Comments on: Help! I’ve Forgotten how to Read!

By: Simon Haynes

Simon Haynes — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:32:33 +0000

Seeing Karen’s Navy pilot comment reminded me - I’m a lousy back seat driver. If anyone has the misfortune to drive me around I’m not only 100% aware of signs, traffic, speed limits, I’m also pressing phantom pedals.

So - maybe writers are back seat readers?

By: Ryan Viergutz

Ryan Viergutz — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:30:23 +0000

Oh very yes.

After writing three books (one finished a few days ago!) I can still read for pleasure, but a book has to be that much better to keep my attention. I’m also devouring the books that I’m surprised I hadn’t read yet, and actually often being pleasantly surprised with them.

I can think of at least three books this year that were actually even more fun to read when I realised how they had been created. It’s a weird feeling to be deeply immersed in something when I can see its structure.

By: Karen Wester Newton

Karen Wester Newton — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:23:08 +0000

I think this is true of any profession. My dad used to be a pilot in the Navy and it took him years to be able to fly on a commercial plane without almost putting his foot through the floor as he tried to steer the plane. When my brother worked as a movie projectionist in high school, he was no fun to sit next to at movies because he kept noticing things like the reel changeover prompts. I once went to a banquet with a banquet director, and instead of enjoying his meal, he kept critiquing the planning, menu, and implementation of the banquet.

So, when you pick your profession, you can change an activity from fun to work. Chose wisely, grasshopper!

By: Bran fan

Bran fan — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 23:00:57 +0000

Ah, the great irony of our profession. We started writing because we love books, but the more we write, the less we enjoy what we read. All my writer friends are in the same boat. I can’t even enjoy movies anymore. Same problem, I critique as I go.

One trick that has worked for me is to get my for-pleasure reading in a genre I don’t write. I write SF but read mysteries for fun.

If you find the purely for-pleasure book, please let us know. Since writers are such picky readers, it should be a wonderful book.

By: David de Beer

David de Beer — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:42:08 +0000

> Would you believe I used to reread books?

ah, good times!

I’ll echo Simon’s comment, although I do stop short of defiling my lovelies with pen & pencils scrabblings:) not for lack of temptation at times…but yes, enjoyment is still very much there. Just not always.

By: Jim C. Hines

Jim C. Hines — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:17:21 +0000

I’ve seen some fading here as well. I eventually got better at turning down the writer-brain. Now I just need to get better at shutting out the “should” and reading something purely because I want to.

By: Kate Elliott

Kate Elliott — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:06:20 +0000

I’ve had to retrain myself, in a way.

Some books still bowl me over unreservedly. In other cases, I have taught myself to ignore little things if there’s enough else that I really like. However, there are some plot devices and/or writing habits that toss me right out (which they are is idiosyncratic to me - others might not be bothered by them).

Because I don’t want to go through the rest of my life not being able to read for the love of it.

By: Kelly McCullough

Kelly McCullough — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:32:44 +0000

P.S. I do find that the effect has begun to fade. It was worst in the year before I made my first novel sale–I suspect because a part of me was jealously saying “and this gets published?! Argh!” The farther I get from the phone call from my agent, the mellower I am about critiquing things that come bound as books.

By: Simon Haynes

Simon Haynes — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:52:13 +0000

I can still read for pleasure, but it has to be an engrossing book. If it gets boring my mind wanders and my internal editor starts picking at the writing. I start rewording sentences as I’m reading them, and with a couple of books - I kid you not - I’ve got so annoyed I picked up a pencil and started proofing them.

By: S.C. Butler

S.C. Butler — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:33:01 +0000

Maybe I’m lucky, but I still read mostly for pleasure. I read a lot more genre than I used to because now I have to read books I might not otherwise have read (for all the reasons you mention), but I still read what I think is going to be fun. It helps if you enjoy lots of different kinds of books, from crap to classics. The only time I get really critical is when the book fails to deliver as promised, whether it’s cheap thrills or deep insight.