Wednesday, February 1, 2017

#IWSG: Writing Has Changed My Reading

The first Wednesday of the month is Insecure Writers Support Group day!

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

The question this month is: "How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?"

Being a writer has definitely influenced my reading experience. A book has to be exceptionally well written if I'm to fall completely into the fictive world. If the story contains poor grammar, typos, underdeveloped plot, superficial characters, or overused settings, I analyze instead of enjoy. But I've also come to appreciate the amount of work that goes into publishing a story, and I value that now more than I ever did before becoming a writer myself. Writing is hard, and publishing is even harder. 

I tip my hat to all writers. 

Keep at it.




8 comments:

  1. So you're one of those who has gone more critical, eh? I think there are phases. I went that direction once, then I normalized out to this place where I can appreciate most written works.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, being a writer does deepen our appreciation for the process, though it sometimes makes reading painful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is my first time here. I've followed your blog!

    I agree with Crystal and J.L. I try to read authors who are better than I to learn from them. All the best to you. I'll see you around the blogosphere.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good point, Margo! Writing is hard work and great joy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes to both! Even poor writing takes a lot of effort.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm the same. I appreciate the amount of effort that goes into a book, but I struggle to stay immersed when errors and flaws in the writing keep drawing my attention.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Because I read so much, the only issue that really detours me from reading a book is boredom. Multiple typos or careless grammar throughout the book brings on boredom at times, though. One book out of the last 86 I've read that forced me to stop reading was a story that never got off the ground. For almost three chapters, it never became a story and certainly didn't have anything to do with the very well writing back-of-book synopsis.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I agree with you and with Misha: because I know how hard we all work to create the best story possible, I'm astonished and disappointed when a published book is rife with cliches, awkward phrasing, or other boo-boos that a good editor could have smoothed over to make way for the story. The reader shouldn't have to bring along her machete to hack through a jungle of clunky writing.

    ReplyDelete