IWSG: Reading as a Writer
It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means hundreds of us will be posting about our insecurities. If you haven't yet, join in. You'll be glad you did!
Each month we have a question. This month's question is:
How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?
Way back in the early days of my career--probably while most of you were still in high school or whatever--I attended a workshop on Goal, Motivation, and Conflict. It was hosted by Debra Dixon and based on this book of hers:
I detailed the entire process in a previous blog but basically, it's a way of brainstorming your story. Every character has something they want, a reason for wanting it, and something standing in the way.
At the start of the workshop, she (or someone in the workshop) said something important. "Be prepared to never enjoy a movie again."
Once you've learned to create a plot, you do begin to pick things apart. It also makes it easier to predict the ending in unpredictable stories like mysteries. You learn that a good writer "plants seeds" throughout a story so that something doesn't pop up unexpectedly at the end.
Does it completely disrupt your enjoyment of a good book? No. It does limit the number of books you see as good, though. Am I the only one who abandons a book a couple of chapters in if it sucks?
What do you think? If you're a writer, do you find you enjoy books less? If you're a reader only, do you keep reading all the way to the end even if a book is bad?
Each month we have a question. This month's question is:
How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?
Way back in the early days of my career--probably while most of you were still in high school or whatever--I attended a workshop on Goal, Motivation, and Conflict. It was hosted by Debra Dixon and based on this book of hers:
I detailed the entire process in a previous blog but basically, it's a way of brainstorming your story. Every character has something they want, a reason for wanting it, and something standing in the way.
At the start of the workshop, she (or someone in the workshop) said something important. "Be prepared to never enjoy a movie again."
Once you've learned to create a plot, you do begin to pick things apart. It also makes it easier to predict the ending in unpredictable stories like mysteries. You learn that a good writer "plants seeds" throughout a story so that something doesn't pop up unexpectedly at the end.
Does it completely disrupt your enjoyment of a good book? No. It does limit the number of books you see as good, though. Am I the only one who abandons a book a couple of chapters in if it sucks?
What do you think? If you're a writer, do you find you enjoy books less? If you're a reader only, do you keep reading all the way to the end even if a book is bad?
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