Writing styles

I'm reading Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich and am in awe of the thought that was put into each and every sentence. This book isn't your typical quick read for a captivating story. It is instead one you must take your time with to grab each little detail the author has so delicately included. I've read several of Erdrich's books because my English professor at NDSU was a huge fan of hers. I think he even wrote papers about her work. That is how amazing this author is. I have a long way to go before someone can study my writing. Like I tell my husband, I'm a surface-level type person. I'm way too laid back to have such depth, which is good and bad.

Erdrich, like Kent Haruf, the author of Plainsong, doesn't use quotation marks in her dialogue. This ommitance gives the words on the page a more poetic feel. If you're wondering, it isn't confusing to read either. It's important for writers to read as much as they can, and in my opinion, reading books outside of one's genre is very beneficial. I'm not writing with Erdrich quality quite yet, but you never know what the future might hold.