Here’s Your Sign
Remember Jeff Foxworthy’s classic line, “Here’s your sign”? I think I’ve found my sign. Except it’s in a different kind of placement, not something that points to the stupid but instead something that points to the magnificent, mysterious, and magical.
Maybe an indication of great writing and powerful storytelling is that you don’t want to immediately start a new book or read a new story after you finish something that is truly magnificent. Why? Because it breaks the pattern of your brain, creating a different kind of ripple effect internally that makes you want to pause and sit with what you just read. The pattern break is the constant need for consumption that we’re conditioned in the confluence of continuous content. We’re conditioned towards constant consumption and that conditioning rarely gets satisfied.
What does any of that have to do with writing, storytelling, or even books?
Two days ago I finished reading Theo of Golden by Alan Levi. My wife read it and said I’d absolutely LOVE it. She knew it was my cup of tea. Sure enough, I read it in two weeks. It was hard to put down. And it’s become one of my top 5 favorite novels, amongst The Alchemist, Life Of Pi, and The Traveler’s Gift. Though I have a reading list of books that I’m moving through, I pressed pause after reading the last page of Theo. I didn’t start a new book the following day or the day after. It might be next week when I start reading the next novel but not before then.
Why?
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Because this book impacted me in such a powerful way that I want to sit, dwell, reflect, and ponder on pieces of the narrative, its central theme, characters, and the way the story was told. I can’t do that if I’m already thinking of opening another fiction title, let alone actually doing it. Consciously choosing to not dive into another book is a gift to myself and to Mr. Levi in a way. And I’m starting to wonder if that’s one hallmark of truly great writing: leaving the reader wanting to reflect on what they just experienced.
I’ve encountered a little of this with feedback to The Resplendent Window Vol 1. I’m not saying this to brag necessarily but hearing readers’ thoughts and reflections on the individual stories as well as the epilogues has been one of the most wonderful things about putting my work out into the world. One of my new friends named Kimbirli recently finished reading the anthology and after nearly every story she’d tell my wife about how she was impacted by it. Then she’d tell me in a longer message. Listening to her talk about what she gained from reading my book made me think, “This is what I do this for, even if it’s just one person who is this moved by my work.”
Great work itself is the best marketing for anything because it has built in word-of-mouth power without needing any ad budget or slogans.
I highly encourage you to read Theo of Golden, regardless of what styles or genres of fiction you read. It’s ubiquitous in excellence and transformation. Like a fine wine or glorious symphony, multiple notes and flavors will linger in your mind long after the last word is read. You might cry at times, you will probably laugh at others. But no matter what, you’ll know why someone encouraged you to read it. And you’ll likely encourage those you know to do the same.
This is your sign to check it out for yourself.
Speaking of which, if you’ve read a truly great book this year and want to recommend one to me, I will be reading fiction again at some point. Let me know what you suggest.
I appreciate you.
