Thread: Is it wrong for me to be a Writer

Is it wrong for me to try to be an author if i've never read a full chapter book? Thanks to the internet and occassionally TV and Movies, i've managed to get a certain amount of information about certain books and the authors that wrote them. I know about the books written by R.L. Stine and J.R.R. Tolkien but i've never actually read them. I have read parts of the Redwall books but i got most of my information about them from either looking online or watching the TV adaptation. Is it wrong to try and be a writer myself?

I don't think so. You can teach yourself certain things. It's kind of like...

Well, I have a hobby of quilling (involves the art of rolling thin paper strips). If, for some reason, watching someone quill is something people do, I could watch him do it, and learn how to do it in a way. And just like with reading- it doesn't directly correlate to writing. There are obstacles that won't be obvious to you when you watch- or read something, but certainly watching or reading can help. Seeing a pro do something always makes it easier than it really is.

I taught myself how to quill, but that's just because it's not like there are classes out there for it everywhere. I don't know anyone that does it. But for writing, there are books readily available to back-handedly give you ideas for plot twists and how to describe certain things and what one could leave out, etc.

I used directions to teach myself, I experimented. There are resources where you too could learn how to write, through this forum and other sources, but sometimes, it's good to see someone's result.

Bottom line? Sure you can still write, but there could be more obstacles for you to cross.

Originally Posted by srebak

Is it wrong for me to try to be an author if i've never read a full chapter book?

Heck no!

How or why would it be wrong? You may not be the best at it at first, but no one is. We all need practice and guidance. I think it will help you become a stronger writer if you read plenty of books. Just because they help us to learn the different techniques, plotting, styles and voices that a writer uses. But that's not to say it's wrong to want to be an author. Maybe you'll be one of the best there is. Maybe you just have a natural talent for it and your writing will be brilliant. Who knows.

If you want to do something, like being a writer, no one can tell you what the right way is. We're all different, and go about learning it differntly.

Yes

You learn so much about writing from reading books (including books with significant flaws in them) which you won't find in any writing guide. That doesn't mean reading the 'Must Read 100' (which is garbage), however I do believe you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't read.

If you have never read how are you going to tell whether what you have written is any good, you will have no valid means by which to make comparisons. Reading and practice, the more you understand the basics of the craft the higher your imagination will be able to soar...

Originally Posted by srebak

Is it wrong to try and be a writer myself?

Wrong? No, there's no right and wrong about it, but conventional wisdom is that to be a writer you need to also be a reader. If you haven't read much in the past, there's no reason why you can't begin now, while you're learning the craft.

I don't think being a writer is "right or wrong", it is either being a "good or not-so-good" writer. Either way, it's always good to supplement your writing with a few good reads.

And of course, the book tends to be better than the movie/tv show itself, so you should give it a try!

All the stars do it. Why not you? I bet even the kardashians got book deals. Nah, don't tell me...

Asking whether it's right or wrong is an unanswerable, if not irrelevant, question.

The question you need to ask is whether you can become a good writer without ever reading a book. Most people will tell you the answer to that is a resounding no. There are two key stages to being a 'good' writer. One of them is imagination. Maybe that's your strong point. However, a good imagination is only backed up by the way in which the author presents the ideas. This is where the second stage, presentation, comes in. If your writing is all over the place stylistically, it doesn't matter how good your ideas are; your work will always be hindered by poor presentation.

There are some people who are naturally talented and can write beautiful prose without ever having picked up a book. These are few and far between. The reality, in my opinion, is that if you want to further your craft you have to start taking reading seriously.

writing is free.

Ask yourself why you have never finished reading a book. That answer might tell you certain things about your potential as a writer and the obstacles you will have to overcome before you succeed. Maybe you dislike stories. Maybe you dislike people/characters. Maybe you lack patience or the discipline to finish a long-term project. I do not know why you dislike books and reading, but I see problems for someone who dislikes reading becoming a writer. You are not the only one. I dislike most fiction, and I struggle as a storyteller, or at least a conventional storyteller who could develop a market following. There might be some people out there who might like what I write but these people don't buy books because they are like me - they don't like fiction. C.M.

You're certainly free to try though writing a novel is hard work (except for a blessed few). There are many stops along the way where you've got to gut out what happens next and write it rather than having it come easy. If you don't know what the finished product is really supposed to be like what will you do in those times? Why do you want to tackle the production of something you only know by rough description?

If you don't read, and only go by television, movies, and internet, I can't imagine ending up with a book that isn't full of hackneyed clichés and slang. Not to mention characters that are more caricatures. Any book adaptations you see on TV or in movies are cut and trimmed to fit within a time frame. The internet is like reading a cheat sheet.

IMHO, to be a good writer you have to love reading, love words, love learning how other people put them together into something special. So if you want to be a writer, start reading (and finish what you start!).

Hi,
You do what you want to do. As long as no-one gets hurt, or any laws are broken. Best of luck.