Picasso asked Sebastien de Castell:

Hi Sebastien, I have noticed you have read and reviewed a couple of books on writing. Do you ever feel that thinking about the craft "too much" negatively affects the way you read or write? For example, not being able to fully enjoy what you are reading by disecting it too much?

Sebastien de Castell That's an excellent question. I think the short answer is yes – reading about the craft, listening to podcasts about the craft, watching panels, taking courses . . .etc all risk mechanizing a process that is often at its best when it's coming from a more internal, intangible impulse. That's true of both the writing and reading experience. Some craft books, courses, and panels are terrific, but personally I tend to consume too much of them and fall into the trap of thinking of writing (and reading) as identifying structures and underlying formulas rather than the expression of something deeper and less self-consciously discernible.

That said, I think I'm a bit of a craft addict – constantly searching for new ways to think about the structure and nature of the novel as a form, hence why I read so many books on the subject (I only ever review the ones that are either particularly good or are so big that a negative review won't affect them – I'm not in the business of beating up on people just trying to sell their books.)

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