Why I'm "Falling Into Words"

A brief bio about me: I'm a mid-twenties reader and writer currently residing in Manhattan's Upper West Side.

I'm an avid, life-long reader, spurred on by time spent in my grandmother's used bookstore when I was very young. I tend to work my way through "classics" lists (Time's 100 Greatest English-Language Novels, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, Pulitzer/Booker/PEN/Faulkner prize-winners, etc.) in what is probably a futile attempt to be well read. For what it is worth, here are my top five favorite books (in no particular order):

1. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
2. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
3. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
4. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
5. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

I hope to post brief reviews of the books I read here (as much as for me and my horrible memory as for others!).

On the other hand, I am a much newer writer, slowly working on a novel about family dynamics, and particularly about how a brother and sister raised in the same household can turn out very differently. At the same time, to work my writing muscles and develop my voice, I am working on a number of short stories. As I find they all center around one main idea--identity--I hope to collect them into a book at some point.

I may post some short pieces of my own writing over time, but mainly I intend to post my thoughts about the writing process: where to write, how to develop your voice, creating characters and dialogue--essentially all issues that I'm wrestling with, and that I hope will be found generally helpful.

The blog's title comes from the idea that when I'm particularly engrossed in either a book or a piece of writing, I feel as though I can't catch up and that sense of falling you get before dropping off to sleep occurs. I'm sure the same happens to many of you, and I'd love to hear your experiences. Either way, I hope you find my blog interesting or helpful, and please let me know if there's anything I can add. Have fun!