Reading Your Own Writing--for Pleasure

When my book is published I plan to read it cover to cover. Don' know how pleasurable that will be, but I hope to find out!

I always enjoy reading back to an experience I once had with writing, as it shows what I am capable of, and what type of writing I excel in. Also shows what type of writing I don't feel at ease in, just by reading it now. It brings about a clearer perspective of the reality of why I wrote that type of story there and then. Being in a detached frame of mind when reading past works, helps to develop my natural writing style, and it enables me to flourish and develop myself through writing.

I'm writing the third manuscript of a trilogy, and find it necessary to occasionally review certain chapters of the first two to avoid mistakes in dates, times, names, places, etc. It's also a helpful editing tool, and an embarrassment when I see errors in the published book.

I follow the whole "Write what you'd want to read" philosophy, so, yeah, I read my own stuff for fun. Er...I guess I often read it with the intention of editing, but when I get up to a part that I know is edited, I read it anyway, just for kicks. There's this one scene that ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS just makes me go into a fit of fangirlish giggles. It's a little ridiculous.

I wouldn't say I'll whip out my notebook and read it any time I'm bored and craving something to read. But sometimes, when I'm in the mood - usually late at night, when I'm struggling to figure out where a story is going, or if I've just come across an old notebook from a few years back - I might start reading a story of mine and get caught up in it.

Certainly I can't read my own words without identifying at least a few sentences that I can improve, not to mention continuity or logical errors. I don't think I'd want to read my own work after it had been published, for fear of discovering things I have no power to change anymore. But it helps to strengthen stuff I'm still working on.

I definitely find that reading some of my better works can remind me that I'm a better writer than my darker moments allow me to believe. I don't know necessarily that everyone else will enjoy reading my words, but it entertains me at least.

I let them stew, then read them. If I get drawn in and I enjoy them, I continue working on them. If I don't, no matter how many people say they liked it, I delete the blasted thing. I'll be damned if I'm going to let other people read something that I don't like, when it's my own damn work. I'd only end up bitching about it if my first published book was one that I hated.