Reading is essential to writing. However I feel like I haven't read enough. I need more insight on literature, so I am asking for recommendations that will help me write and inspire me to conjure more ideas. I'm getting sick of picking up a novel and realizing after a few pages it's just popcorn reading that doesn't expand my mind whatsoever.
I really don't think it matters. War and Peace or someone's grocery list that blew over and stuck to your windshield. It's the reading that matters, and I can't imagine a writer who doesn't spend most of his/her free time reading. I'm reading a really bad book right now (by a pretty well-known author), but I'm determined to grind my way through it. It's not going to expand my mind, but I might learn something; if nothing else, I'll have some ideas about how not to write a novel.
Too different questions: 1, reading to inspire you ideas. Be careful about imitation. If you stick to one genre and style you'll never be exposed to something new and challenging. 2, reading to expand your mind. You're the only one that can answer this one, actually. Which way do you want your mind to be expanded? It's endless out there. What interests you? Go from there. Good luck with your readings.
Take a look at this thread. It will take some time to read it all, but it's worth it. What are you reading now: https://www.writingforums.org/threads/what-are-you-reading-now.8536/page-247#post-1731214 I've discovered very interesting readings and I haven't read it all yet.
I don't see how reading insipid non sense is going to help me. I'll only learn that the world is filled with trite and more trite. I started this thread to see what the community holds in high regard so that maybe I can be introduced to something of merit.
Well when you put that way it sounds like a fun time, like an adventure. I just wanted to hear other writer's opinions.
At one time I was worried about imitating until I realized that I had to start somewhere. If I'm worried about imitation or creating something so original I'll never create anything. I want to read something with substance. That is how I think my mind will be expanded. My interests are horror, fantasy, psychological literature, history, sci fi, and historical fiction,
I absolutely think that even popcorn reading will teach you about writing and will expand your world of ideas for your own writing. That said, what have you read that you like, and what have you tried to read that you don't like?
Everything expands your mind. Every new experience, every reassessment of an old experience, all increases your dataset. For example: I know more about tumbleweeds than any human being would ever need to just from responding to a writing prompt on this board. If you NEED to read. Plato gets overlooked a lot cause he's so old and so dead, but the stories are actually pretty interesting and even funny in spots.
