Learning About Ebola is Fun!

Good writing often stems from good reading. We've been talking about writing, and for this blog, I want you to think about something you've read that's grabbed your attention. It can be a book, a magazine article, a website, a news item, an obituary--anything that engaged you. Pick anything you've read in the last year that has has been an "aha" moment for you. In your response, briefly state what you read, and then explain what was so enlightening or intriguing about the piece you read.

I have a very strange interest in infectious, fatal diseases. I recently read The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, which is about the first of the Ebola outbreaks. The book tells the story of a few people who have encountered Ebola first hand. A couple of the people in the story are violently killed by the disease and the others come into close encounters with the disease. Richard Preston created a very intriguing and stimulating story line around a very melancholy event. This book pushed my interest in Ebola even further. The way that the author uses imagery to describe the scene, makes it seem as if it is happening right in front of the reader. Richard Preston even goes as far as to describe how the putrid blood hits, splatters, and smears on the walls of the various rooms the story takes place in. The descriptions in the book make it fascinating and entertaining to read, because the reader never knows what Richard Preston will use graphic detail to describe in the next sentence. I like this kind of thriller. It keeps me on the edge of my seat, wanting to read more to find out what happens next. Whenever I write a creative free-write story, I try to imitate Richard Preston.