Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Read Vs. Write

I don't read enough books. I am sure I have said it before. If I make it through a book a month I consider it to be a good month. Granted I read a lot of material that is not on paper (e-zines, blogs) and I have no good way to quantify that amount of material because it varies. Still, I don't read enough. And what I do read is so often outside of the genre that I write that I don't feel like I can give justice to those that put far more effort into the craft than I do. Still, what I write, while often being in different parts of the spectrum than what I read, benefits from the exposure.

Does this make me a well rounded writer, or a hypocrite?

19 comments:

Cate Gardner said...

Some people read faster thatn other people, nothing you can do about that. And I'm sure you're far from a hypocrite.

Carrie Harris said...

I don't think it matters what you read at all, and the reality of being a parent is that there are only so many hours in the day. The fact is that you're reading.

Jamie Eyberg said...

Cate- I used to be a fast reader. I must have blown a synapse or something.

Carrie- I think I am going to start reading Danielle Steele novels exclusively from now on.

Aaron Polson said...

Carrie's right: there are only alimited number of hours, dude. Reading anything beyond a 2nd grade level is a win.

Fox Lee said...

I vote well rounded.

K.C. Shaw said...

As long as you're reading at all, I'd say you're good. I don't read nearly enough myself, but a few years ago I was doing good to read a half dozen books a year (not counting rereads of old favorites). There are only so many hours in the day.

Alexis Grant said...

A book a month?! That's awesome!

Unknown said...

stop wallowing in those college days when you were reading 3 books at the same time. You are usually much more rested now, and since you haven't fried the TV you get to have that media too!

Jamie Eyberg said...

Aaron- I know about the limited number of hours, it is a matter of how they are spent. ;)

Nat- I like the way you think (and that scares the hell out of me.)

K.C.- I envy the way you can plow through a book in an evening. I miss those days.

Alexis- Not every month.

Ann- you had to bring up the television episode from my college days didn't you. (I'll let the rest of you in on that one later)

Jeremy D Brooks said...

Meh...sometimes life gets in the way of that stuff. My mantra is read as much as you can and call it good.

BT said...

A hypocrite would be a writer who doesn't write but continues to insist on the title of writer.

Writers need to read but we also need to experience life. Sounds to me like you're doing all of that and therefore I have to agree with Nat - which also scares the hell out of me...

Jameson T. Caine said...

You read more than most people I know, so I say you're already ahead of a majority of the population.

Danielle Birch said...

No matter how many books you read a year, you're still reading. I don't think a book a month is anything to sneeze at.

Katey said...

I'm definitely voting well-rounded, too. Life doesn't allow as much time for reading OR writing as we'd all like, and that goes double (or more) for those with children.

Carrie Harris said...

I've converted you to Danielle Steele? I can die happy now.

Jamie Eyberg said...

Jeremy and BT- Life is a fickle muse, without it we wouldn't have material worth writing.

Jameson- I read less than most of the people I know, other than my mom who doesn't read at all. :(

Danielle- It is if the book is dusty or covered in ground black pepper.

Katey- I like my well rounded life. I just wish I didn't have to sleep five hours a day.

Carrie- did i say that out loud?

Benjamin Solah said...

I read at about the same pace as you. And I try really hard. I have to try and keep up with fiction as well as political stuff so it's doubly hard for me.

Don't think there's anything wrong with us though. And I read outside the genre too. I like to think it brings something back to it.

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