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But.
Yeah, you knew that was coming, right? The big fat but. But that's not the way the books were meant to be read. See the thing is, I'm an avid reader. Always have been. There's little I enjoy more than curling up with a good book and devouring it from cover to cover, often in a day or two. I love that feeling of being so wrapped up in a wonderful story that I only want to see what happens. As a writer, don't you wish for readers that feel like that?
I'm stubborn. I just feel like stopping to pick the novel apart would kill the magic. Not that I don't notice certain things while I'm reading. The more I learn, the more I recognize in some part of my brain. But I don't want to lose that guilty pleasure just because I've decided to pursue my writing.
Some of you will argue that we can read the book more than once. Sure! I agree. But to be honest there are precious few that I actually do this with. One's that I feel have something REALLY special. Books like The Hunger Games for example. Or Harry Potter (all of them). But that one on my nightstand? The honest truth is as much as I enjoy it, probably not.
What do you think? Are there certain books you study as a writer and others that you just soak up as a reader? Do you read things more than once in different ways? Or do you prefer to study all your books from the moment you open the cover? I'd love to hear your view!
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I much prefer to just read and that's mostly what I do. If I do study the writing it's after I've read it and just jotted down some notes so the magic is still feels there, it just takes longer to read the book.
ReplyDeleteI love to read, and I devour a book when I do it, carrying it around with me everywhere so that I can fit it in constantly. That said, like you, most books don't tempt me to reread. HP and a very few others have--like Robin Mckinley's books (a few of them)--and those I devour over and over, centering on the scenes and events and lines which most thrill me. After all, don't I want my books to be the kind people want to reread?
ReplyDeleteHowever--and you might expect the however :-)--if a scene in an otherwise just okay novel really works for me, I do reread it. A LOT. I want to answer the question, "Why does this scene work so well on me?" It might be something simple, or something far more subtle, but if I can figure out what it is, I can tap those similar resources in my own writing to make my novels work that way for me.
A lot of the time, I read like a writer whether I want to or not. If the book isn't absolutely, positively gripping, I can't help but notice all the passive verbs and the split infinitives. The only books I don't do that with are books like Harry Potter, Hitchhiker's Guide, Hunger Games, and most recently, I Am the Messenger.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wish I could read my own manuscript like a reader and not a writer, but I don't think that's ever going to happen...
I read for the fun of reading, but I have to be honest and say the writer does tend to pop out at certain times. I can remember thinking why did she phrase it that way, or why is he leaving that unanswered, or is that the best way to put this together. I can't help it. I think there is a part of us that will read as writers and a part that will read as a reader. And it's okay, I like it this way.
ReplyDeleteNow that I've become a serious writer, I can't read books the same way I used to. I mean I can just read for fun, but I can't help noticing certain things.
ReplyDeleteLike Matt, I can't help but notice things as I'm reading I read books for pleasure, but without even trying, I learn something from every single one of them. I don't study the or break them down, but I definitely learn from them.
ReplyDeleteYeah, pretty much while I'm reading for pleasure, my writing eye notices things in the book I'm reading. If I knew how to turn it off, I so would. I hate my reader self being interrupted by the writer in me. It can be annoying. I do notice, though, if it's an extremely good book, my writer self stays out of it. Great post! <3
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ReplyDeleteI think I'm kind of in the middle. A really good book will suck me in so I can't think about anything except getting to the next page to find out what's next! Some books however don't grip me a tightly, so I can kind of study what's going on (or not going on) that's keeping me at a distance. Mostly what I do though is after finishing a good book, I'll re-read the first chapter or two to analyze it. There's only a few books, like you said, that are re-readable from front to back! (and with so many new good books to discover, I feel guilty re-reading!)
ReplyDeleteI wish I was better at analyzing the books I read, but really I read to read. I love to read. Like you, some things jump out at me, but I don't like to have my enjoyment tarnished by analytical thought. I figure I can always go back and analyze later. The problem is that I always have a stack of books waiting to be read and there's little time to study them.
ReplyDelete-Vicki
Lisa, like you said, there's only certain books that I want to read so in-depth or a second time so as to study them. Mostly, I just want to read and enjoy, then at the end, maybe, reflect on what worked and didn't for me.
ReplyDeleteWhat was really sad was that when I first started writing years ago, I lost my ability to read for pleasure for a while. I was learning so incredibly much about the craft, that it was impossible for me to read for pure pleasure as a reader. I've gotten over that now, thank goodness!
I don't read like a writer on purpose and, when that side of me does pop up, I usually find it annoying. The truly effective book, though, won't let me do that. The book that sweeps me along doesn't leave me time to dissect and ponder. It's often only the books that don't work for me, that miss on some mark, that leave themselves open to further scrutiny from me.
ReplyDeleteIf a book is poorly written, then I analyze it. If it's well-written, I get caught up in the story and it carries me away. The imaginative part of the brain has a hard time analyzing.
ReplyDeleteWHAT AN AWESOME DISCUSSION TODAY!!! Keep it coming!
ReplyDeleteI don't analyze (maybe I should tho, on the second read) BUT, when the writer does something wrong to the point that it hits my annoyance scale, I see it. If the pace is flagging, I feel frustrated. If there's too much internal whining, I shake my head. If there's a plot hole or something skimped over, I feel unsatisfied. In my mind, I feel like the author (and editor) should know better. (Oh how the tables will turn on me one day when I'm on the other side of the fence! lol)
ReplyDeleteSo while I don't break it all apart as I read, once the author does something to pull me out of the story, it is a struggle to get back in. Thankfully this doesn't happen often. :)
Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse
I'm like you. I just like to read and enjoy the story. Sometimes I will keep a book and reread the first chapter or a certain part of it so I can study how the author created their magic, but this happens only after I've enjoyed the story.
ReplyDeleteTrish @ WordBitches
Books I'm excited about and can't wait to read, I DEVOUR. Usually in 1 day. A lot of the time I'll then re-read them (sometimes after a month or two) more slowly, and open them up for a bit of breakdown.
ReplyDeleteAs a writer I have to think...Why does that book make me OBSESSED? Why does it CONSUME ME?
That's what works for them...could it work for me?
I'm like you. I like to read a book and enjoy it. However if I notice while reading that an author did something well, I'll make a mental note of it but then continue to enjoy the book.
ReplyDeleteThere are only a few books that I read more than once. Most of the time, I donate my books to my public library so that I can share the love with other readers. :)
ReplyDeleteI've studied THE SORCERER'S STONE inside and out. It's helped me grow as a writer. As an MFA student, I've found myself wishing JK had made a few changes here and there, but then I s1lap myself and say, Shut-up...this is JK
ReplyDeleteI'm a reader #1.
I do my best to read for pleasure and enjoy a book rather than let the author in me take over. The only thing I let myself analyze as an author are craft books and books that hit it really big (so that I can learn from them).
ReplyDeleteIdeally, I just sink into a novel. If I've read a blog post or a book about craft lately that addresses an issue or technique I see in the writing, I might get pulled out of the narrative. To me, though, that's a sign that something's not holding my attention. So I guess I read for pleasure first, and go back on occasion to see how the author did something that blew me away.
ReplyDeleteI must be a tool, because I never read to study, I read to enjoy the time I spend in someone’s world.
ReplyDeleteI hate studying, plus, you must know what is right or wrong, to gleam any info from the piece you are reading. And that is the inherent problem, if you already know why are you studying?
I prefer to learn from actual diagrams and examples. When I read for fun, I want it to be just that: FUN.
I read for enjoyment. When the book entertains me so much I don't stop and think, I know it's working beautifully for me.
ReplyDeleteHowever (this is my 'but') if I'm reading and the internal editor begins to wake, it puts me on notice and the enjoyment fades. That's when I start to ask myself, 'why is this not working for me?'
When the novel is so absorbing, I don't question why, I simply go with it. When I finish, I think back about what the author did right that made it work so well. The answer is they probably worked themselves into a nervous wreck to make it all so easy for me.
I'm more like you. I read for enjoyment and to relax. I think we absorb all the info we need by osmosis though - don't you??? :)
ReplyDeleteI always read a book the first time just to enjoy it. If there's a specific thing in the book that blew me away, I'll often re-read to do an analysis. The problem is, usually the book is so good I just get swept up in it again so I don't get much analysis done. :)
ReplyDeleteIt does help that I'm a speed-reader, so I can get through a book twice in a few days if I want to.
I don't study or analyze books when I'm reading them. Sometimes I go back and re-read the first page, just to pay attention to the hook, but that's pretty much it. Sometimes things jump out at me, but if I'm engrossed in the story, I'm not thinking about any of that stuff. I figure my subconscious can do its thing and I can just enjoy the story (or freak out if it's something scary!). I seldom re-read books, but I've read The Good Earth and The Hunger Games over and plan to read them again some day, probably a few more times. Not to study them either, just to enjoy them again.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of books that I re-read. As a matter of fact, I don't buy a book unless I know it's one I'll want to read again. And I have a hard time reading like a writer until I've read a book multiple times. Once I can contain myself a bit and don't have to rush headlong to the end to see what happens, I can take my time pulling it apart to see what makes it great.
ReplyDeleteBecca @ The Bookshelf Muse
I'm still laughing over "the big fat but." Books are better than chocolate, and thats huge coming from a chocolate addict. For the most part I don't reread except for Lord of the Rings and Gone With the Wind. I used to read them at least once a year, but now I find myself swimming through new titles or revisiting greatest hits I read in high school and college. I read for pure pleasure.
ReplyDeleteI'm an English master's student, so I do enough analyzing of the stuff I'm reading. When I'm reading for pleasure I want to just get caught up in the story. Which is why I often tend to really enjoy things that other people get annoyed at *cough*Twilight*cough* - I get enthralled by the storytelling aspect and don't notice the technical issues as much (unless it is REALLY really obvious/bad/difficult to get through. So yeah. I don't tend to notice or analyze the writing as much when I'm reading for pleasure.
ReplyDeleteThe first time around I read for entertainment. If the book is good enough to grab my attention longer than one read, the additional reads are exposed to my scrutiny. Very few books reach this point with me. Mostly, I read for fun!
ReplyDeleteOoooo! Such a thought-provoking question. As a reader, I just devour books. I wanna immerse in the story and be in that world (and out of the real one) for awhile. And as a writer, that's how I would want readers to read my writing. But (here's my but) =) as a writer, I also absorb the writing of other writers while I read - not pulling it to bits with plot and character and whatever - but I sponge up the way they use words (even what words sometimes) or how they weave description into action or keep the flow.
ReplyDeleteI started to write a comment here, but it turned out long enough to be a post of its own, so I posted my response on my blog here: http://lightingliramor.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/learning-to-read-like-a-writer/
ReplyDelete-David
I have tried to read like a writer and every time I tried, I failed miserably. I would start out thinking about the mechanics of the writing and end up five pages later going: "OOOh, what happens next?"
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of methods and bits of advice out there for improving your writing. Some of them work for me and some of them don't. Trying to read like a writer does not work for me at all.
I feel like I can't help reading this way most of the time. My inner-editor is always analyzing. But on the rare occasion that I can stop analyzing a book and just enjoy it means that it's a really great story.
ReplyDeleteIf I can analyze a story while reading it, then the book obviously sucks. Normally I get so drawn into a story, there's no way I can analyze it--nor do I want to. ;)
ReplyDeleteI always start out thinking that I'm going to analyze as I read, but if the story is good, I fall into it and just enjoy. After I finish reading, either pages or the entire book, I always analyze what I've read. What worked and what didn't work for me. How something might have been improved, why the books is a bestseller or why it isn't, etc.
ReplyDeleteI think it's the easiest to study from your favorite author and/or book. That way you're able to read it multiple times without getting bored of it and it'll be easier to analyze since you probably remember what happens more clearly. Great post! I feel the same way. I can't ddo it either, I'd rather enjoy the book than pick at it.
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