Young Writers Society

When your in the process of writing a story?
For me I can't pick up any books aside from some non-fiction. It gets dry, even some of my favorite books. It's like trying to drink dirty water when theres perfectly clear water five feet away.

I don't know, I was just wondering if anyone has the same... habit.

Moved to Fiction Tips and Discussion

It isn't so much that I can't read while I'm writing, it is that my time is taken up by one, or the other. I either spend all my hours hunched over the computer, writing, or hunched over a book, reading. I can balance the two, but at times I'm always more addicted to one than the other

I don't understand "Drinking dirty water while having clean water" which is the dirty water and which is the clean water?

Perhaps you need better books to read. Dostoevsky!!!

Like Claudette said, my time is usually taken up by one or the other while I am writing. It is true that I tend to read less while writing (partly because I know if I start reading too much, I'll get myself into an inspirations trainwreck and get a wicked case of writer's block), but it is not necessarily harder to read.

Sometimes, when I'm at complete loss for inspiration, I start reading almost obsessively to force myself back into reality. It works, usually.

Actually, I have the quite opposite problem when I read something while writing. When I read something really good, I'll get discouraged about my own writing (thus the inspirational trainwreck) and see my own works as dry.

Find some good books, Pacific!

Try Scalzi, Orson Scott Card and Asimov for Sci/Fi- ESPECIALLY Card- Diana Wynne Jones, Tolkein and Colfer for fantasy, etc....

In agreement with the two above. I focus on one or the other- which gives me a good excuse to my incredible lack of reading since February- because when I read and then write, I have a tendency to echo opinions and slip their ideas into my own work or think of fanfiction...which is, ahem, NOT GOOD. *I think Paolini might have the same problem, only he doesn't take steps to stop it*

Unlike WD, when I see good work, I get all fired up. Someday I'll surpass them!, that kind of emotional stuff about my cruddy ability. I try to see other works of writing as springboards rather than bogs.

:/ramble:

It depends on how into it I am. If I write and I'm reading a book I like at the same time, I tend to have to rewrite entire sections because they're just too influenced by whatever I was reading and usually stop making sense at that point.

It's not that I cant read while I'm working on something, it's just sometimes stuff tends to bleed into mine so I refrain from reading while I'm working on a big project.

I'm the opposite. I read loads when I'm working on my story. However, I do refrain from reading a similar genre to what I am writing as I normally read to escape. I also don't want to put ideas into my work that aren't completely mine...

Alainna
xxxxxxx

I read a lot while i am working on something. It normally takes me ages to write something so if i didn't read i would get really bored!

Usually when I'm writing, I'm in an odd mood- I hate pretty much everything I write and edit, edit, edit, edit...

Problem is, I get that way with books, too. I hate everything I read, and really, really want to mark up the book (but sadly, I can't since they're mostly the library's ).

It probably stems back to the reason I'm writing- I've read thousands and thousands of books, but there's probably only a handful that I can say I really enjoyed without feeling the urge to grab the red pen and spew about character development.

Haha, I'm weird...

I don't change my reading habits when I'm writing. I still read plenty but I have to cut down on computer time and such.

I read whatever whenever and it doesn't matter what I'm writing. I'm currently writing a story about three witches and their romantic adventures and I'm reading a Jane austin.

I'm the opposite too. I write well when I'm reading stimulating stuff. When I'm not writing well, I tend to pick books up and think 'pfft, I can totally write better than that on a good day ...' Which is awfully bigheaded, but sometimes it's true. :p Anyway, that gets me all antsy and jealous, so if I'm not writing, I don't really read. :S

My reading doesn't really fluctuate depending on if I'm writing. I do find, however, that if I'm writing, I have a more critical eye for whatever I'm reading. I catch more mistakes or things (I think) the author should have done differently. I often catch myself thinking of how I would write it, were it my book. And more often than not, it's completely different than how it IS written.