How do the things you read impact your writing? What do you
love to read? What do you avoid reading at all costs? How would your writing
change if you read more of the things you typically avoid?
Because I write mainly non-fiction, research determines much
of my reading material as I pore over facts to reference and cross reference. I
also read biographies in an effort to better understand the human condition. Voyeuristic
maybe, but looking at the lives of others often allows deeper insight into, and
understanding of ourselves. It is what I love and I lose myself in the minutiae
of situations many others would find boring. I also read a lot of poetry and
through appreciation of this I find a progression in my own poems through
experimentation with different poetic forms.
I avoid reading science fiction and fantasy and all their
sub genres, only reading it when requested to critique or appraise a piece of
writing or manuscript. On the other hand, I don’t mind repeat reads of fairy tales, particularly
when they’ve been given a new or contemporary treatment. I once wrote a
mythology for an assignment and enjoyed the process, although I had to
visualise it as a video game in order to progress through the different worlds.
There was a time when I used to read anything and everything, across most
genres. I worked my way through the massive tomes of Uris and devoured every
word written by Tolkien, introducing my children to The Hobbit in their
cradles. I burrowed into Watership Down, and engaged with the search for
freedom of Jonathon Livingstone Seagull. Writing this now, I can see I have
narrowed my own reading experience through too many years of study and teaching
others and perhaps I have withered my reader’s soul to some degree.
To answer how my writing might change if I were to read more
of the avoided genres is more difficult, however, I believe that as writers, we
are influenced by everything we read, either subconsciously or
consciously, if only in a small way, and carry this through into our
own writing. So I suppose my writing would change from broadened reading experience
and I might return to a more joyful state of literary freedom. Who knows?
It’s worth a try. Isn’t it?
~ Merlene Fawdry
~ Merlene Fawdry
Indeed it is worth a try, Merlene Fawdry.
ReplyDeleteYou really had to visualize your mythology as a video game to write it? That's awesome! :)
I firmly believe in reading for enjoyment. (And occasionally for information, when necessary.) Luckily I enjoy reading good poetry, so I hope it rubs off. I was an eclectic and voracious reader when young; now I read little fiction outside the fantasy genre and little n-f outside the esoteric. but whatever I read needs to be well-written or I've no patience with it. gain, I hope it rubs off.
ReplyDeleteEr, that was 'Again, I hope ...'
ReplyDeleteWatership Down is one of my favorite books. I have so many favorites though...
ReplyDeleteHow can you not fall in love with Hazel? :)
Loved this post. WRITE ON!
A non-fiction writer and one who avoids speculative fiction! So very different from me, but I really enjoyed reading this post all the same. : )
ReplyDelete