stonewall

I've probably cheated myself since I've read very little: maybe twenty books cover to cover. I'll take a book and read a chapter, but seldom more. Reading too much of a given author might be disadvantageous: your work start soundeing like she/he. You don't want that. I believe my style is unique since no author has influenced me. I wrote one horror mystery simply because Steven King did and look at him now. I really didn't think I could write horror, so I surprised myself. Have courage fellow writers you too might surprise yourself. And I've written a historical romance. Men aren't suppose to do that. And a sequel.

At the moment I'm w/o a WIP. My wife and I have been I'll, but we're better now. I'm thinking about starting one soon. I'm torn between a ninth PI Harry Walker Mystery or a second sequel to my historical novel. One day soon I'll decide and I'll become possessed. I need but one thought to get it going. My work is driven by what I wrote yesterday and nightly dreams. You'd be surprised how fast a storyline can develop if you work ten hours a day six days each week. It beats imagination.
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Mae West said; Charlie, is that a gun in your pocket or are you just glad to see me.

Becca

Man you sound so dedicated. I wish I could be like that. I guess it just takes self discipline. Which is not my strong suit. lol. Congrats on having tons of ideas and getting tons written.

About not reading too much.....I think we as writers need to read. I think it's probably a natural instinct in a writer, most writers anyway. I think we can learn alot just by reading one novel by one author. More then style. Maybe I'm just a little newbie but when I read a novel (at the moment White Oleander) I look at characterization and how conflict sneaks up on the characters and all that stuff. I think now I'm just rambling cuz my thoughts are scattered, as usual. (There is no organization to me lol) Do you only read one chapter because the story just doesn't interest you? Or because you're making a conscience decision to avoid coping that authors style?

Anyway, just some of my thoughts.

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~*~Becca~*~

AdamR

I agree with Becca. Reading is required. Yes, you should be very careful not to adapt to the author's style, but I think by reading other's styles, you will learn your own style more easily. I know I have my own style, and I know I couldn't write some of the things I do now if I hadn't read a lot of other author's styles.

It's just like painting. You can learn how to paint well on your own and through practice, but you can do it much faster if you read "how to paint" books and watch other artists, or even study finished works. No painter can be the same. No matter how much you conciously try to copy another painter you can't do it. So why wouldn't you make your own style when you're not trying to copy?

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"Excellence in all things, and all things to the glory of God."
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stonewall

[quote="Becca"] Do you only read one chapter because the story just doesn't interest you? Or because you're making a conscience decision to avoid coping that authors style?

Thanks for the reply. I don't enjoy reading. It has been said that the beginning of a novel is critical: you got to hook the reader early. I don't believe it. Few novel hook me in the first few pages. I read some pages just to see what's so great about the so-called best sellers of the world.

My son who teaches computers in China insists that I read "Stupid White Men."

I stopped by the library and checked out a copy. This author is like me. H e thinks much of what goes on in the world, and particularly politics, is wrought by stupid white men.

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Mae West said; Charlie, is that a gun in your pocket or are you just glad to see me.

Elphaba

Oh, I agree-- definitely read, read, read!! I used to be afraid that reading too much while writing would dull my own style, but I found that not only was I missing out on too much, my own writing suffered from it. I did not go to college, opting to stay at home and raise our children instead, but I found education in books. From reading authors who knew their stuff, at the very least my grammar skills improved.

I think at first all writers go through this very thing, but after a while of writing and getting used to "yourself", you can easily segue back and forth between your own style and reading someone else's.

Lastly, maybe contradicting what I said above, many famous writers were certainly influenced by writers they studied, and it shows up in their work in subtle ways. I don't necessarily think of that as a bad thing.

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"Strange things are afoot at the Circle K..."

Capulet

I may be just a "stupid white guy," but I do have some thoughts on the subject.

Ignorance of the styles and stories of others does not mean you won't create a style like theirs, or redo a story that's already been done. The first is a weird coincidence, the second can stop you from being published.

If you write a story and an publisher goes "hey wow, this is just as good as when Hubbard wrote it... in 1978" you may find yourself with something you can be very proud of writing, but with very little tangible worth as a publishable piece.

It's important to study the works of others. Athletes sit in darkened rooms and watch hours and hours of film both on the playing styles of others, and their own. There's no need to reinvent the wheel, and you can learn as much about writing from reading stories as you can textbooks.

The one thing that can be said about all the books you can pick up at a store is that someone thought highly enough of their writing to pay them. if your goal is to be published, it can't hurt to see what other people are doing right and potentially add it into your repertoire of techniques.

Sensible advice from stupid whity, who would have thought it possible?

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It's not opression when you are protecting the voice of the majority.

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