For the reading to aid in writing, it has to be mindful and reflective.
For example, I picked a book, largely forgotten, which became required reading for a serial I’m publishing. As my character will trudge through the wilderness of Pacific Northwest, I needed that book tags a reference.
You know first thing that popped up? Calling woods timber. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that. Timber.
Or The Road. How he uses limbs (of a tree) to set the mood for the story (considering that it includes cannibalism).
Very interesting re. timber (tømmer in norwegian). A woodsman calling it the forest that would in my mind consider the forest a resource.
For me, I feel a sense of revelation everytime I read a Hemingway short story I haven’t read before. His technique is sublime and I gravitate towards it more and more as I read them.
I’ll say this - No Country for Old Men as things stand is the perfect book - fast action intertwined with tedious preparation, highbrow pulp, with heavy and deep philosophical themes, served through the plot itself.
Reading at the end of the day shows you how the story can be told and what the substance and feel of the story should be.
movies and tv shows and even games are good as they show what works plot-vise, and they are quicker to consume/ingest/be inspired by.
And by the way - this is another reason why reading is important. Critics say, “oh, it’s too pulpy” - but what those critics are good for anyways? You as an author need to calibrate your style, and these critics dont know what they are talking about anyway. If they did - they’d give Blood Meridian a Pulitzer back when it was published
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink 😁
The day before yesterday I posted a note encouraging new writers to read outside their genre to understand rhythm and style (I think I forgot to mention that learning rhythm and style was the reason for doing so🙄) Yesterday I posted a note encouraging writers to read academic articles to learn clarity of thought. But people do what makes them happy and many people like to set themselves impossible tasks! And writing (well) without reading many, many books is most certainly an impossible task. But I have also met some amazing writers here who do appreciate and honour their craft. These writers are my people. These people have also set themselves an impossible task but armed themselves appropriately to slay their own dragon.
Excellent notes. Aside from rhythm and style, also how to structure the book or story so that it never feels like a drag, or having stakes that doesn’t engage.
An addition this and the academic articles is reading well written biographies about people’s lives and thoughts.
A ficticious example is Roald Dahl when he wrote about his “uncle Oswald” (the book, of course, is now deemed “problematic”).
And overall, reading is fun and should be encouraged.
I’m no expert, and I can’t get an agent, so I’m obviously not doing something right myself! Biographies are great! I think my point about academic articles, reading above your station, is useful because it’s the kind of writing that, for me anyway, goes in one ear and out the other, but I can’t help getting engaged by the clarity of thought. Biographies are easy to understand, academic writing requires even more from the reader (if they are not familiar with the academic field being written about and if they are also not as ‘academic’ as the person writing the article). Structure is a good one to write about next.
Couldn't agree more! Reading is the fuel for every great writer. You can't master the craft without absorbing the greats first."
For the reading to aid in writing, it has to be mindful and reflective.
For example, I picked a book, largely forgotten, which became required reading for a serial I’m publishing. As my character will trudge through the wilderness of Pacific Northwest, I needed that book tags a reference.
You know first thing that popped up? Calling woods timber. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that. Timber.
Or The Road. How he uses limbs (of a tree) to set the mood for the story (considering that it includes cannibalism).
Yes, this is is exactly it.
Very interesting re. timber (tømmer in norwegian). A woodsman calling it the forest that would in my mind consider the forest a resource.
For me, I feel a sense of revelation everytime I read a Hemingway short story I haven’t read before. His technique is sublime and I gravitate towards it more and more as I read them.
I’ll say this - No Country for Old Men as things stand is the perfect book - fast action intertwined with tedious preparation, highbrow pulp, with heavy and deep philosophical themes, served through the plot itself.
Reading at the end of the day shows you how the story can be told and what the substance and feel of the story should be.
movies and tv shows and even games are good as they show what works plot-vise, and they are quicker to consume/ingest/be inspired by.
And by the way - this is another reason why reading is important. Critics say, “oh, it’s too pulpy” - but what those critics are good for anyways? You as an author need to calibrate your style, and these critics dont know what they are talking about anyway. If they did - they’d give Blood Meridian a Pulitzer back when it was published
I think games is an excellent medium, even better than TV/Movies, as they engage you actively.
And you're right about critics. They're mostly worthless! What do they know? Almost nothing.
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink 😁
The day before yesterday I posted a note encouraging new writers to read outside their genre to understand rhythm and style (I think I forgot to mention that learning rhythm and style was the reason for doing so🙄) Yesterday I posted a note encouraging writers to read academic articles to learn clarity of thought. But people do what makes them happy and many people like to set themselves impossible tasks! And writing (well) without reading many, many books is most certainly an impossible task. But I have also met some amazing writers here who do appreciate and honour their craft. These writers are my people. These people have also set themselves an impossible task but armed themselves appropriately to slay their own dragon.
Excellent notes. Aside from rhythm and style, also how to structure the book or story so that it never feels like a drag, or having stakes that doesn’t engage.
An addition this and the academic articles is reading well written biographies about people’s lives and thoughts.
A ficticious example is Roald Dahl when he wrote about his “uncle Oswald” (the book, of course, is now deemed “problematic”).
And overall, reading is fun and should be encouraged.
I’m no expert, and I can’t get an agent, so I’m obviously not doing something right myself! Biographies are great! I think my point about academic articles, reading above your station, is useful because it’s the kind of writing that, for me anyway, goes in one ear and out the other, but I can’t help getting engaged by the clarity of thought. Biographies are easy to understand, academic writing requires even more from the reader (if they are not familiar with the academic field being written about and if they are also not as ‘academic’ as the person writing the article). Structure is a good one to write about next.
This kind of blew my mind, and I whole heartedly agree. Imagine sending your manuscript out with the subject heading, Reading Is Optional
Haha, yes, exactly.