Writers who don't read

[Kelliezgirl]

In the spirit @caleb35 's post about actually talking about writing.

I don't think you can be a good writer if you aren't a reader. I will add the caveat, at least at some point in your life. I've seen rather successful writers comment that they don't read nearly as much as they used to simply because they are busy writing, but at one point they were voracious readers.

 

[crookedletter]

I don't think you can be a good writer if you aren't a reader.

I couldn't agree more. I think the two most important pieces of advice, for anyone wanting to be a writer, are as essential as they are simple: Just write. And read. Do them both as often and as widely as you can.

 

[SimonDoom]

It's hard for me to imagine being a writer who doesn't read.

 

[Baztrachian]

I don't think you can be a good writer if you aren't a reader.

Bang on.

 

[Ssbbw4u1974]

I saw this new thread... And it's me! I write and don't read. I have never been a reader, not ever.. My sister was book smart , I was the wild child.

I have always excelled in English and Creative writing courses.
At 20, I started writing Erotica Smut.
I think I have a reading comprehension disorder, I'm not sure.. But I'd rather write than read.

 

[BeechLeaf]

Heck, I'd rather write than read too. I'd rather write than eat. I'd rather write than sleep. None of those are feasible; the writing suffers.

 

[Bazzle]

A writer who doesn't read produces Ai crap.

 

[BladeSeanchai]

Good afternoon I am brand new as a writer on the site, this week, having published my first story,but have been a lurker and reader for over 15 years.

I too will echo the previous comments, but I believe in the first story I produced it was only well received because of the years of reading the erotica stories here

 

[CiaoSteve]

I don't read that much. Yes, I read my own stories as I tend to self-edit, but other than that it is only now and again that I read somebody else's work. I'm probably missing a trick.

 

[yowser]

I know of no good writers who aren't also avid readers. Or at least once upon a time were avid readers. Reading and writing are both sides of the same coin.

I do find myself puzzled when I go to an author's bio-page for the first time (usually because I enjoyed one or more of their stories and what to know more about them) and find that their 'favorites' section, both for other authors and stories, are blank.

Huh? How can it be that nothing appears there, no indication of what appeals to this writer of obvious merit? I know there may be some sound reasons for this, and it is fair for anyone to handle this part of their online life however they wish, but I do confess some disappointment. If nothing else, I enjoy seeing what other authors, whose talent and output I respect, also value. And that gives me a better pathway to finding 'good stuff' to read that beats any other set of mechanisms I have tried here.

 

[old_prof]

I haven't been reading like I used to (decades ago). Or at least not reading fiction. Through high school, I was reading constantly, probably more than a book a day. It faded during college and then dried up almost completely for about 45 years, averaging maybe one book every few years. I'm trying to read more again, but it;s hard to get back into it. I tend to use it as a positive use of my time if I'm stalled writing. Mostly that means I've read parts of a lot of books and finished few of them.

 

[OddLove]

The only fiction I read is Femdom erotica and threads on here posted by REDACTED. Other than that I'm only reading non fiction on things like space, psychology, maybe some history here and there, etc.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Walter Mosley encourages would-be writers to put down the books and write their own. But he doesn't mean for them to stop reading but to stop reading rather than writing.

 

[IWroteThis]

I do find myself puzzled when I go to an author's bio-page for the first time (usually because I enjoyed one or more of their stories and what to know more about them) and find that their 'favorites' section, both for other authors and stories, are blank.

I do have some, but most of my favorite authors and stories aren't on this site. I read a lot, but I mostly read it elsewhere.

On that note, not everything I write is destined for here either. I have a different pseudonym for my more mainstream stuff, and my real name is on my poetry (other than what I've posted here). Literotica and IWroteThis are for things I can't show my mom…

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I do have some, but most of my favorite authors and stories aren't on this site. I read a lot, but I mostly read it elsewhere.

On that note, not everything I write is destined for here either. I have a different pseudonym for my more mainstream stuff, and my real name is on my poetry (other than what I've posted here). Literotica and IWroteThis are for things I can't show my mom…

I'm guilty of this as well. While I still read quite a bit, I don't read much erotica, so I don't have a real list of other authors on the site.
The issue of squicks complicates things in erotica as well. One of my favorite authors here on Lit has a number of squicks that aren't really my thing and are a bit...out there from what I write. So listing him as a favorite might actually be doing a disservice to anyone who enjoys what I write.

 

[PennameWombat]

Outside of this site, in "writing" groups on sites such as Reddit or FB, the most obvious response to many of the posted questions is:

"Have you never read a book?"

If you do ask that, and they answer, it turns out that no, they apparently never have read an actual book. Or much anything else beyond maybe comics or manga. Yet they're writing an epic fantasy series of at least nine books.

 

[Nynah]

I suspect a lot of us who started as readers on Lit are more likely to have favorite stories and authors on the site than those of us who came here to publish their smut first and foremost. I know that's the case for me as I've been coming around since the early 2010s but really only started writing my own work in 2017.

Outside of Lit, I read a ton; I don't think I've gone a day without reading something since I was very little. I really do need to read a lot more on Lit though, there's a lot of good stuff here.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I've seen rather successful writers comment that they don't read nearly as much as they used to simply because they are busy writing, but at one point they were voracious readers.

This is me. I'll occasionally do an audio book during my commute and read some stories here on my lunch break. No time for anything else.

 

[AStrangeDesire]

I have probably become more selective in my reading as I've done more writing.

Having said that, I wouldn't stop reading someone's stuff (erotica or non) if I found out they weren't a voracious reader. If I like their stuff, I like their stuff.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Outside of this site, in "writing" groups on sites such as Reddit or FB, the most obvious response to many of the posted questions is:

"Have you never read a book?"

If you do ask that, and they answer, it turns out that no, they apparently never have read an actual book. Or much anything else beyond maybe comics or manga. Yet they're writing an epic fantasy series of at least nine books.

I find that so bizarre. Why would you want to invest years of your life creating something you have no interest in consuming? You are writing a book that you yourself would have no interest in reading.

It's like a Vegan deciding they want to be a BBQ Champion.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I have probably become more selective in my reading as I've done more writing.

Having said that, I wouldn't stop reading someone's stuff (erotica or non) if I found out they weren't a voracious reader. If I like their stuff, I like their stuff.

I don't care about the author at all, to be honest. Their age, sex, race, religion, political beliefs are all completely irrelevant to my enjoyment of the art.

 

[AStrangeDesire]

Ugh. This thread caused me to look at my various lists, I've got 412 stories saved for reading that I've not gotten to... yet.

But instead of reading those, or writing, or editing, I'm here talking about how I'm not doing any of those things.

You see the problem.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Actually, I don't read much erotica on the site. I read some of you guys on Jo's account. While I love writing erotica, I'm not that fussed with reading it. Now, historic erotica, I used to consume quite a lot of that.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Procrastrination much?

Ugh. This thread caused me to look at my various lists, I've got 412 stories saved for reading that I've not gotten to... yet.

But instead of reading those, or writing, or editing, I'm here talking about how I'm not doing any of those things.

You see the problem.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

@Kelliezgirl - Thanks for posting this! A thoughtful piece. I personally cannot imagine being in a place without books - paper books - or my trying to write without having had my nose in a book for 70 years. Such modest success as I've had here has been entirely due to that.

Keep 'em coming!