Do you need to read to write?

Tom Dunne

Regular lurker here, time for my first thread.

I am an avid reader, but I only read non-fiction. I love factual, political and historical books. However, I also love to write the odd bit of fiction (shameless plug: have a look at the link in my signature).

But I am wondering what the general consensus is regarding writing fiction - do you need to read a mountain of it to be able to write it?

is_that_so

At the very least reading will open you to correct structure and numerous different styles. It can also help in cultivating your own style as well as giving you an idea what will work and what probably won't. "Standing on the Shoulders of giants" as they say. Better to do than not IMO but it still doesn't guarantee that you'll be able to write anything. Give it a go anyway.

Lainabaina

I think you absolutely have to read to write, but if you're reading in some form, you'll have a good grasp on language and arguably, non fiction could be a better place to start--I think the language is more inclined to give you a good basic foundation to go on.

Some people recommend not reading the kind of book you want to write anyway, so that you don't end up echoing the tone of a certain author. I say give it a go too!

Tom Dunne

Lainabaina wrote: »

Some people recommend not reading the kind of book you want to write anyway, so that you don't end up echoing the tone of a certain author. I say give it a go too!

That's the danger, I suppose. I didn't consciously think of that, but it's a very good point. The last thing you want to be accused of is plagiarism.

Overheal

'do you need to watch comedy to be funny?'

I think the monkey see, monkey do, gets you in the feel of what format to adopt in your writing at the very least. The risk you run is, yes, at some base level it is all just mimickery but so is everything else we do in life from walking and burping to spoken language to song and dance. Writing is no different.

Memnoch

Tom Dunne wrote: »

That's the danger, I suppose. I didn't consciously think of that, but it's a very good point. The last thing you want to be accused of is plagiarism.

This is utterly ridiculous. Reading EXHAUSTIVELY in any genre you wish to write is an absolute must. Trust me, you won't end up plagerising unless you consciously want to. Just mix up your reading. Don't read the same author every time and you should be fine.

DublinWriter

Tom Dunne wrote: »

But I am wondering what the general consensus is regarding writing fiction - do you need to read a mountain of it to be able to write it?

I saw a very interesting interview with Orson Wells recently. The interviewer asked him which modern directors he admired to which he answered that he never watches other peoples' movies just in case they influenced him.

Writing, like being a stand-up, is all about finding your inner voice. The more you enjoy the works of others, the more you will both consciously and unconsciously try to emulate their style.

My answer would be that you don't even need to read a single book in order to write one. The most valuable skill you can have as a writer is being able to self-critisise and be totally objective about your work.

In terms of fiction, anything I write I tend to put aside for a week or two then review later. At times I'll be merrily typing away thinking to myself 'this is great!' then I'll review it a week or so later and think to myself 'what a load of cak!'

All the grammar I know is what I got from reading books. I have a fairly vast imagination, but if you can't figure out how to form it together (in a legible way) then it just is null and void.

However, you don't need to read to be able to come up with the ideas.

pookie82

Deleted User wrote: »

All the grammar I know is what I got from reading books. I have a fairly vast imagination, but if you can't figure out how to form it together (in a legible way) then it just is null and void.

However, you don't need to read to be able to come up with the ideas.

Really well said. Good grammar and the ability to present your work in a coherent and impressive fashion is a must if you're approaching any publisher or agent with your work. Reading extensively is an excellent way in which to become aquainted with grammatical rules, as unfortunatley grammar is taught poorly, if at all, in our schools. Unless you study a foreign language most people don't know their subject from their object in a sentence.

You don't need to become utterly familiar with all grammatical terms out there but you do need to be able to spell and punctuate clearly. There's nothing more disheartening than reading a good story which is terribly presented.

Punchbowl

Always wondered this too.. I think reading a lot of non-fiction will improve your vocabulary etc, but will also keep you grounded in reality.

I stuggled a lot when I got into writing with finding a style, as I found myself very influenced by the fiction I was reading at the time.

claire h

Yes, yes, absolutely. Not quite a mountain, but certainly a lot; obviously reading other stuff will benefit you but reading fiction (both the good and the bad) is the second-most important thing you can do if you want to write it (the first being, obviously, the writing of it).

Or to put it another way: how arrogant would it be to think that you understood how fiction worked if you never bothered reading it, and if you had such a low opinion of it then why would you bother writing it?

I am amazed at the number of aspiring writers who think they don't need to read. You do. Absolutely.

McGinty

Hi Op

I am not sure whether one needs to read vast amounts of literature to write, but in my experience it has helped me. I wrote a novel (unpublished) in 2001 and tidied it up in 2003, I let it rest (its been resting a long time ) since then I have become an undergrad studying pure English, I am in my 3rd year and I know that whilst the idea of my novel is good (I believe in it still) it so needs to be rewritten and reworked because I can deepen it, I believe I still have my same voice as I did before going to Uni and reading every type of english literature (okay not every single book, but covering old english writing/middle english, renaissance, 18th, 19th century, irish lit, early american, modernism, etc, I feel I have a wide range of reading) like you I also enjoy reading non fiction and aim to write some non fiction pieces. What I have gained is a wider range of ideas, thoughts to work from, plus learning about structure, grammar, types of writing styles I like and what I don't like. I have also been lucky in my research (for essays) on the ideas of what the actual authors were trying to convey and how they did it, for instant reading how Hemingway achieves brevity, etc, that is enormously helpful, but I don't feel that my writer's voice has been swamped. Maybe I am too pigheaded to be swayed, but that is how I see it. What is odd is that I feel as a writer I have come full circle, I have someone looking at my novel with the aim of helping me with it and I intend to get it reworked and sent off to someone this year, the only strong advice I would advocate with writing, is to write and to achieve this is by setting a specific time EVERY DAY to write, even if it is for one hour, you would be amazed at how your mind gets primed for writing when you are consistent. I found my best time is in the morning and I get so creative then. Whilst reading is helpful, writing and rewriting is essential to get a good grasp of it.