Still wondering about my story, piecing things together and throwing things out. I'm also reading, gosh it's been awhile, I'm so glad I started reading again. The reason why I don't usually read while I write is cause the stuff that I read. . . rubs off on my writing. Like, if I read, say, The Name of the Wind while I write, there's a good chance that my character will suddenly become a musician, orphan guy until I realize what I'm doing - 15,000 words later. I suppose I'll just have to keep a better eye on what I'm doing while I read. It's just when I like something that I read I unintentionally write it into my story in a very plagiaristic way and sometimes, the whole story changes. Until I come to my senses anyway.
So. . . I hope that doesn't happen this time around. Does this happen to anyone else?
And here's the linky for other ROW80-ers!
Showing posts with label Maybe I Shouldn't Read So Much.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maybe I Shouldn't Read So Much.. Show all posts
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Reading Stories While Writing Stories
Oops, look like Valentines day totally passed me by. I didn't even notice until I saw all the blog post popping up about it! I have to say I'm not much for the minor holidays like Valentines. The only holidays that I really celebrate are New Years, Easter, sometimes Halloween and Christmas. (And NaNoWriMo. But I don't think that's an official holiday. Yet. :p) So happy belated Valentines day to those who celebrate it!
And now, to the real post!
My story has been deciding to go in a vaguely different direction, especially in regards to the main character and the ending. Well, actually, I take that back. Everything is deciding to turn on it's ear. My main character is deciding that his personality will change some, the villain wants to be more powerful and sneaky, and much much more cunning than before. The ending can't decide whether it wants to be uplifting or depressing. Depending on which way the ending decides to be the character arc may have to be redone. But, these changes are for the good. I think.
I can never be sure though. Especially when I've been reading other stories. If I read things while I'm working on an idea the idea can morph into something laughable as I attempt to bring in some aspects of what I've been reading into what I've been writing.
Hah, you should have seen what happened when I was reading The Fellowship of the Ring! Poems - poems! - ended up all over the place! And, my gosh, there was even a song. A very horrible song that would make me embarrassed if I were to go back and read it. But thankfully I didn't waste all those thousands of words, for the more refined version of what is now The Chronicles of Siron came from there.
But, you see, this is why I'm wary of going along with these new ideas that are plaguing me. Are they really for the good? Or, three months from now, will I be looking at tens of thousands of words of garbage, wishing I had never went with those new ideas?
But I don't see the damage in these ideas. I mean, they're not poems, thank God! Just some stuff to make my story, my characters in particular, much stronger.
The ending on the other hand, I'm still very indecisive on that.
So, I've got some more stuff to figure out now, all because I decided to get back to reading a lot. . .
Sometimes I just wish I could stop reading completly until I was finished writing a story, but unfourtunately I would die.
Do you find that reading other stories does this to you? That there's just something you have to put in your story after reading so and so book? Have you ever regretted it?
And now, to the real post!
My story has been deciding to go in a vaguely different direction, especially in regards to the main character and the ending. Well, actually, I take that back. Everything is deciding to turn on it's ear. My main character is deciding that his personality will change some, the villain wants to be more powerful and sneaky, and much much more cunning than before. The ending can't decide whether it wants to be uplifting or depressing. Depending on which way the ending decides to be the character arc may have to be redone. But, these changes are for the good. I think.
I can never be sure though. Especially when I've been reading other stories. If I read things while I'm working on an idea the idea can morph into something laughable as I attempt to bring in some aspects of what I've been reading into what I've been writing.
Hah, you should have seen what happened when I was reading The Fellowship of the Ring! Poems - poems! - ended up all over the place! And, my gosh, there was even a song. A very horrible song that would make me embarrassed if I were to go back and read it. But thankfully I didn't waste all those thousands of words, for the more refined version of what is now The Chronicles of Siron came from there.
But, you see, this is why I'm wary of going along with these new ideas that are plaguing me. Are they really for the good? Or, three months from now, will I be looking at tens of thousands of words of garbage, wishing I had never went with those new ideas?
But I don't see the damage in these ideas. I mean, they're not poems, thank God! Just some stuff to make my story, my characters in particular, much stronger.
The ending on the other hand, I'm still very indecisive on that.
So, I've got some more stuff to figure out now, all because I decided to get back to reading a lot. . .
Sometimes I just wish I could stop reading completly until I was finished writing a story, but unfourtunately I would die.
Do you find that reading other stories does this to you? That there's just something you have to put in your story after reading so and so book? Have you ever regretted it?
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