"50 books in a year? No problem! I read that much in my sleep."
Um, actually, I don't. I don't read nearly the amount I thought I did. Consider me woken up and the coffee smelled. Despite the fact that I'm a speed reader (I've read 1000 words/minute with 100% comprehension since tested in 8th grade), life requires a lot of time, too. Plus, there's that whole writing thing I do.
I find it hard to read too much when I'm deep in my writing process. My brain doesn't want any characters but the ones who currently occupy my thinking. I also try not to read anything paranormal/fantasy while writing since my stories always have that bent and I worry about being influenced or unwittingly "borrowing" something.
Still, I've done a good job plowing through the Sookie Stackhouse books, even tho they're squarely in the paranormal category. They're different enough that I don't think there's any chance for crossover into my own work. Do you have these same issues with your writing/reading habits? Or is it just me? Do you pick genres to read that are opposite what you're writing?
I don't know if I'll get my 50 books this year, but I'm certainly going to try. If I can finish writing/polishing my WIP by the end of Novemeber, then December will be a reading-palooza.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Why Kristen Can't Read
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You're doing a great job getting close to your goal. I too am afraid to borrow so I try and stay away from my own genre too much when I'm deep into writing. It's a good think I love historicals. I read them for pleasure all the time and it keeps me happy and still teaches me about character and emotion.
ReplyDeleteYes, some of us would like to be reading your book. :p
ReplyDeleteI can't read a lot of genre when I'm writing. I do read a lot of non fict-mostly historical. Right now I'm reading Women of the Revolution-but they're not fast reads like romances for me.
You need a 50+ category on your poll for those of us with no job and no life who read while the child is doing her classwork on the computer and who also read while going through stretches of being unable to write anything for weeks at a time. ;o)
ReplyDeleteI don't worry so much about borrowing ideas from the writers I read, but borrowing their voice. If I read someone who writes with a strong voice, I have to watch that my writing doesn't begin to sound like someone else.
I mostly read and edit screen plays, and if I have time I read Stephen King which keeps me from using any of those elements in my romances. Or at least I hope I don't use them! I often buy books and forget I have them to read when I get on a writing spree.
ReplyDeleteI do try to avoid reading in my genre while I'm writing, but it's hard because these are the books I love [hence being why I write them]. I'm always on the lookout for a new genre that will capture my interest enough to read it, but not so much that I want to switch gears and start writing it.
ReplyDeleteI checked my list- and I'm up to 49 books this year. I don't know how I did it, because I only read during the space it takes me to eat a bowl of cereal in the morning and a sandwich at lunch time. Hmm...I guess I must be a slow eater.
I am the opposite. I find that when I am hot and heavy into writing a book I read that genre. Right now I am writing about a vampire (I know, it's so been done) and I have read every chick-lit vampire novel out there I think. It gives me inspiration. When I was writing the paranoaml romance about the WWII battleship and it's ghosts I read true WWII battle stories and visited the Battleship North Carolina. Again, inspiration. I need all the inspiration I can get. LOL
ReplyDeleteI used to read upwards of a 100 novels a year but once I started writing that number dropped to 35 or 40.
ReplyDeleteI read different genres than what I'm writing at the moment, too.
ReplyDeleteI'll be lucky if I can reach 30 books by the end of the year.
"I've read 1000 words/minute with 100% comprehension since tested in 8th grade..."
ReplyDeleteI am so envious of your speed reading ability - but I agree - I find it HARD to read when I am deep into writing - even if I am only telling a short story.
I love that picture of CarriDee! I'm so glad she won.
ReplyDelete