Reading & Writing

gettingby · Mar 24, 2012

How many short stories are you reading a week? What do you think the ratio between reading and writing short stories should be? I do believe reading short stories helps when it comes to writing them.

I asked about what literary journals people subscribe to in the literary thread, but it didn't get too many responses. Maybe it will get more here. I really love The Gettysburg Review right now. Which ones do you guys think are worth having a subscription to?

Polenth · Mar 24, 2012

I read stories all over the place, rather than having one or two markets I always read. It's not just about the quantity of stories you read, but making sure you get a good range of stories. As there are plenty of free-to-read markets online, you can read a lot without breaking the bank.

gettingby · Mar 24, 2012

True, but I know my target so I have really been focusing on the journals I want to get in. I have been reading The Gettysburg Review, The Kenyon Review, The Paris Review, Ploughshares and The New Yorker. I also like to have the book in my hands when I read. I know there are many others so if anyone really loves a publication, I would love to hear about it.

I think I read two or three stories for every one I write.

Silver-Midnight · Mar 24, 2012

Polenth said:
I read stories all over the place, rather than having one or two markets I always read. It's not just about the quantity of stories you read, but making sure you get a good range of stories. As there are plenty of free-to-read markets online, you can read a lot without breaking the bank.

I know of a few in another genre. But do you think you could list some Fantasy markets that are free to read?

EDIT: I found some on my own.

Goldbirch · Mar 24, 2012

Silver-Midnight said:
I know of a few in another genre. But do you think you could list some Fantasy markets that are free to read?

A few from my bookmarks:

http://beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/toc.php

http://www.strangehorizons.com/fiction.shtml

http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/category/Fiction/

http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/category/fiction/fantasy/

I hope that's not too much of a derail. For some reason sharing stuff that I enjoy reading seems to be what coaxes me out of lurking.

As far as the OP's question goes, I don't think I've ever thought about reading/writing ratios with a "should" attached. Thinking it over now, I seem to go through long cycles - some months I read more, some months I write more. Kind of like this cool smiley I just found: :e2seesaw:

(Also, some months I hide out on AW more.) I'm pretty happy with how it all adds up, but I don't know how I'd even begin averaging it out to get a meaningful ratio.

Must be one of those "if it works for you, it works" things.

TumbleHome · Mar 24, 2012

That's such a funny thought to me- what a good ratio between writing and reading is. It's a fun jumping off discussion point, but obviously there's no real answer beyond that to "Well, this is what I do..."

Well this is what I do- I write constantly and I read constantly. When I want to read I read (this happens often) and I write when I want to write and force myself to when I don't. Reading makes me want to write more, so it's a lovely, vicious cycle.
If I had to put a number on it, I probably average about four read short stories a week.

Depending, I like The Paris Review, Granta, McSweeney's, Open City and picking up anything with a new Amy Hempel or Etgar Keret story.

Silver-Midnight · Mar 25, 2012

Goldbirch said:
A few from my bookmarks:

http://beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/toc.php

http://www.strangehorizons.com/fiction.shtml

http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/category/Fiction/

http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/category/fiction/fantasy/

I hope that's not too much of a derail. For some reason sharing stuff that I enjoy reading seems to be what coaxes me out of lurking.

As far as the OP's question goes, I don't think I've ever thought about reading/writing ratios with a "should" attached. Thinking it over now, I seem to go through long cycles - some months I read more, some months I write more. Kind of like this cool smiley I just found: (Also, some months I hide out on AW more.) I'm pretty happy with how it all adds up, but I don't know how I'd even begin averaging it out to get a meaningful ratio.

Must be one of those "if it works for you, it works" things.

Oh no. Those are fine. I can add them to the ones I already have. The more the merrier, right? :ROFL:

The Lonely One · Mar 25, 2012

The reason I write short fiction is because I love to read short fiction. It may be research now, but it didn't start out that way. Short fiction is definitely my chosen medium, and if it were worth a damn anymore I'd try to make a living at it. So how much short fic do I read? I try to read it more often than I read novels. Beyond that, a number is hard to say.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 25, 2012

I don't count how many short stories I read, but I try to put in the same number of hours reading as I do writing.

jaksen · Mar 25, 2012

Another question that cannot be answered by numbers, percents or ratios. Well imo.

I read one magazine - one - before submitting my first two stories. I sold the second one to that magazine, on the first try, one and only submission. The other story was rejected but I sold it (to the same magazine which rejected it) a couple of years later. (Pro-paying print mags.)

Up until then the only short fiction I read was what was required in high school and college.

But now I read short fiction all the time, an anthology or couple of magazines a week and novels alongside.

I think one should read anything and everything, in your fav. genre and genres you think you don't like. Sometimes you may dislike a genre based on one novel or short story that just didn't interest you. I love the fact my daughter 'hates' SF but some of her favorite movies and TV shows are SF. What's that about? I ask her and she shrugs.

sorry for digressing .....

Buffysquirrel · Mar 25, 2012

Only short stories I've read lately have been in slush. I hate reading onscreen and I can't afford to get short story magazines. So, la.

Silver-Midnight · Mar 25, 2012

I read short stories, but I don't really read that many in my genre, at least not as of right now. I also read novels though. A lot of the short stories I read are American literature, but I do find a few horror or romance now and then.

Typically, a lot of the short stories, along with a lot other types of fiction I read, are free reads, but I do buy some books every now and again.

gettingby · Mar 25, 2012

Just picked up eight more literary journals at Barnes & Noble, but I couldn't find all the ones I was looking for. Is there a good place to find a good selection? Where do you guys buy journals if you don't have a subscription?

Rufus Leeking · Mar 25, 2012

gettingby said:
Just picked up eight more literary journals at Barnes & Noble, but I couldn't find all the ones I was looking for. Is there a good place to find a good selection? Where do you guys buy journals if you don't have a subscription?

Borders carried 8 other journals. Bookstores closing mean that things are only available on the internet, even hard copy journals, they are up for purchase on the internet.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 26, 2012

Buffysquirrel said:
Only short stories I've read lately have been in slush. I hate reading onscreen and I can't afford to get short story magazines. So, la.

Visit your local library. Libraries have all sorts of anthologies and magazines. For the price of a library card, you can read to your heart's content.

Buffysquirrel · Mar 26, 2012

Jamesaritchie said:
Visit your local library. Libraries have all sorts of anthologies and magazines. For the price of a library card, you can read to your heart's content.

You're right, of course. Lazy sqrl should do exactly that.

Mad Rabbits · Mar 26, 2012

I read when I feel like it, and it tends to be short stories, as I don't seem to have the attention span for novels, unless I'm on holiday.

WordCount · Mar 26, 2012

I own a few collections of short stories by Stephen King and Ray Bradbury. They basically, other than Alfred Hitchcock Magazine and Ellery Queen Magazine, are the only short fiction I read.

gotchan · Mar 26, 2012

Jamesaritchie said:
Visit your local library. Libraries have all sorts of anthologies and magazines. For the price of a library card, you can read to your heart's content.

I always find "the price of a library card" an odd phrase. I was born and raised, and live now, in a city where the price of a library card is $0. I also lived three years in a city where the price of a library card was $30. $100 if your address was outside the municipal boundary. (And there was no other civilization for hundreds of miles.)

WordCount · Mar 27, 2012

My card was $0. Well, it was the first time. If you lost it, it would be two Washingtons out of your pocket

Bubastes · Mar 27, 2012

I already mentioned my favorite mag: One Story. I also love the annual Best American Short Stories anthology.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 27, 2012

gotchan said:
I always find "the price of a library card" an odd phrase. I was born and raised, and live now, in a city where the price of a library card is $0. I also lived three years in a city where the price of a library card was $30. $100 if your address was outside the municipal boundary. (And there was no other civilization for hundreds of miles.)

I don't know where you lived, but it sounds like a place I'd like. except for teh price of a library card.

Still, a hundred bucks is chump change when compared to how much money subscriptions cost, or how much magazines are in most book stores. A hundred bucks is about four subscriptions, or fifteen or so top magazines bought at a bookstore. It's about four hardcover books, or fifteen paperbacks.

It's less that two bucks per week for more books than you can read in a lifetime.

gettingby · Mar 27, 2012

I see buying journals as an investment in my own writing. I don't think it is unreasonable and it really doesn't cost that much. Also, I want to support them because a lot of them produce great work.

Mad Rabbits · Mar 27, 2012

gettingby said:
I see buying journals as an investment in my own writing. I don't think it is unreasonable and it really doesn't cost that much. Also, I want to support them because a lot of them produce great work.

That's a really good attitude, although I don't pay to subscribe to any journals, but that's me being stingy...

What I have done is enter some comps run by journals which offer a years worth subscription for the price of the comp entry free.

Since most comps don't give you anything for the entry fee - not even feedback on your story - I think that is well worth it. Got my hands on subscriptions to Ploughshares and Story Quarterly this way.

Ploughshares is an excellent journal.

gettingby · Mar 29, 2012

I have been reading the Pushcart Prize for 2012. I just wanted to say it is a great way to sample the best work coming from many different journals. Man, I want to win a Pushcart Prize. I think that in my ultimate writing goal.

Reading & Writing

gettingby

Polenth

Mushroom

gettingby

Silver-Midnight

Goldbirch

Shy Betula alleghaniensis

TumbleHome

Inconsequential. Also: short.

Silver-Midnight

The Lonely One

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Jamesaritchie

jaksen

Caped Codder

Buffysquirrel

Silver-Midnight

gettingby

Rufus Leeking

Jamesaritchie

Buffysquirrel

Mad Rabbits

WordCount

You don't have coffee? Go away.

gotchan

WordCount

You don't have coffee? Go away.

Bubastes

bananaed

Jamesaritchie

gettingby

Mad Rabbits

gettingby