What Do You Read?
I love reading fiction and non-fiction. I love the worlds of totally made up stories and hard facts. What I read then depends on my mood.
I am really fond of history so historical fiction and non-fiction has a very big thumbs up from me. I've enjoyed a few of the Ben McIntyre books, especially Operation Mincemeat.
To flip the coin over, I love fantasy and adore the Discworld novels of the much missed Terry Pratchett.
Is it good to mix up your reading? I think so. I see reading as feeding my mind so I want to nourish it well from a good variety of sources. Ideas for writers spark from all manner of places so the more open you are (and this includes in what you read), the better.
And now back to writing and reading!
I am really fond of history so historical fiction and non-fiction has a very big thumbs up from me. I've enjoyed a few of the Ben McIntyre books, especially Operation Mincemeat.
To flip the coin over, I love fantasy and adore the Discworld novels of the much missed Terry Pratchett.
Is it good to mix up your reading? I think so. I see reading as feeding my mind so I want to nourish it well from a good variety of sources. Ideas for writers spark from all manner of places so the more open you are (and this includes in what you read), the better.
And now back to writing and reading!
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Paul
(new)
Oct 08, 2017 05:35AM
Definitely mix up your reading! Not just different genre's, but different author's within them. Over the last year I've been going along to various book clubs which have introduced me to a lot of writers that I hadn't come across before. Some I liked, some not so much, but for a writer, exposure to a variety of styles and approaches is invaluable. Each one is like a workshop in writing technique.
reply
|
flag
Totally agree, Paul. You can learn almost as much from a "bad" book as you can from one you love. It is amazing how much you can absorb just by reading.
The important thing is to read critically - to think 'why did I like / dislike this, what works or doesn't work.' Of course, it's still nice to just be absorbed by a really good read! However, I find that doesn't happen so often nowadays. The price you pay for being a writer is that you lose your literary innocence - part of you is always looking at the nuts and bolts of a book, which makes it harder to just enjoy reading.
You also look for the stories behind the news that are not covered on the broadcast - the what was the trigger point that led to this event happening at all?
