As of yesterday, my ten-book reading spree is done. It's kinda sad, honestly. Part of me wants to keep going. It's been so nice, curling up with a book again and just letting go of the surrounding world, and there are so many books to read. But I can't stay on the Disc forever. My own work is calling and NaNoWriMo approaches. I learned something from this experience, though. Whenever I'm writing, I try NOT to read. It's that old fear of being influenced by the books I dive into, of my words turning into someone else's. But then I end up drained of writing and, well, the last month happens. So that's two extremes I can't take. I can't write everyday, and I can't write without reading. The muse just can't handle it.
So what now? I'm going to put more focus on that little list on the right. I'm going to learn to read and write at the same time, and to let myself do so. No guilt, no fear, I'm just filling the tank. Because letting it get empty is bound to leave me stranded.
"Whenever I'm writing, I try NOT to read. It's that old fear of being influenced by the books I dive into, of my words turning into someone else's."
ReplyDeleteHAAAUUUUNNNNHHH? But that's exactly WHY I read while I write, so I WILL be influenced! Borrowing, inspiration, pillaging, call it what you will -- reading is the lifeblood of writing...but just remember, ideas aren't words. You're reading someone else's words, but whatever you read has to go through YOUR brain first. I'm sure you're not out to copy stuff down word for word, so your brain will only retain ideas. You're writing your own work, after all. There will always be moments when you panic and think that your story is exactly the same as something else, but it's the same as what you tell me when I start panicking about this:
It's not the implementation you're using. It's the idea. Ideas can't be copyrighted. Just by writing your own work and merely being influenced by an idea, you're not ripping off anything. You're taking something and making it your own.
There is nothing new under the sun!