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Posted: December 9, 2012

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Are you reading enough? Enough to be a good writer?

Forums > Art Related > Literature

`PinkyMcCoversong Dec 9, 2012 Professional Writer

It's that simple. Answer the questions and defend.

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*Vigilo Dec 14, 2012 Student Writer

No, and definitely no.

=KWhipkey Dec 11, 2012 Professional Writer

I'd like to think so. I read constantly, probably more than I write, if I'm being honest. But it's not always just for pleasure. While reading, I have a tendency to automatically be in editor mode, so I dissect what I'm reading as I read it. Sometimes that can be a pretty annoying habit, but I feel it also hones my understanding of the craft. I can see what passages work well and why, and I can see places where maybe the manuscript could have been improved. Obviously, I have no say over it, and my opinion differs from that of the professional editor that approved the title, but I still feel like it's good practice. It hones my abilities as a freelance editor, but more importantly, I can take what I found that's good and apply it to my own writing.

!The-Theory-Liz Dec 11, 2012 Hobbyist Writer

I'm reading and writing about evenly, when I am not working on school work that is.

I could always read and write more though.

~carusmm Dec 10, 2012 Student Writer

My problem is that I get so easily distracted.

~Degyfridou Dec 10, 2012

Same. It doesn't help that I type out my short stoies on Microsoft Word '07. The interwebs is a magical place.

~GhostInThePines Dec 9, 2012 Hobbyist Photographer

I know I'm not reading enough to be a good writer at the moment. I haven't for months really. But at this point, I decided that I needed to put down the books and the photography and my other projects long enough to get the first draft of my manuscript finished! All the other things were major distractions in that regard. I'll go back to reading again when I can start working on the rewrites and editing.

`fllnthblnk Dec 9, 2012 Hobbyist Writer

Hell to the no. I'm terrible at this shit. I've had my ups and downs, but I'm in a major reading slump right now--which probably correlates to my major writing slump. Do you personally think there's a connection between reading input and writing output?

`PinkyMcCoversong Dec 10, 2012 Professional Writer

Yes. Absolutely. I think reading encourages us to think like storytellers. And all kinds of other things I'm too tired to type. A writer should be reading as much as he writes.

`cybergranny Dec 9, 2012 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

I confess that I rarely read and write poetry nowadays.
I have had periods where I used to read a lot, and I just figured that my lack of writing is correlated with my lack of reading books.

=Lucy-Merriman Dec 9, 2012 Student General Artist

It's funny that you say that. I recently have been making a concerted effort to read more poetry, because I keep writing poetry, and it occurred to me that I really ought to be, you know, devouring the stuff in the genre I write in the most. I mean, htf do I think reading novels will help me write poems?

Same with plays. I tend to resist reading plays because they're inherently visual, and the optimal way to experience them is to see them performed. Reading a script is like peeking behind-the-scenes-- it kinda ruins the magic. But, it also shows you how the trick was done, so, yeah. Something I should do more.

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