[From the Archive] It’s Okay to Read
Many of us fans and writers have heard other professional writers say, “Oh, I don’t read.” This is usually followed by one of a handful of reasons/excuses. Yeah, that doesn’t fly with me. As writers, I believe we should all take or make the time to read. The most common of the excuses are “I don’t want to be influenced” and “If I read I wouldn’t have time to write”. I call bunk. So, let’s debunk this idea.
I don’t want to be influenced – There are a couple of circumstances where this could be a legitimate reason. I was once told my style reminded someone of Heinlein, I choose to not read Heinlein now to keep that comparison from being forced or done purposely. The other is in Media Tie-In. Media Tie-Ins tend to have a limited number of story ideas that can happen within the cannon and reading someone else’s story while you’re doing yours could influence it. This is also a really kind kiss-off when you don’t want to read someone’s stuff but don’t want to come out and say it. Don’t laugh, I’ve had it happen.
If I read, I wouldn’t have time to write – Okay, just bull. That’s a cop out. If you can find time to write while holding down a full time job or dealing with a family, you’ll find time to write around your reading. It’s called Time Management, folks. It is your friend.
Besides, without reading, how do you do your research? Whether you’re looking for details to make your writing more real and authentic, you’re going to have to crack at least some websites, if not books. Even in SF there’s only so much you can make up before your fans call you on it. There’s also a certain amount of “market research” a writer needs to do to make sure what you’re working on has any commercial value.
Then there are the lesser excuses writers may give you to explain why they don’t write.
I only read non-fiction. You know what? It’s okay to read anything and everything. Non-fiction, fiction, scripts, and poetry – it’s okay. In fact, the ore you read, the more your creativity can be sparked leading you to better and more powerful fiction.
I only read ‘serious’ fiction (fill in your favorite genre) – It’s okay to read for fun. It’s okay to read fluff. It’s okay to read anything you want. I don’t know about other people, but I can only read “serious” or “dark” stuff for a limited amount of time before I have to have some comic relief.
So if you’re serious about writing, you should be serious about reading – even if your reading it not. So, go, pick up a book. It’s okay. Go on.