Read when you want to. Write when you want to. The two are not mutually inclusive. I tend to write more frequently, and for longer segments, when I'm reading a novel or two at the same time. Books tend to fire my creative synapes, I suppose. But you don't have to be a voracious reader to put out a great novel. You just have to be a voracious writer.
OI, here is my suggestion. OI, you need to separate the two as different exercises in being a writer. First, read for relaxation, practice, enjoyment, and observation. Then, give your mind a rest and let it come to you. Find a time to go out of the house or in the room alone and write about 2 to 10 pages of something. Now, if you are real organized then follow your outline, and craft your writing to that; also, in your case, a schedule would be the wise thing to do. This would give you a clear vision of the big picture. This is the best advice i can give you thus far.
I can´t be "a writer" without doing them both. You just need to find what pleases you more at the moment and try to balance the time you spend on writing, and the time you spend on reading. The good part, is that technically, you improve your skill in both ways. By reading, you´ll receive experience, from the other writers. But by writing, even if you aren´t really getting any good ideas, the time you spent on doing anything, will always improve you on something.
I've read plenty for school and I don't feel it did anything to make me a better writer. I get much more benefit from other forms of fiction. I don't doubt that reading helps most people and probably could help me, but me being the rebel that I am, I've found minimal use for it. If I need inspiration from books, I walk into a book store, skim a book or two, and I get more from that than sitting down to read a novel. Yes, I'm weird like that.
It depends on how you read. You can read as a reader, or you can read as a writer. As a writer, you will read most books twice. The first time, you experience the story and gain not only the pleasure of the story, but an appreciation of how it is shaped. The second reading is different. You know where the story is going, so you can see in the second reading how the writer brings together the disparate story elements, because you know what the writer's goals are. When you find a particularly successful scene, you pick it apart to see why it works so well. When you find a weak scene, consider how you would rewrite it to make it work better. Reading as a writer is anything but passive.
I have never even thought about that Cogito! I may go read a book, twice... Perhaps take some notes? Wow that doesn't sound fun... but def helpful! Even when I don't feel like reading a book, I feel better once I start it. To get started I tell myself it will get me closer to publishing my stories!
I thought I was the only person this happened to! I find it hard to find the time to write, so any time spent reading is time I could be writing. Reading is extremely important for a writer though, and I love reading, it's why I write in the first place. I just have to forcibly remind myself of this sometimes.
I'm currently working through "the 7 Basic plots" by Christopher Brooker and i think it's an ace read - with plenty of examples from Classic literature. It's an enjoyable read for a textbook too. I've also ordered "the elements of style"..... What other books do you think are a "must read" for aspiring, or even established writers to improve their craft?
I'd recommending reading fiction. A lot of fiction. Of the genre you are intending to write, and other genres. Really, seeing examples of how other writers do it in practice will be a lot more useful than any textbook.
"The Art of Fiction" by John Gardner. Great book for writers who are serious about creating literature. "The Elements of Style" is overrated. It's a nice short book that will help newbies avoid embarrassing themselves, but it won't do much more than that. Gardner's book will help an already-decent writer become an artist.
"On reading" by Stephen King is one of the best book on discovery writing and the simple craftsman truth about writing. And one best read when you just gotten a bit into the craft.
I'd add a caveat that any book on writing that you read is only going to be the way that works for that particular writer. For example, "On Writing" is a very interesting book, and has a lot of useful ideas, but I wouldn't agree with everything King says in it, despite how successful he's been.
I agree 100%. I like "On Writing" for its autobiographical content more than its advice on writing. King really downplays revision, for instance. That may be why he's so prolific, and why so much of his work doesn't have much depth.
Yea. And King takes a narrow minded approach, like many books on how to do anything does and don't not recognize other methods or approaches. But it is one of the few good books focusing on discovery writing.
There are no 'Must read to become a writer' books out there. Read what is closest to your topic and maybe something that is not just to expand your experience. As for inspiration... No book can inspire me, as well as no movie. I get all my inspiration from music as many words are not understandable and the imagination wonders how to fill in the blanks in such a way that would provide great interest. It may be only me, but I am certain that some other writers would find great inspiration from rock songs.
i have to agree wholeheartedly with all banzai had to say!... he's hit the nails square on their heads and driven them home...
"On Being a Writer" is an intersting compilation of short essays compiled and edited by Bill Strickland. Included in it are Ernest Hemingway, Norman Mailer, John Steinbeck, William Faulkner, Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegut, James Michener, James Dickey, Jean Auel and others. Interesting tidbits and insights, but not a "how to".
If we're talking books about writing that aren't "how-tos", then I'd recommend any and all available volumes of the Paris Review interviews. Since the Paris Review started in the 1950s, they've interviewed tons of the most important writers, from Ernest Hemingway to Isak Dinesen to David Mitchell to Maya Angelou. And the interviews are long and deep and fascinating.
I'm interested in books that teach the mechanics of writing not how to be inspired. In the same way that you couldn't design and build a new engine without knowing first how an engine works. Similarly whilst it is possible to play an instrument without knowing musical theory, the best musicians are well versed in scales, arpeggios, harmony, counterpoint etc.
The point about reading as much as you possibly can isn't about inspiration, it's about craft. The musician knows all those scales and arpeggios, true, but he also knows how to use those tools to achieve different effects. Think about handling the death of a sympathetic character. Dickens would be maudlin and sentimental. Terry Pratchett would be semi-comic. Piers Paul Reed would be detached and clinical. A pulp horror writer would be detailed and gory. You can learn all you like about pronouns and adjectives, about point of view, about concrete and abstract nouns, about free writing and editing and so on, but you'll only be able to actually use those things well if you've read a lot of varied works.
Absolutely but the point is to find information that helps you to think critically about writing and to be able to apply that critical faculty to your own. For example it's all well and good knowing that writer X writes beautifully. It's another kettle of fish to be able to deconstruct why you find beauty in writing - to be able to say: Writer X writes well because he uses simile to express internal emotions, or because the flow of his dialogue is convincing and natural or because he manages to change the pace of the narrative between scenes of action or rest through quick, sparsely punctuated sentences. Writing with awareness and control. That doesn't mean you relegate every piece of writing to a technical exercise - it's like a master musician who instinctively draws on the years of training to be able to create sublime performances.
Beginnings, Middles and Ends, by Nancy Kress - the best "how to" book I've ever come across. Gives a brief overview of everything, but focuses specifically on plot development. A high recommendation from me.
What role has your reading played in your writing ? Do you see Reading and Writing as equally important skills?
