Some books, when I sit down to read
them, are so impressive or intimidating or amazing that they make me
never want to write again. They make me question my entire career
decisionmaking process (not that that's too difficult). Obviously,
that's my problem, though, not the books' problem. It's not the
author's fault that they're so awesome—in fact, I'm sure they put a
ton of work into it and deserve it. Anyway. There are other books,
though, that, when I sit down and start reading them, make me excited
in a different way—make me want to open my notebook or my
word-processing program and start writing, too. They make me eager.
They make me gleeful. I'm reading one of those now: Mad Love by
Suzanne Selfors. I'm only a few pages in, but I'm getting that
I-want-to-write-right-now feeling.
I'm not sure what the difference is, or
even if there IS one—it could be as simple as a difference in mood
on my own part. Or maybe it's that the writing resonates with me in
some underlying way—the style? The tone? It's hard to say. It's not
as though those books that make me want to give up entirely DON'T
resonate; they do. But they usually, in some way, make me feel like
they're "up there" at the top of some pinnacle of
awesomeness, and I'm "down here" just trying to muddle
along, and when such incredible works exist, why should I bother when
I could never do half as well?
And of COURSE it isn't the case that
the books which make me want to eagerly start writing are not also
awesome books. They're great books, too. It's very hard to put my
finger on what the difference is, which is why I guess I have to
assume that it's me and not the books. Does this happen to anyone
else? I can't help thinking that if I could figure out what the
difference is, what it is that makes some books spark that need to
write, maybe I'd realize something important (or at least
interesting) about my own writing.
1 comments:
I don't often get a feeling of "Ooh, want to write!" while I'm reading. If a book is good, I simply disappear into it -- I've never learned the knack of critical reading while reading a book I love -- books I hate, however, I'm well able to pick apart as I go.
It's only AFTER I'm finished reading a book I love that I can jot down a few thoughts: why did this appeal? How did the way the writer dealt with the character in Scenario 4 cross into something I can do with character A,B, or C in MY scenario 4? It doesn't always work -- and I have to be really careful that those types of questions don't lead me to write something derivative -- but that's what good writing inspires in me.
I think I'm missing something, though; I'm sure reading excellent work should send me to heights much higher than "how can I copy this?" but I am not that evolved yet. ;)
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