’t happen in any of the books. They said Alex’s mother died of drugs, she died of cancer (stereotype much?!). Elle, his girlfriend, was just a passing fling. Nothing serious at all. The way she was all crazy in love for him, when he was still deeply mourning for his wife and not into her, was just cringe. (Btw, the mourning bit was over the top imo. I felt they were really trying to tug on the audience’s heart strings but struck more of my nerves Instead LOL.) They should have just had Elle and Alex meeting and becoming friends. The real kicker, for me, was that Ali, little Alex, wasn’t in the show. I love Ali, I’ve even read his separate kids books LOL. He had custody of Ali by the time “Cross” was written. That’s all I will say for now. I don’t want to give too much away.

My advice, if you haven’t read that book yet, is to watch the series first. I think you will enjoy it much better.

—-Gary Swaby – Replying to Shelby James

The way you’ve described the TV show makes me want to hold off on checking out the show. I think I’ll focus on reading through the rest of the book series first. The next one I have is Alex Cross #5 Pop Goes the Weasel. Cat & Mouse #4 ended on a cliffhanger involving one of your fav characters so I can’t wait to see the follow up on that.

I still need to review Cat & Mouse but I’ve been working on this website in the background. So i’ll probably save it for when the website is fully rebuilt.

—–Shelby James – Replying to Gary Swaby

OMG, so excited for you. You are definitely into my fav character and favorite books Can’t wait to get your take when you’re done. I almost feel like reread AGAIN LOL

I think you will still like the show but just completely forget about the book when you watch.

daveydudely

zomg yes,,,i read ONE book by him ages ago to check him out, and like ann rice he is absolutely terrible, it’s nice just to hear that other people also know it’s trash

–JJ Replying to daveydudely

I actually liked Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire” but after that no so much.

JJ

Formula? Hack? Seems like every time I visit Costco I see a new Patterson book.