I'm an avid reader but with work and family commitments, I often find it takes me longer to finish a book than I'd like. I realise it doesn't help to have three or four books on the go at the one time like I usually do. Still, every now and again a story grabs my attention in a way where I simply can't stop reading and I resign myself to the inevitable effects of sleep deprivation that will surely follow.
Sandy Hall's debut crowd sourced novel 'Something a little bit different' was such a read. I was so engrossed I finished it in a day! And grinned the entire time I read - it was just that addictive.

Sandy's story-telling approach really is a little bit different. She introduces the reader to Lea and Gabe, two college students, who just can't seem to see that they would make a great couple. That doesn't stop everybody around them seeing it though: their creative writing professor, the barista at their local Starbucks, the bus driver, even the campus squirrel! Told from fourteen different perspectives, we see Lea and Gabe's love story unfold in a deliciously frustrating but ultimately satisfying way. Like I said, I grinned so much my face hurt.

And being the creative writing junkie that I am, I especially liked Sandy Hall's use of a writing assignment - a 100 word description of someone WITHOUT using adjectives - as the story-telling device that finally brings Lea and Gabe together. I tried the idea with my own creative writing students. Not an easy task but well worth a try. Here's my own humble attempt:

She sits at the table in the far corner. Always the table in the far corner. Always in the company of a book. Only in the company of a book. I like the way she turns the pages. Slowly. Carefully. As though she values each word written on them and doesn't want to risk scattering them across the floor. It makes me think she would value the words I spoke if ever I garnered enough courage to sit opposite her and say 'hello'.

Why not have a go? And if writing isn't your thing, do yourself a favour and read Sandy Hall's Something a little bit different. I promise it'll make you smile. 'Smile' by Amanda Flickr CC (BY 2.0)