Certainly you aren't suggesting I'd want them to!! Plan to strike a deal with the publishing company so that holy water will spray out upon opening the book. Those vampires can write their own entertainment instead of sucking me dry for it...well, actually the sucking doesn't sound too horrible....well, now I'm conflicted.
Not to push anyone here but maybe try poetry and forget books for a while. I overlooked poetry for the longest time but once I started reading it heavily a few years back I noticed a marked improvement in my style.
I am one of those writers who does not like reading. It's just that I get a craving for writing my own instead of reading, when I read a story. It's uncontrollable and I just need to "give in". I call it a writer's thing.
@JulieR, I actually get that same craving, whether I'm reading, watching TV, or listening to music. That's actually what prompted me to do both, start writing stories and start writing my own songs / start a band to perform them with. Ever since I was a kid, I'd read / listen to stories, watch TV shows / movies, and listen to music thinking "this is great, but I would've done it this way." I guess that's sort of arrogant, but, then again, perhaps I just inherited my dad's guitarist genes and the guitarist mentality portrayed so well in the joke: Q: How many guitarists does it take to change a lightbulb? A: Ten. One changes the lightbulb while the rest observe and go "not bad, but I could've done it better." It's not even necessarily about doing it better (except in some rare instances), but about doing it differently; the art I consume gives me visions (as in "artistic visions," not the clairvoyant kind or some such). Those "visions" usually come in the form of concepts, questions I want to discuss, premises etc. that gradually evolve into story, character, or song ideas. However, since a lot of those visions are prompted by books, movies, music etc, it's another reason why I find it highly inspiring to read, watch, and listen to what others have produced.
I write for like-minded readers. So I suppose I'm writing for an audience, but it's an audience full of people like me. You do raise a good point. I can totally see myself not wanting to write if I had to take into account a large audience.
I THINK I understand you now. Your mind is probably going in a zillion directions for much of the day, so sitting quietly and reading about another writer's characters can perhaps feel boring to someone as creatively driven as you; a person who is probably ready to move on to the NEXT thing rather quickly. I'm not implying ADD or anything. lol! Just observing that you don't SEEM to enjoy sitting quietly often (I CRAVE it), unless you're getting your ideas OUT of you. Regardless of how the rest of us feel about reading and how it affects our writing, you sound like you don't lack for imagination or creativity. I don't think I've read any of your stuff, but am looking forward to it now. If it aint broke - it don't need fixin'... and it doesn't sound like the way you work needs any fixin'. So in the end; who cares what the rest of us think? lol! Good luck with whatever you're working on.
I try to write a story that *I* would enjoy reading... something that intrigues ME. As soon as I worry about what a reader might think, I get stumped. So i'm a lot like you, I guess.
That's about right. I have 'shiny ball' syndrome. Lol. I'm easily and constantly distracted by new things. When I want quiet time I go hiking, but even then companionship in camp is good because sitting still is agitating so I need someone to at least distract me with their activities. BTW, I've posted some stuff in the Novel workshops if you're interested.
Just read this one through again, and I would like to nominate it for thread of the year (if such an accolade exists). A special mention should go to the member with the natty vest and possibly, contextually speaking, the most ironic username I have ever encountered.
To quote Jim Morrison: 'Urge to come to terms with the "Outside," by absorbing, interiorizing it. I won't come out, you must come in to me. Into my womb-garden where I peer out. Where I can construct a universe within the skull, to rival the real.'
This was a really interesting thread to read. I find a lot of truth in most people's postings. I think I especially relate to what Minstrel said. I was also a voracious reader for the first 20 years of my life. From then on, I didn't have as much time to consume books and life was starting to be my 'book' of inspiration. I still read a good amount though. And I do draw inspiration from that. On my best writing days, I try to start out reading something for an hour or so to draw inspiration from it. It usually helps my style a lot I have to say.
One of my art professors used to say, "You can't output without input." That will always stick with me. Of course, I rarely read. Until recently when I decided to try writing. Now I'm reading all sorts of things.
This statement is very true. I feel like i'm able to full express my themes and character motives better by how i write the words and the way it rhymes. Sometimes i become very concentrated to such a point that i forget that i'm writing poetry. It's kind of like an isolated island in my head where i can just unleash my creative vibes. Some days i get ideas customarily and some days i hardly get any at all. That's how writing works most of the time though. But to respond to the main topic at hand,i really search for a novel that will pull me in. You never know what you'll find until you look. I don't read often, but when i do, i learn quite a lot about that particular story and learn from it. You don't have to read a lot to yclept yourself as a writer. You just have to write and believe.
