Comments on: Occupational hazards: can writing ruin your love of reading?

By: Sonia

Sonia — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 03:16:22 +0000

Reading all these comments from writers puts another nail in the coffin for me. I honestly thought I would be able to write something cohesive and non-embarrassing one day but now more than ever I’m enjoying my reading. I’m just a reader and I’m happy to stay that way for now.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:28:01 +0000

Thanks for visiting, Dottie, and for sharing your experiences from a musician’s perspective. I’m curious to know whether you find that your appreciation for music persists across all musical genres, or that it’s with certain pieces (and standards) that you really find yourself engaging with the music. I think the key point here is “well-crafted”, although I do think that readers/listeners will let matters of craft slide a little if they have different ideas about what to expect from a given work. For example, if I’m reading a mystery, I expect an excellent mystery plot, but may be a little more lenient on other elements. But if I’m reading literary fiction, I expect stunning prose and exquisite thematic and characterisation depth–and plot is secondary.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:22:02 +0000

Thanks for visiting, Karen. Do you find that those experiences play out with everything that you read, or that certain genres happen to be exempt from it? I find that I tend to be more critical of the genre that I write in, or genres that I feel should have excellent mechanics. I’m more forgiving with other books that fall outside these genres, I think.

Hopefully in amongst the issues that you pick up, though, you manage to find some instances of writers striving for new literary heights and achieving them with remarkable fluency. :) I love feeling that thrill that I get when I read something truly extraordinary. What a privilege!

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:18:32 +0000

Great points, Imelda. Thanks for taking the time to write such a thoughtful response. I wonder if it’s less a case of finding certain types of books unenjoyable *because* of our writing backgrounds, and perhaps more of a case of finding them unenjoyable because our reading tastes and expectations have changed as a result of learning more about writing craft (and reading craft at that).

I think that voracious readers, in comparison with casual readers, tend to have more sophisticated reading “ideals” in that they know the directions in which their tastes run. I’d argue that they’re probably also more likely to read to read a *book* as opposed to reading in order to be a part of the discussion around a particular book. After all, a casual reader is probably going to pick up a currently talked-about bestseller rather than some obscure tome due to a mix of availability and awareness. So I think that’s a factor as well.

I do think that reading so voraciously does result in us becoming a little jaded as readers at times. There have certainly been moments this year when I’ve thought, “my goodness, yet another book about topic X?”, and I do find myself cynically musing on whether something has been written for the market rather than because it has some inherent value that allows it to exist in its own right.

But I think that you’re completely right when you say that the highs are so much more striking. When you see what an author is trying to do, and they pull it off so beautifully, it’s a wonderful feeling. I had that a few years back with Cassandra Golds’s The Three Loves of Persimmon: that book felt almost as though it had been written specifically with me and my tastes in mind!

By: Dottie Hoopingarner

Dottie Hoopingarner — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 01:55:35 +0000

I am not a writer, but I wonder why the same phenomenon doesn’t occur with listening to music. As a musician, I can analyze a piece of music’s melody, harmony and form, and still be moved by the beauty of it. It seems that a writer might be able to do the same thing with a well-crafted piece of writing.

By: Karen Lin

Karen Lin — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 22:28:10 +0000

Boy can I relate to this. I still read a lot but I set a book aside for another one on the stack much quicker. I’m one of those picky editors that sees the issues with repitition, poor grammar, etc. and it drives me crazy…sometimes it is the seasoned best sellers that end up getting short-changed on their edits. I will never be able to simply enjoy a book again. I’m sad about that…but it comes with the territory. Karen

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 10:36:28 +0000

I’m both pleased and sorry to hear that it resonated with you!

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 02:59:42 +0000

Oh gosh yes! I had a “wake up” moment after I calculated how many books I have left to read before I die. It’s still over ten thousand, but that’s barely a drop in the ocean when you think about it!

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 02:58:49 +0000

I think that perhaps writers read for different reasons and with different goals from non-writer readers, and just as something isn’t always going to be the taste of a reader, it isn’t always going to be to the taste of a writer. I think that our personal preferences just become more overt when writing is our profession. For example, I read largely for beautiful writing, setting and character, so I tend to notice when those elements aren’t quite there, whereas plot issues I’ll happily let slip. Those same things have always bothered me as a reader, but they’re just more noticeable now as a writer. :)

The flip side of the coin is that you appreciate something done skilfully so much more than you might have otherwise! :)

By: Kate Forsyth

Kate Forsyth — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 02:55:56 +0000

I must admit I only read books for pleasure – I choose my own books and never promise to review any unless I know the author well and am sure they won’t let me down. Life’s too short to waste on books you don’t enjoy!