Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Alina Adams

Alina Adams is Creative Content Producer for As The World Turns and Guiding Light.

She is also the author of The Figure Skating Mystery series of books.

Some time ago I asked her what she was reading. Her reply:
For the past few years, I have become a Born-Again-Freakonomist. Yes, it all started with Freakanomics, that was my gateway drug.

Since then, I've gorged on The Undercover Economist, MicroMotives and MacroBehavior, MicroTrends, Irrational Rationality, The Black Swan, Neuro-Marketing, and I can't wait to get my hands on SuperFreakonomics.

Though I write primarily fiction (in addition to my Figure Skating Mystery series, and my tie-in books for As The World Turns and Guiding Light, I also write a weekly, sanctioned continuation to "Another World" at www.AnotherWorldToday.com), I read mostly non-fiction.

This is primarily because non-fiction "characters" can get away with human behavior that no editor would ever find believable in a novel, and also because I think the most important skill for a writer is not mechanical or stylistic, but having an understanding of people, what they do, why they do it - and why they think they do it, which is very often not the same thing.

I started with reading history, psychology and sociology, but, down the line found that economics actually provided the best guideline for understanding both group and individual behavior. And if I happen to pick up any marketing insights along the way to help the sales of my books along... that's just a bonus!
Visit Alina Adams' website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue