The Purpose of IWSG is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
To join IWSG visit Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh here.
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FEBRUARY QUESTION:
How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?
This will be a brief post. I’ve not been in a blogging frame of mind of late but for IWSG, I’ll make an exception. Let’s do it!
How Writing Has Changed Me as a Reader
- I’m less patient. I refuse to waste time plowing through descriptions of clothes, food, or mundane activities when said details don’t matter to the story. If I’m more curious about what a character is wearing than what is going on in the scene, the book needs serious work.
. - I read with an appreciation of writing
rulesguidelines. I’m perfectly fine with bucking convention when it’s done deftly, but nothing throws me out of a story faster than rules violated out of laziness, inattention, or worst of all, ignorance.
. - Okay, I admit it: I compare my work to others’. Any writer who claims otherwise is either lying or doesn’t read. My readerly reactions range from envy and insecurity to self-respect and feelings of accomplishment. What this really means is while writing has indeed changed me as a reader, the reverse is also true. Reading has changed the way I write. As Stephen King said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.”
“It is what you read when you don’t have to
that determines who you will be when you can’t help it.”
-OSCAR WILDE
Claude Raguet Hirst/Flickrcc
VR BARKOWSKI 
I am not a writer, but I blogged today about putting down a book and watching the movie instead. Guess I have no patience for blathering on about ‘stuff’.
Films are certainly less of a time investment, Denise. Plus, they tend to cut out all the slow, uninteresting parts you often find in books. Example? I love to watch cozy mystery movies on TV, but I’d rather have root canal than have to read one.
Yep, clothes and meals and all that nonsense, pffft, unless they matter, screw it. A few words at most is all that is needed, not going on and on and on and on.
You said it, Pat. Less is more.
Hear! Hear! Same here. 🙂 I still like decriptions, I just don’t want them to go overboard, and I love it when they echo the mood of the MC.
Yes! I like description, too, Holly, particularly when it reflects character. Good description enhances the story.
Beautifully expressed, dear lady, and I agree with you 100%. The more we write, the more we expect of ourselves, and the more we expect from the materials we read. Life’s too short to waste on drivel.
Like you mentioned in your post, I used to finish pretty much every book I picked up, but in the last six months my did not finish (aka this is really boring) pile has grown exponentially.
I agree too. Descriptions are nice, but they can be too lengthy sometimes and take away from the point of the scene.
Exactly, Mason. Description that enhances the story is always welcome. Happy birthday, again!
I completely agree with Stephen King. And yes, we can’t help but compare. Thank goodness that’s a good thing at times?
I agree, Crystal. Comparison can be a good thing or a bad thing. It’s up to us to make it into the positive. The alternative would be to stop reading, and that’s never going to happen. 🙂
It does go both ways. Writing is hard work, and I have respect for anyone who can finish writing a whole book. But there are also times when I read something terrible and recognize that I do not want to write like that.
Very true, James. Bad books can teach us a lot. It’s just not a very pleasant way to learn. 😀
Roger Zelazny was my writing mentor. He was a prose poet. But sometimes he played games with his chapters as with his confusing FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND and ROAD SIGNS. Yet, he weaved such an absorbing story that I stayed with the books … all the while wishing he wasn’t being so cute in his writing. 🙂
Oops! I meant DOORWAYS IN THE SAND. Surprisingly good reviews on Amazon
I’ve had similar experiences, Roland. Some of my favorite writers have done things I’d never put up with from an author I didn’t already know and love. But loyalty must be earned. 🙂
Yep. Oscar knew a thing or two. It’s that un-put-down-able aspect I crave and my crit partners are helping me learn how to craft my books that way. Most writers are impatient with badly-edited-crafted books. My kindle is overloaded with books where I’ve read like 6%.
Well said, Denise. And who can blame us for being a little impatient when we try so hard to get it right, and the marketplace is flooded with slipshod books?
Uh oh. I’m comparing again. 🙂
There was a time when I wouldn’t read because I wanted to spend the time writing. I think at that point I might have given up writing because comparing my writing to theirs would have discouraged me. But now, I read a lot. I try not to be envious of better writers. I try to learn from them.
Me, too, Liz. I’ve never once regretted reading a great book. Good writing inspires me.
I think of myself as a reader first, before writer. I can’t help fussing over writing that is just lazy, or self important, but I still just love it when a book grabs me and I forget all about being a writer. I missed reading for a long time but I’ve given myself permission to indulge whenever possible. Having that “doh” moment when I discovered books on CD helped fill those long driving hours, and I’m much happier now that I’m “reading’ again.
I consider myself a reader first, too, Donna, and I adore audiobooks. It’s like being a kid again and being read to.
I like to see what others do within the craft. Compare? Maybe I do, but I’d like to think I’m learning too. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
Nothing wrong with comparing, Anna. Particularly if the comparison leads to inspiration and striving to be a better writer!
Great answer and good points.
Happy IWSG Belated Day!
Juneta @ Writer’s Gambit
Thanks for the kind words and for co-hosting this month, Juneta!
I agree with number one. Sometimes I look back at my writing and realize I hadn’t even described my characters. That doesn’t mean I have to go into a whole chapter on what they look like, but as a reader, it is nice to get a mental picture of the characters throughout the book. I often have to go back and fill in some details. I hope that’s because I got into writing the story
Number two: I’m not sure what the “guidelines” are anymore. I try not to pay attention to “rules,” probably because each story is different; therefore, rules apply differently. I let the story be my guide.
Three: I learn something from every book I love. I’ve never compared my writing to another writer’s. The way I handle my genre, maybe, but not my writing. Others have, however.
Agreed, Polly. Rules depend on both story and genre, although a glut of adverbs or too many tags (even said) make me a little crazy. 🙂
I’m a journeyman writer. I know I’ll never be a Michael Chabon or Gabriel García Márquez, so I focus on telling an original and unpredictable story. That’s typically where I base my comparisons—not in the writing itself.
Well said. Many writers still leave me in awe. I’m so glad of that!
Me too, Carole, and it’s grand! 🙂
Hi VR.
I’m a reader first. I’ve been reading from the age of five-and-a-half. The writing started very, very late (just under 7 years ago) and maybe that’s the reason I can’t read with that same abandon…just sink into a book like before.
The ‘writerly brain’ is in competition with the ‘reader brain’… 🙂
I’m a reader first, too, Michelle. I think writing changes one’s perspective. Years ago, if someone asked me about a book, I’d tell them what I liked about it. These days, I’m far more focused on what doesn’t work—even when I don’t want to be.