Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Surprisingly deep and engrossing. Reads like total fluff, but wrestles with real issues: debt, addiction, and substituting daydreams for working toward a goal.

Three things I learned about writing:

  • Tension can come from a character's inner dialog, instead of from events. With the right narration, a night of watching tv can become high drama.
  • Obstacles don't have to come from outside the main character; it's just as satisfying to watch them overcome situations they've created for themselves.
  • Don't always need to hear both sides of a conversation. Sometimes it's more fun to imagine the other side for ourselves.
Ron Toland @mindbat