When reading, do you ever say: My book is better than this!

underthecity · Jun 21, 2007

I'm about a third of the way through revising Ghost Machine, turning the mediocre first draft into a very good second draft. You've all been there, you know what it's like.

Meanwhile, I'm reading novels. I just finished Bentley Little's The Town, a supernatural drama/thriller, and I have to admit that all while reading it, I was thinking:

My book is just as good as this one. Oh, maybe not on the same level as Michael Crichton or Stephen King, but comparable to this one. It's the overall feeling you get when reading it.

I had never read Bentley Little before. Overall, I thought the book was okay, but there were a lot of telling scenes, plot contradictions, and an extremely disappointing resolution and ending (among other issues). The explanation for the supernatural occurences was . . . uninspired, a real let-down. I even spotted a few typos.

But what I found interesting was that structure-wise, plot, even sentence structure was like what I'm seeing forming in my second draft. I'm seeing a novel in my second draft, a novel that is both compelling and has a great story (IMHO). What I'm writing is just the kind of book I'd love to read if I found it in a bookstore.

Do you ever feel this way? Do you ever read a novel and think your writing, your story, your own novel is better?

allen

TheIT · Jun 21, 2007

What got me started writing was reading a book and thinking to myself, "I could write better than this." Not sure whether I've succeeded yet, but it gave me the incentive to try.

scarletpeaches · Jun 21, 2007

Many times. I feel smug for a little while then go back to writing my own book.

Lady Esther · Jun 21, 2007

No. I usually read a good book and think, I can write as good as this.

Chispa · Jun 21, 2007

Often, but sadly that doesn't speak to my confidence in my own writing, but more towards the fact that there's an awful lot of stuff that seems to get published these days but just isn't very good.

JoNightshade · Jun 21, 2007

underthecity said:
Do you ever read a novel and think your writing, your story, your own novel is better?

All the frickin time. And then I put the book down, because I hate reading anything that's not as good as I am.

Actually I had somebody DO this to me. Not exactly the same, but in college we had an annual short story contest, for publication in a little lit mag. I won second place, but was informed by my creative writing teacher and others that my story should have gotten first, except for... ??? political reasons? Well, that was irritating.

Robert L.B. · Jun 21, 2007

Guess what got me writing? Took a look at the Seventh Tower YA Fantasy series and thought, "I can write better than this. Heck, why don't I?"

Hubris in moderation is not a bad thing.

rugcat · Jun 21, 2007

All the time.

However, I also occasionally find myself reading a book and thinking, damn, I'll never be able to write anything this good.

RG570 · Jun 21, 2007

I don't often feel this way, because I feel really horrible about my writing, even when I like it.

But even the worst writer can pick up any novel by John Ringo and feel like they've written the next great masterpiece, provided they have a grade six education.

Sassee · Jun 21, 2007

Chispa said:
Often, but sadly that doesn't speak to my confidence in my own writing, but more towards the fact that there's an awful lot of stuff that seems to get published these days but just isn't very good.

This is what gives me hope of being published should I ever get off my lazy bunny butt to finish my WIP... I mean, if things are being published that are worse than my own writing, that must mean I have a good chance at it, right?

Death Wizard · Jun 21, 2007

RG570 said:
I don't often feel this way, because I feel really horrible about my writing, even when I like it.

But even the worst writer can pick up any novel by John Ringo and feel like they've written the next great masterpiece, provided they have a grade six education.

HA!!!!!

zpeteman · Jun 21, 2007

I think that all the time when I'm in the book store rummaging around. That's actually what got me writing in the first place, being dissatisfied with the bulk of what's printed.

On the other hand, when I read writers like Wendell Berry, Cormac MacCarthy, Fredrick Buechner etc., they make me want to throw my manuscript in the fireplace and never write again

Ziljon · Jun 21, 2007

underthecity said:
What I'm writing is just the kind of book I'd love to read if I found it in a bookstore.

Allen, you've hit my head with a nail! :poke:

What I mean is, that's exactly the way I write: I imagine searching through the bookstore--what is it I'm looking for...aha!

Feathers · Jun 21, 2007

I don't usually compare my book, but I often compare my writing. Its like...'this is so dumb. How did this person even get published?'
More often than that, I edit the book as I read it.

Death Wizard · Jun 21, 2007

Twenty-five percent of the fiction you'll find in a large bookstore is tough to beat. The rest? Yawn City.

My-Immortal · Jun 21, 2007

No...I usually say my book is gooder than this...

Okay...truthfully, sometimes, yes, a little.

Also, as others have said, I often times think, I'll never be able to write like this...and honestly, that's okay. I write my own way and hopefully, someday, someone will think the same about me...

And, I'm sure, plenty will think...."My book is better than this!"

The other thing I notice, and I'm sure others here have too--when reading a book (especially from a well-known author), I realize that if I had written the same head-hopping, tense-changing, using the same boring word a dozen times in a span of two paragraphs in my manuscript, I'd have undoubtedly gotten a form letter rejection...

...but yet, well-known author gets it published...

But, I suppose that is a common phenomenon in life. The peons work the hardest for the least amount of reward in hopes of someday being able to work the least for the highest rewards...

lol

Take care all -

CACTUSWENDY · Jun 21, 2007

Hangs head in shame. I have felt that way. I know it is shameful. I should be whipped. Hung up by my toe nails. Smacked with a feather.
Etc..........etc.

Don Allen · Jun 21, 2007

One thing I really started doing since finishing my novel is checking published books for garbage. What I mean by that is garbage discription. stuff that has nothing whatsoever to do with the book or story.

EXAMPLE

"The yellow flowered couch came alive when she walked in the room with patterns that bloomed the colors of spring after a crisp April rain. Her imagination exploded in metaphoric bliss as she pictured herself running barefoot through a field of pink lilys gently caressing her nubial legs as she sauntered across the field with thoughts of white winged horse's guiding her movements from the dark blue sky's above. Then she left never to return."
What Bullshit!!!

johnzakour · Jun 21, 2007

Like and dislike are pretty subjective. One person's crap is another person's fertilizer.

All you can do is keep writing what you want to read and hope some publisher likes what you like.

Then a few years from now somebody can be complaining about your writing on some forum.

gem1122 · Jun 21, 2007

johnzakour said:
Then a few years from now somebody can be complaining about your writing on some forum.

This would make me very, very happy.

Though I try not to compare myself with other writers, it seems inevitable. As I read, I almost always critique the writing (how the plot unfolds, the author's scene choices, etc.). When I find that I have stopped critiquing, and am fully engrossed in the story, it is bittersweet. Of course, it's great to get lost in a good book; on the other hand, it's sad to think that I will never, ever be that good.

But there's always hope.

Will Lavender · Jun 21, 2007

More often I'll read a book and have the feeling, as rugcat says, I will NEVER be able to top that. You know when you encounter that incredible genius that makes you almost want to stop writing because there's just no way you'll ever come close to touching it?

I had that feeling when I read Faulkner for the first time. I was almost scared to open the book because I kept thinking, This is it. This is the best thing you'll ever read. From here, the rest of it will be a disappointment -- including your own work.

Will Lavender · Jun 21, 2007

gem1122 said:
This would make me very, very happy.

Though I try not to compare myself with other writers, it seems inevitable. As I read, I almost always critique the writing (how the plot unfolds, the author's scene choices, etc.). When I find that I have stopped critiquing, and am fully engrossed in the story, it is bittersweet. Of course, it's great to get lost in a good book; on the other hand, it's sad to think that I will never, ever be that good.

But there's always hope.

Seems like many on Absolute Write read that way.

I've always been surprised, since I've been reading and posting here, at how critical the members are here about books.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. I think a flaw of mine is that I'm too forgiving. I don't read with any "writerly" ambitions at all. I just read. And if I don't like the book, I calmly put it on the shelf and start a new one.

Danger Jane · Jun 21, 2007

rugcat said:
All the time.

However, I also occasionally find myself reading a book and thinking, damn, I'll never be able to write anything this good.

Word.

But I didn't start writing because I thought I could do better. I just started writing. I loved the stories I read and wanted to do something like that. Of course it was practically fanfic, terrible, something a twelve-year-old would write--but how far I have come, and how far will I go?

I don't dwell too much on writing that I can do better than, or at least I don't dwell on how I can write better than X author. I dwell on I WILL NEVER WRITE LIKE THIS. I WOULD SELL MY SOUL TO WRITE THIS.

Geist · Jun 21, 2007

underthecity said:
I'm about a third of the way through revising Ghost Machine, turning the mediocre first draft into a very good second draft. You've all been there, you know what it's like.

Meanwhile, I'm reading novels. I just finished Bentley Little's The Town, a supernatural drama/thriller, and I have to admit that all while reading it, I was thinking:

My book is just as good as this one. Oh, maybe not on the same level as Michael Crichton or Stephen King, but comparable to this one. It's the overall feeling you get when reading it.

I had never read Bentley Little before. Overall, I thought the book was okay, but there were a lot of telling scenes, plot contradictions, and an extremely disappointing resolution and ending (among other issues). The explanation for the supernatural occurences was . . . uninspired, a real let-down. I even spotted a few typos.

But what I found interesting was that structure-wise, plot, even sentence structure was like what I'm seeing forming in my second draft. I'm seeing a novel in my second draft, a novel that is both compelling and has a great story (IMHO). What I'm writing is just the kind of book I'd love to read if I found it in a bookstore.

Do you ever feel this way? Do you ever read a novel and think your writing, your story, your own novel is better?

allen

First off, Allen, I'd like to say that if you are a fellow ghost story writer, we should exchange e-mails and keep in touch. I say that because Little, King, Straub, etc. Those are all old-school writers. We are the future. I won't comment on the merits of another writer's work, so I won't agree or disagree with what you say about Bentley Little, but the world is ready for some new writers. I think the 21st century will see some new classics in ghost stories, and I intend to be one of those writers. Maybe you will be, too.

Ed

Will Lavender · Jun 21, 2007

Geist said:
First off, Allen, I'd like to say that if you are a fellow ghost story writer, we should exchange e-mails and keep in touch. I say that because Little, King, Straub, etc. Those are all old-school writers. We are the future. I won't comment on the merits of another writer's work, so I won't agree or disagree with what you say about Bentley Little, but the world is ready for some new writers. I think the 21st century will see some new classics in ghost stories, and I intend to be one of those writers. Maybe you will be, too.

Ed

I hope so. The horror genre needs a shot in the arm.

When reading, do you ever say: My book is better than this!

Finestkind

Infuriatingly Theoretical

I can say the alphabet backwards!

Chispa

has finally arrived

Tao of Wonka

Lost in the Fog

Momma Wolf

Tumhe na koci puujetha

Natural born...

Tortilla di Patate

emerging from the writing cave

Tumhe na koci puujetha

Mr. Invisible

An old, sappy, and happy one.

Seeking a Sanctuary of Intelligence

Dangerous with a Keyboard

We can pickle that

Everything is what it seems.

Everything is what it seems.

Everything is what it seems.