Yesterday I talked about bringing the uniqueness of yourself to your writing. This is all well and good, but what happens if there's not much in there to begin with. It's time, if I may borrow a phrase, to prime the pump.
In order to get anything out of the well, there has to be water in there in the first place, right?
So, you read. Some people highly recommend reading everything in your genre. I'm not one of those people. Not that I'm saying don't read everything in your genre, but if you only ever stick to things in your genre, how will you ever move beyond it?
I can hear some of you in the back, saying "But I'm happy in my genre. Why would I ever want to move beyond it?" *shrug*
Well, it's fine to stay to one genre. Lord knows plenty of authors have done peachy-keen fine in one genre. Some writers never leave their genre. Of course, some writers never write more than a couple of books, but that's fine, too. And then there are those special few who even manage not to get stale in the same genre book after book after book. (I wonder what genre they read...)
At any rate, I don't plan on writing nothing but thrillers forever into eternity. And I don't plan to stop writing. (Not 'til they pry the keyboard out of my cold, dead hand that is.) So staying in the thriller genre ain't the answer for me.
But even if you want to stay in one genre, reading beyond that genre will only improve your work. Stagnating has never been the answer for me.
Chances are it ain't the answer for you either.
What I read when I have the time and inclination to read varies all over the map. I've spent untold hours reading the classics, and still I haven't gotten to them all. I've read fantasy and sci-fi, the occasional western (love that Zane Grey), historicals, romances, and even... :gasp: non-fiction. I like to think all of this makes me a better writer.
I'm currently trying to read "The DaVinci Code" - should I ever find the time. (Not to mention the textbooks I have to read for homeschool.)
Everything I read or have read goes into the well, and the pump gets primed. I'm full of ideas and full of words. I have the Bronte sisters, Douglas Adams and Richard Adams, Rand and Kesey andIrving - all rooting for me. Shakespeare's words are backing me up. Homer and Virgil and Aeschylus are the chorus. It's all in there and it's all good - even the bad stuff is good because it teaches me what NOT to do.
So, what's priming your pump these days?
Back on Twit... Err, X
4 hours ago
3 comments:
Greetings from a fellow novel racer. I read a lot too, mostly contemporary fiction these days. I've just finished 'Bones and Lies' by Anne Fine (library book chosen on spec - I've enjoyed others of hers, but didn't like this one much, it was well written technically but went on a bit) and started 'The Sportswriter' by Richard Ford (recommendation from a friend who generally knows what I'll enjoy). Doris Lessing is my all-time favourite author and she's written in many genres.
Still sturggling with the book club reads......and as i mentioned when I am in writing mode I feel too drained to read quite often. Looking forward to editing and holiday when I can devour some more of my tbr pile :-)
I like to read all over the place. And when I find a new author, I tend to read everything they've written.
I have to say that lately I haven't read as much as usual. I've been sucking the well of creativity dry. Looks like it's going to need to be replenished soon.
BTW, I made your hot milk sponge cake. OMG!!! Yummy. Thanks!
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