I too get a lot of inspiration from TV. I'm so new at writing for enjoyment that I don't think I even recognize my own style yet.
Do specific shows inspire you? I know one show inspired me to wright the WIP I'm currently writing. It's a Canadian show called Lost Girl. I'm new too! I find I like writing for myself than writing essays in class. I'm sure everyone does, ha ha.
Yes it does influence your writing, but almost never negatively. The things you absorb are only ones you approve of, unless you are completely inexperienced in dialogue, and so you'll suck up the first thing you see. I was reading some poetry on Sunday and so when I wrote poetry the second day it was very much similar to the poet's style, and yesterday I read a different author completely different, and my poetry benefited from him as well. If you acknowledge that you dislike this author's dialogue style, then you will most definitely not be writing like him until you force yourself to.
I agree; writers tend to be influenced by things that inspire them - if you don't like it, it's doubtful you'll follow the authors footsteps.
When I read something in the same genre in which I currently have a project, I make sure that I am looking at it in a purely analytical way. So, I almost never read something for the first time in my project genre, and not at all if it is too close to the story I'm writing. One can pick up more than elements of style that way, and quite unconsciously.
... would you tell me that my dream of being a writer is basically dead? i've often heard... to be a great writer you have to love reading. and i like the IDEA of novels, but in my lifetime there have only been like a handful of books that i read that really held my attention. otherwise, if it's a book i have to read for school it's like a pain the whole time to finish it. or if it's a book i randomly buy and it doesn't grab the first few chapters i'm done. does that REALLY cancel me out of being a writer? i get why people say you have to love reading in order to be a good writer, but ... i guess i don't know what i'm asking anymore. it just kinda bummed me out because it would make sense that none of my writing has taken off or done anything because i'm probably no good at it because i don't read enough. um... this went from a post to a venting session. but i'm curious to know what you guys think about this idea that to be a great writer you have to love reading? (and ... if i do love movies, than i should be set as a screenwriter? right?)
I think that's pretty uncontroversial. I don't understand how anyone could want to write when they don't like reading. In reading you learn your craft, what to do and what not to do. It would be like a film maker not liking to watch films, or a musician not really being much interested in music.
I'd say reading and writing go hand in hand. Sorry to say, but if you don't like reading novels, I have to question whether you have what it takes to be a good novelist. Maybe you're just reading the wrong type of novels. Look at the novels you've liked and see if you can find something common between them. I understand that not everyone likes the books assigned in school.
You do need to read in order to become a good writer. But don't despair. It's not like you have to read Jane Austen, or Dickens in order to become a good one. You just have to find your reading niche. What genres do you like? branch out some, read some short stories in magazines or poetry even check out some non-fiction. Sounds like you're trying too hard to read what you think a writer should read. Just find something you like. Even if it's just articles in magazines. If you don't read, you're writing will show it. I don't think it will cancel you out as a writer it will cancel you out from becoming a good writer. Think of it this way - does a guitarist who wants to make music grit his teeth at listening to other peoples songs. Nope. He finds his niche. Also even if you love movies, that won't make you a screewriter. Since it's almost all conversation it can actually be harder, as most new writers already struggle with bringing their characters to life.
Yes it is dead. As a writer, you have to read your own material, and read others in order to learn and get better. Reading and writing go hand in hand for a reason
Switch over to magazines. When my interest in literature wanes, I still go with my wife to B&N. She reads books, and I hit the magazine rack. Even if the rags I pick are just of the hobbyist variety, it shows me newer things in the industry, invites debate and gets my juices flowing. I also make sure I read the newspaper every morning. I've heard that some politicians and top execs sometimes read three or four morning newspapers. And the older you get the more important it is to stay connected.
You said that you've read only a handful of books that held your attention. So you do like reading, you just need to find the books that you like. By being able to appreciate reading it doesn't mean you have to be able to read every single book that's ever published, especially the boring ones that you have to trudge through in class. You just have to keep on searching for the books that you like.
I'm wondering how old you are, since you mention books you have to read for school. Perhaps it's just that you haven't yet found what you like? Many people don't like the books they're assigned to read for school. Sometimes this is because they aren't relevant to the reader's background and interests. Sometimes the book just doesn't speak to the reader. And sometimes the reader just isn't quite ready yet to really understand the book's message. I recently re-read a classic novel for my book club, and I can't tell you the number of people who stated that they'd read it in high school and hated it, but after reading it with "more mature eyes" they enjoyed it and appreciated it on a whole new level. It can be as important, or more important to read books that are in the genre and comparable to the books you want to write. So, I suggest that you keep trying. Bookstores (and book websites) are huge places. You're bound to find a lot that you'll like.
Ballgamer, I'll go with you 95% of the way on that opinion. Some books and magazines are as tepid as dishwater, but the facts, the science and the information is valuable. If you think this guy might be bored, go over to YouTube and search out "Japanese knife and sword polishing." If you get insomnia some night, I guarantee rubbing stuff with a wet rock will put you under in minutes! But the knowledge there is +800 years old, and is as valid now as then. As I've stated, I'm waist deep into "Angelology." It's like digesting garlic cough medicine laced with broken glass. But it has information I need, so you grin and bear it. Sooner or later I'm going to have to face 'Angels and Demons' and 'Fifty Shades.' I'm picking up a new bottle of Don Julio just for the pain.
I agree with Peach, reading is important but you just have to find what you enjoy. I struggle to finish books that don't grab me early on too. If you haven't already I'd recommend trying a site like goodreads, where you can find out what people who like those books you did enjoy, also like - I bet you'll find some gems if you do a little hunting Also, if novels weigh you down you could always try short stories, I've read a couple of cheapie short story anthologies recently (my favourite genre is noir/hardboiled type stuff so there's plenty available!) and really liked them. Overall, I'd say its worth putting the effort in to make sure you read, but don't suffer over a particular book/genre you don't enjoy. Best of luck
If you don't like novels, why would you want to write one? If you don't like music, why would you learn to play a musical instrument? If you don't like art, why take up painting? We read because we love to, and we write to add to the collection of books we would like to read. I think the reading-writing link is primarily motivation. Reading motivates us to write. The fact that reading also teaches us to write is a bonus. I suppose it's possible to learn to write well without reading much, but it would be very, very difficult, and learning to write well is difficult enough even if you do read lots. I guess I'm just wondering why you want to write if you don't much like reading.
If you like reading (you dont need to like evry novel, but you still have to read) at any minority, then tjats fine. As long as you read. You should try to read more though.
I'm not disparaging the value of books they make you read in school, just that I believe the act of forcing classic literature in the school curriculum has given students the false pretense that they don't like reading because they don't like reading the books in school. I felt the same way my entire life until two years ago. Now I actually do enjoy those classic literature books, two of them my favorite of all time, One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest and Catcher in the Rye. I'm just trying to synchronize with the OP here. I've always wanted to be a writer myself but felt this reading barrier that stood in front of me, until I read Game of Thrones and gobbled up that 1000 page book in four days. That was my door to reading novels, and it was a year after that that I've come to enjoy the two books I mentioned before. I believe to appreciate reading we need that gateway novel to tie us in into the world of novels.
There we agree 100%. But I'm beginning to sound like my Dad here. He always asked me to "try" a new vegetable before I stated I hated it. Oh, he was right, it just galled me to admit it! There is lots of literature out there that might appear bland, but there are classics that justly earned the name. I just prime the pump. I find a magazine or a trashy popular book, essentially chewing gum for the mind and I dive in. In a few weeks I'm reading something of value. Besides, you'll never know when you'll have to debate a guy more well read than yourself!
Well maybe you should first ask yourself why do you want to be a writer? As for books you might be just picky as your not sure what you like, but that's ok, i'm picky too i know which types i hate, which i dont like and which am not really interested in... but its good to know what you dont like in order to get a better picture of what you really like and want. And even if i dont like a lot of stuff my library has over 4000 novels and i keep adding more to it and curse my job for taking so much of my time which i would rather read than work...
I would say your desire to do anything with your writing is, indeed, dead if you don't like reading. Your stories will no doubt be filled with all the cliches, poor phrasing, purple prose, plot holes, etc etc that marks poor writing. Why? Because you haven't experienced how it's done. You haven't let your imagination delve into a book and blossom. You haven't seen what has been done and how. Maybe you haven't found the types of books you like. The only way to solve that is to try more books, different genres, different authors. It's like food - you don't know what you like until you've tasted a variety.
I'm in my infancy as a writer. I've read voraciously for over 30 years and I figured writing would come easy. It didn't. Every aspect of the craft has to be learned and developed just like any skill. But the backbone of developing my own writing skills has been the writing of other people. I get to see first hand how excellent dialogue flows. How a plot ascends and descends. How I come to love or hate a character. Your trying to build a car without ever opening the hood or sitting behind the wheel and feeling the road hum and vibrate beneath your feet. To be engrossed in something you read allows you the sense of what you would want your readers to feel. Reading should be a visceral experience and I think the only way you can develop that skill yourself is to experience it firsthand through the writing of others.
