I am a huge bookworm, and given the time it takes to actually write a novel I don’t think that I would be able to keep away from my books for that long. Often while I am writing I will reread books or sections of books that I found particularly riveting and try and figure out what exactly held my attention. Some of my favorite ideas have been influenced by these books, and even from tv and video games. So for me I can’t imagine not reading or watching tv, ect. while in the middle of writing my novel.
I do sometimes, but only if its a book i had already started reading, or if someone picks it up for me. Mind you u i barely read, i might get through a chapter every two or three weeks as i no longer really enjoy it. But i dont c the problem with reading while writing, if you c something in a book that thinks applies to your plot or could be used in the story, y not try to work a variation of it in to add depth But myself, to get in the mood for writing i usually have to go jogging while listening to 1 song lol
I'm satisfied with my imagination, and I'm so picky about how I word things that I've literally tried a hundred different ways of writing just my opening scene, simply to experiment. That's how I improve--trial and error until I learn what works for me. Analysis of the way someone else did it never helped me because my mind doesn't work like yours, or that person's, or those people's. Sure, I might pick up a trick or two here and there, and I have. But it doesn't really help me on the whole. When I read, it's for entertainment. Or it's for research. It's never to improve my own writing style. I prefer to let it mature on its own, with little influence from the outside. I didn't mean to say that I think other people's styles aren't as good as mine. I just prefer my own style so much that I'm distracted by how differently this or that author does things. Sometimes it's refreshing. Half of the time, I can ignore it. The other half, it's distracting from the story.
