Does Writing Spoil Your Reading?

[NOIRTRASH]

It's payday and I bought a few books for the Kindle. 3 by Ian Fleming, 1 by Lawrence Block, and 3 noir anthologies. I tossed an equal number of books from the Kindle. If it sux its gone, and plenty of best sellers roost upon my sux list.

I'm hard to please. I enjoyed all of Hemingways books in my youth, but only one of them now. Ditto Steinbeck. If they cant pass the muster theyre gone.

I know too much about what makes good writing. This weekend I culled the good writing from all my old stories and tossed whats not good. Whats not good is dull. Good writing should compel your attention.

 

[NicoleZ]

That is an interesting observation! Myself, I find that when I pick up some of the books I used to enjoy when I was young, I find that one or more of the three aces of good writing is missing so I put it back on the shelf and then wonder why I didn't bin it instead.

 

[FelicityJohns]

Yes. Definitely. And that is especially true of erotica.

 

[KayceeCharles]

Not personally, no, it just reminds me my prose sucks.

I go through about 1-3 kindle books per day. I buy the $1 or $2 specials, but mostly I read the free books (OHFB.com, yeah!)

 

[rjordan]

I know too much about what makes good writing. This weekend I culled the good writing from all my old stories and tossed whats not good. Whats not good is dull. Good writing should compel your attention.

Doing something yourself makes you appreciate and understand what others do more. In my case, writing makes reading more rewarding. I don't over-analyze when I read. "Oh, I see what he did there." More often than not, that spoils reading. If you can see the technique, the artist likely failed at writing, acting, painting, dancing, whatever.

A good friend of mine is a retired fire captain. He said becoming a firefighter ruined every date he had from then on. The first thing he would do entering a restaurant with a date was look for the other exits, note if sprinklers were installed or where all the fire extinguishers were positioned. Then he'd mention something to his date and it was often the last date with her.

I do read more analytically and gain much more detail as a reader than I might if I didn't also write. I know better what to look for or what to reject. But I don't obsess over it.

rj

 

[sr71plt]

Writing is challenged by my reading and inspired by it. It isn't ruined by it in any way, I don't think. Since college days, I've given priority to reading from two books each day not otherwise required for the day. Doing this denies some time that could go to writing. But it inspires elements to include in my own writing, so it's all to the good.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Doing something yourself makes you appreciate and understand what others do more. In my case, writing makes reading more rewarding. I don't over-analyze when I read. "Oh, I see what he did there." More often than not, that spoils reading. If you can see the technique, the artist likely failed at writing, acting, painting, dancing, whatever.

A good friend of mine is a retired fire captain. He said becoming a firefighter ruined every date he had from then on. The first thing he would do entering a restaurant with a date was look for the other exits, note if sprinklers were installed or where all the fire extinguishers were positioned. Then he'd mention something to his date and it was often the last date with her.

I do read more analytically and gain much more detail as a reader than I might if I didn't also write. I know better what to look for or what to reject. But I don't obsess over it.

rj

I simply wonder why the big name author didn't know better.

 

[sr71plt]

I simply wonder why the big name author didn't know better.

Maybe it's that you don't know as much about "good writing" as you like to think you do--and love to tell us you do. The writers mentioned made good money off of it. Perhaps (1) you aren't taking into account that reading tastes change over the decades, and (2) your "passes muster" isn't the same as others'--and apparently a lot of others. "Good writing" and "passing JBJ's muster" apparently aren't ipso facto identical.

 

[rjordan]

I simply wonder why the big name author didn't know better.

Because there's a whole other layer to success. A writer brings one layer to the success, but the publishing house brings another. Sometimes the efforts of the publishing house are more important than the writers efforts. I would even say that publishers are more responsible for "big name authors" (Big Name Authors) than the authors themselves.

The writer writes a book. Lots of people can write books. Lots of people write books better than BNA's. Lots of people on Lit write better than some BNAs.

The book passes to the publishing house. The first question isn't, "Is it any good?" The first question is, "Can we sell it?" The second question is, "How do we promote it?" That's what makes BNA's. Obviously, there has to be a certain amount of talent there or it doesn't get past the first question. But the first thoughts are, "How can we make money from this turd?" [I submit 50 Shades in evidence...]

It's not really any different in self-publishing. Self-publishing used to mean self-printing. Anyone with a book idea could get their book professionally printed. One day a pallet full of them would arrive on the driveway. The easy part was done. Now the hard part. Converting them to cash and fame.

It's a lot easier now with epublishing, social media, all the ebook publishers, etc. but it's STILL the hardest part of the process.

rj

 

[sr71plt]

I would even say that publishers are more responsible for "big name authors" (Big Name Authors) than the authors themselves.

Right. A publishing house reality is that they determine most of what is going to be on the best-seller lists from the get-go and set up their marketing campaigns on this basis. I've sat in manuscript acceptance meetings that dealt right there on where the book was going to fit in the sales list.

 

[lovecraft68]

Right. A publishing house reality is that they determine most of what is going to be on the best-seller lists from the get-go and set up their marketing campaigns on this basis. I've sat in manuscript acceptance meetings that dealt right there on where the book was going to fit in the sales list.

Explaining some of the best sellers that have come out over the years where people have read and thought...."This is what is supposed to be so good?"

 

[lovecraft68]

I think reading spoils my writing. If I'm in between projects I can read, but not during, the author gets in my head, its like listening to two radio stations at the same time.

 

[SamScribble]

I have no idea if writing spoils my reading. I have now been writing for so long that I can't remember what it was like to read and not write. However, I suspect that the little bit that I know about writing probably has an influence on what I choose to read.

 

[SusanJillParker]

It's payday and I bought a few books for the Kindle. 3 by Ian Fleming, 1 by Lawrence Block, and 3 noir anthologies. I tossed an equal number of books from the Kindle. If it sux its gone, and plenty of best sellers roost upon my sux list.

I'm hard to please. I enjoyed all of Hemingways books in my youth, but only one of them now. Ditto Steinbeck. If they cant pass the muster theyre gone.

I know too much about what makes good writing. This weekend I culled the good writing from all my old stories and tossed whats not good. Whats not good is dull. Good writing should compel your attention.

It's just the opposite with me. If I read, I can't write. Reading spoils my writing. Reading takes away my creativity.

When I was in college, Northeastern University in Boston, so many years ago earning my BA in English with Creative Writing and English Literature Minors, I was reading two books a day to keep up with my course load.

Back then, other than term paper and school essays, I didn't write a single word. Then, once I graduated and was done with school, I couldn't stop writing. Words flowed out of me like projectile vomit.

I never have to think about what to write. I never stare at a blank page. I just write.

If I get stuck about what to write, which is rare, just before bed, my last thought is what to write. When I awaken the next morning, I can't write fast enough to get it all down.

Suffice to say, now I don't read anything but my own words.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Ha! When I read anything its like casing your home for silver spoons and jewelry.

 

[DreamCloud]

I prefer mind-candy to great writing. I struggled to read what is supposed to be good but fell back to works that entertain. Entertainment has a time limit. There are few older works that still hold their own this day and age. Yes, I am a product of the TV generation.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

I prefer mind-candy to great writing. I struggled to read what is supposed to be good but fell back to works that entertain. Entertainment has a time limit. There are few older works that still hold their own this day and age. Yes, I am a product of the TV generation.

Your post made me think.

 

[StrangeTamer]

I don't know if writing has spoiled my reading but it has definitely interfered with it. I used to read in bed before I went to sleep, now I stay up way too late trying to get my thoughts into a story or rewriting what I've written and go to bed thinking what do they do next or how can I word something different so it flows better.

 

[Grobnar]

They spoil each other. When I write I don't read, when I read I don't write.

However, I tend to be more critical of myself after I've read something particularly thought out and we'll written. And at the same time critical of something I read after I wrote something I particularly enjoyed.

I guess I'm a mobius strip.