Writers who don't read

E.G. Gammon · Dec 22, 2005

Ok, I'm not saying I NEVER read, but lately I've been going through a phase where every book I pick up just doesn't interest me. I don't think I've read an entire book in 6 or 7 months. I just go into a book store, look around, read a little about each book I pick up, maybe thumb through some of the pages but - NOTHING. Nothing seems to interest me. And if I do happen to buy a book I think might be a good read, I get a few chapters into it and I lose interest - at least to the point where I would rather be working on my own writing than reading the book I bought... Has anyone else experienced (or are now experiencing) this?

I need to get over this rut I'm in. It's getting frustrating because I know that writers need to read and it's been so long for me. I just can't decide what I'm exactly "into" right now. People say you're supposed to read the kinds of things you are writing, but what I'm writing now has such an epic plot (a fusion of many different plot devices) and a unique structure that it's impossible for me to find something that relates to it - which may not be that bad of a thing, but I digress. I'm just really frustrated and upset right now, because I seem to be gaining interest in writing but losing interest in reading. And, I definitely can't expect someone to read my writing if I lack the interest to read theirs. I am currently working to get through a deep depression, which may be part of the reason for me not being interested in reading lately, but it can't be the entire cause. Hopefully there's someone out there who relates to my problem and can offer up a solution or at least provide some much needed and desired advice.

unthoughtknown · Dec 22, 2005

Usually, it takes me AGES to get into a book. Especially classics. Once I get past the first few chapters - sometimes, a lot of persistence is required - the momentum starts and I race to the end.

I thought it was just a Jen thing.

emeraldcite · Dec 22, 2005

It takes me between 30 and 50 pages for a book to really catch me. Sometimes, I really need to charge ahead. I've found that I've been putting more books down about halfway through due to disinterest. I figure at this point in my life, there are many books that I really want to read and I'm not going to force myself to finish one that doesn't hook me by the mid-point. If I can't keep going, I have plenty of books on my "read these now, punk!" pile.

DamaNegra · Dec 22, 2005

Heheh I don't read as many books as I'd like because the nearest bookstore is quite far away and only reachable by car (which I don't have) and I don't always have the money to buy books.

The only book I've EVER put down before finishing is 'María' by... sheesh I don't even remember his name. It took him about a hundred pages of description to say there was a flower by the road. Seriously, description is nice but too much of it makes me dizzy.

veinglory · Dec 22, 2005

It go through phazes. I read a lot and I write a lot, but rarely at the same time. I think part of the reason is that writing is a way i tell myself stories, so it tales the place of writing. but partly because I have a limited amount of time outside of work so when I am doing one activity the other tends to suffer.

However I can *always* find something to read in the non-fiction section--that's just my thing. So if book are all looking a bit 'blah' I develop a new non-fiction interest. currently its magic, religion and the occult in ancient greek. fascinating stuff and potential research for writing!

CampCreek · Dec 22, 2005

I go through fazes, too, where I don't want to read a lot. Those times, I'll have some sort of fluff book to read, something that doesn't take a lot of brain power to get through but is still atleast halfway interesting. I don't read many bodice rippers, but Nora Roberts holds my interest at those "brain vacation" times, so I save her books for when I'm just not enthused enough to put a lot of effort into reading. Same with Harry Potter ~ also easy to read.

A side note ~ don't discount the depression causing this, EG. I find that when I'm deeply depressed, it's hard for anything to hold my attention long enough to get through it. Don't beat yourself up over it. That just makes it worse. Just relax and write if that's what you feel like doing. The yen to read will come back in a little while I'll bet. When I was my mother's caretaker before her death and then after, I was pretty depressed. It was a solid year before I could read anything. Anything at all. So cut yourself some slack, man. It'll come back.

Mike Martyn · Dec 22, 2005

I typically would read two books a week and that's been my pracrice for the last forty years. I' d never have difficulting finding lots of interesting books to read at the local library.

I've been writing for only a little over a year now (Two novels, one a stinker, the second one better).

I couple of months ago, I did my usual library visit and I couldn't find any thing that interested me, just like you in your bookstore.

The most amazing book was the one I was writing and I simply couldn't get into anything else. Like you, I found this disturbing.

For whatever reason, it seems to have passed probably because now, I have a pretty good idea as to the ending. Hope this helps.

.

ChaosTitan · Dec 22, 2005

Let's see, so far this year I think I have started and NOT finished:

"The Godfather," Mario Puzo
"Firestarter," Stephen King
"Legion," William Peter Blatty
"The Last Full Measure," Jeff Shaara
"Star Trek SCE: Book One," various

And these are all books on my shelves, bought with the intention of reading them some day. Haven't finished any of them yet. :Shrug:

-Kelly

Jamesaritchie · Dec 22, 2005

Books

I can't really relate because I've never had a time when reading wasn't one of the most enjoyable things I could be doing. I love reading more than writing.

But I would say the library is a better bet than bookstores. At the library you can take chances, check out a couple of dozen books for free, then take them home and work through them at whatever speed you like.

scarletpeaches · Dec 22, 2005

I've had times when I've read less, but that's been due to illness, or looming deadlines...Reading is always a pleasure to me; it keeps me sane(ish).

Honestly, if you could do it in the dark I wouldn't see the need for a sex life.

Okay, maybe I exaggerated there.

loquax · Dec 22, 2005

Writers who write but don't read are better than writers who read but don't write.

SC Harrison · Dec 22, 2005

For me, reading has become more than a pastime. Every night before I even try to go to sleep, I read for an hour (or more). I think it allows my brain to wind down, or sort out all the mess that's been hounding me; without this session, I will toss and turn for hours sometimes.

Since I began to write (seriously) a few years ago, I sometimes find myself closely scrutinizing the mechanics or plot in a novel, subconsciously looking for flaws. This often happens when I'm in the middle of a writing spurt, and I think it may be a projection of the concerns about my own abilities, as opposed to an actual analysis of the author's work I'm reading.

I usually check out two or three books at a time from the library, so if I start one that I don't immediately like, I'll set it aside until I finish one of the others. More often than not, when I pick it up again, I don't have the same problem getting into the story. I'm kind of a slut when it comes to books; I'll sleep with almost anything.

pepperlandgirl · Dec 22, 2005

I have at least six books which I have either started reading, or planned to read, but have been tossed aside.

Dead Man's Walk--Larry McMurty
Christine Stephen King
The Historian (Which I bought on a whim, and I haven't started it yet, but I have read so many bad reviews that I'm not sure I want to start it!)
and three others that I can't remember for the life of me. Bah!

Of course, I haven't been writing either. Every since the first of this month, I have been in a serious, serious rut.

CampCreek · Dec 22, 2005

SC Harrison said:
For me, reading has become more than a pastime. Every night before I even try to go to sleep, I read for an hour (or more). I think it allows my brain to wind down, or sort out all the mess that's been hounding me; without this session, I will toss and turn for hours sometimes.

I do the same thing! I think that's part of why I hadn't been reading much ~ DH brought the dreaded TV into the bedroom. *shudder* I've succeeded in getting him to turn it off after about an hour, but I think I need to push for kicking it out alltogether.

I'm kind of a slut when it comes to books; I'll sleep with almost anything.

September skies · Dec 22, 2005

I read about two to three books a month and each time, once I start, I can't put them down and read them in two or three days.
I've always loved to read and never have a problem finding something I like.
If the jacket sounds intriguing, more than not, I'll enjoy it. But time is precious, so if I"m not into it by chapter three or four, I toss it aside. But that rarely ever happens. (2 or 3 times) and then there are times that I figure I've devoted so much time to the book, I might as well continue and see if it gets better.

xhouseboy · Dec 22, 2005

There's certain books that I've read time and time again. Naomi's Room is one such book. I read it about once every two years. It's so claustrophobic and frightening, and yet I'm constantly drawn back to it like a drug that I can't do without for too long.

The strange thing about this book, though, (and I must have read it at least 5 times) is that were you to ask me to explain the entire plot I would have trouble doing so. It's not that it's too difficult, and I can ryhme off verbatim the plots of novels I've read only the once, it's that in some sense this book so disturbs me that I suspect that I subconsciouly wipe it from my mind and then go crawling back to it whenever my masochistic tendencies get the better of me.

SC Harrison · Dec 22, 2005

Josephine Colter said:
I do the same thing! I think that's part of why I hadn't been reading much ~ DH brought the dreaded TV into the bedroom. *shudder* I've succeeded in getting him to turn it off after about an hour, but I think I need to push for kicking it out alltogether.

Just do a compromise: make him watch it with the volume all the way down with closed captions. That way you can read and he can watch. Just don't let him watch Comedy Central, or he'll be laughing and then trying to tell you what was so funny. Although the jury will probably sympathise, I doubt if they'll let you off completely.

katiemac · Dec 22, 2005

EG, I know how you feel. I've had the same kind of slumps before. Rather than trying to open up a new book, I'll reread something I know I like, and it usually jump starts me into reading again. Not always helpful, and sometimes it doesn't work, so I just have to keep looking. Usually I'll try recommendations from friends first, so at least it's not a complete blind jump.

I've got a couple of stress-free weeks ahead after the holidays wind down, so I plan on doing a lot of reading. The only gift I've asked for is a certificate to B&N, so if I find something extra-good I'll let you know.

cleoauthor · Dec 22, 2005

I can't imagine not reading every day. It's not a chore; it's something I look forward to. In fact, I would never have become interested in writing if I hadn't been an avid reader first. I wanted to create worlds that would suck other people in as I had been sucked into from the time I was a little kid.

Going to a bookstore -- or a library, for that matter -- is always overwhelming to me. There are so many books I want to read. I even have a tee-shirt that says "So many books, so little time."

When I teach writing courses, the best advice I can offer writers is to read, read and then read some more. I don't even think it matters what you read -- whether it's in your writing genre or not. Heck, the ingredients on the back of my cereal box can keep me amused all morning! Reading allows you to become familiar with writing styles and techniques and opens your mind to new experiences.

A writer who doesn't read is, in my humble opinion, like a cook who doesn't eat. It's simply an alien concept to me.

Didn't mean to rant, but I do think reading is an essential part of the writer's job. Oh, there I go again...

FolkloreFanatic · Dec 22, 2005

I don't think I've read a single book from cover to cover since early college. A lot of that is the narcolepsy, but it's partially a matter of impatience with my own writing. I pick up something and want to write about it before I've reached the end, or better yet, I want to rewrite the entire book!

Maybe it's a rebellion from those days in high school of never skipping ahead in a story or passing over the boring sections. I used to force myself to plod through them, and it drove me nuts. Now I can't seem to stay awake through a single chapter (again, mostly because of the sleeping disorder).

That isn't to say I don't read volumes every day. I read countless magazines, newspapers, web pages and the like for at least three hours out of every twenty-four. That is how I excuse the lack of interest in finishing books.

I don't think I'll ever be able to read another fiction book in its entirety until I finish one of my own. It's a self-imposed mental roadblock; sometimes I purposely skip several pages or a chapter so that I haven't really read the entire thing...

mdin · Dec 22, 2005

I personally think it's vital to read as much as you can, whenever you can. I am always reading something, often several somethings.

Mistook · Dec 22, 2005

E.G. Gammon said:
It's getting frustrating because I know that writers need to read and it's been so long for me. I just can't decide what I'm exactly "into" right now. People say you're supposed to read the kinds of things you are writing, but what I'm writing now has such an epic plot (a fusion of many different plot devices) and a unique structure that it's impossible for me to find something that relates to it - which may not be that bad of a thing, but I digress.

It's not a bad thing at all. It's called being original. Obviously you've had your fill of the standard fare for now, and you're looking for something new and interesting that's along the lines of what you're working on. The trouble is you can't find it out there.

E.G. Gammon said:
I'm just really frustrated and upset right now, because I seem to be gaining interest in writing but losing interest in reading.

It's as simple as this... you can either screw your muse and waste another month or two looking for a good book, or you can screw the lousy bookstore and get to work. How can you look at gaining interest in writing as a bad thing? Talk about the negative effects of peer pressure.

E.G. Gammon said:
And, I definitely can't expect someone to read my writing if I lack the interest to read theirs.

Why? That logic only computes if you assume that every fiction reader is also a fiction writer, and that the only reason any of them are going to read you is because they're returning a favor. There are readers who don't aspire to be writers (or at least there used to be) and all they care about is what you've written, not what you've read. So write!

E.G. Gammon said:
I am currently working to get through a deep depression, which may be part of the reason for me not being interested in reading lately, but it can't be the entire cause. Hopefully there's someone out there who relates to my problem and can offer up a solution or at least provide some much needed and desired advice.

Depression or not, nobody out here is ever going to give you a permission slip not to read (except for me). But it's absolute lunacy to think that the wise thing to do is to stop writing because you haven't been reading. Absolute lunacy, when as you said, your interest in writing is increasing.

Stop feeling guilty! Of all the things a writer has to deal with, guilt should never be one of them. The only reason to read is because you want to read. And if you can't find anything you like, or if you simply aren't in the mood, then screw it. Don't let that stop you from writing.

zeprosnepsid · Dec 22, 2005

I'm always reading a book. But sometimes I'm not reading very much of it. I try to read a couple pages a night before bed at the very least to stay involved in the book.

I don't read 20th century fiction. I'm kind of a snob like that. But I've tried to read a couple things here and there and haven't found really anything that recent worth my time. So I can see how you could go into a book store and not have anything grab you. But it's all in what you like...

Pencilone · Dec 23, 2005

It happens to me sometimes too, when the 'little Hitler' inside me tells me that I should be writing and not relaxing. Just because for me reading is equivalent to relaxing. And I cannot relax when I know I am well behind my own deadlines. Of course, I can also get soooo worked up, that I'm not writing and I'm not reading either, but just worrying myself that I'm not doing what I should be doing. I'm not sure if it makes sense what I say. I guess I'm in that phase right now.

BlueTexas · Dec 23, 2005

Try reading a genre you've never read before--this has worked for me. Course, eventually you run out of genres, but I bet you find something.

Or better yet, re-read an old favorite and pick it apart as a writing lesson.

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