tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post3028361928377922914..comments2024-03-28T08:02:30.691-04:00Comments on The League of Extraordinary Writers: Reading bad books can be good...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431700962951592287noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post-56185333280892083262011-05-20T07:24:12.747-04:002011-05-20T07:24:12.747-04:00Thanks for the comments everyone! I think Nicole p...Thanks for the comments everyone! I think Nicole puts it quite succinctly - "any reading is good for our writing" (If we allow it to be, I might add!) :)Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10783105022383640157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post-22677926067921796222011-05-18T11:11:53.995-04:002011-05-18T11:11:53.995-04:00Good point. And I like the idea that any reading i...Good point. And I like the idea that any reading is good for our writing. Thanks.Nichole Gileshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12536148445303996747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post-37194816311438198852011-05-17T21:25:50.832-04:002011-05-17T21:25:50.832-04:00This is so true about everything. I learned more a...This is so true about everything. I learned more about people management from my worst managers, I learn more about writing from seeing other people's errors. Thanks great informationPerry Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11873656902637709407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post-48019657982104787412011-05-17T20:29:01.088-04:002011-05-17T20:29:01.088-04:00Interesting way to look at it. i guess working out...Interesting way to look at it. i guess working out why it's 'bad' means i can hopefully recognise the same in my writing. Something to think about...beck nicholashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06691281777316230017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post-82788903459842531642011-05-17T17:32:46.667-04:002011-05-17T17:32:46.667-04:00I have forced myself to finish bad books for this ...I have forced myself to finish bad books for this very reason. ANd then I get excited and think, if this can be published, so can I!Dana Elmendorfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07130309062939542854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post-5800697905570032022011-05-17T17:07:33.744-04:002011-05-17T17:07:33.744-04:00I just read a book by a very popular YA author, an...I just read a book by a very popular YA author, and while I cared enough about the characters to keep reading, it seemed to commit every writing "Don't" on the list. Lots of "justs" and "verys" and "there was" and past tense phrasing that some tweaking could have made more vibrant. I wanted SO MUCH to love the book. At least it helped me weed out similar fillers in my own story.Stephscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06328839483008086049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post-8741130337041324722011-05-17T13:12:53.847-04:002011-05-17T13:12:53.847-04:00Yes, you certainly learn what NOT to do when you r...Yes, you certainly learn what NOT to do when you read a badly written book! Last year, when I read lots and lots of ABNA excerpts, I learned a ton, of not only points to avoid, but craft elements to add to my toolbox, because many of the excerpts rocked the house.Catherine Stinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08131569196977321229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post-37919329405560045162011-05-17T11:49:03.719-04:002011-05-17T11:49:03.719-04:00It can definitely serve to bolster self esteem at ...It can definitely serve to bolster self esteem at the very least. If a book gets published with errors you can spot, not only can you spot them in your own writing; you know you, have the potential to have a better than average chance at getting published as well. (Hugs)IndigoSage Ravenwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17143502548162174269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post-4911700541095383232011-05-17T10:17:41.972-04:002011-05-17T10:17:41.972-04:00I agree. I guess it's years of reading for wor...I agree. I guess it's years of reading for work but I feel like there are many good books and few great ones. It's a spectrum. As I read books that don't quite click for me, I ask myself if I can see what the writer was trying to do--what world or metaphor they were trying to build. And I start looking for that in the text. I always learn something!Stasiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17415483299971270025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post-37260606431037144942011-05-17T09:37:30.889-04:002011-05-17T09:37:30.889-04:00It was actually the combination of a really bad bo...It was actually the combination of a really bad book and a really good book that inspired me to write.<br /><br />Sort of one of those Stephen King moments.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post-66011306127462859922011-05-17T09:16:23.576-04:002011-05-17T09:16:23.576-04:00I actually have an affinity for 'bad' book...I actually have an affinity for 'bad' books. <br /><br />Sometimes, I just need to stop reading them - depending on how my querying is going - because I get bitter that whatever I'm reading got published, while I'm still struggling. <br /><br />But assuming that I'm not in a query slump, I really enjoy reading not so good stuff. I feel as though my own writing is improved through it because I learn what NOT to do, while at the same time trying to discern what it is about the not-so-great book that got someone's attention to start with.Artemis Greyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10849091563671031929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5468546013884694910.post-40193788650074051152011-05-17T09:00:54.820-04:002011-05-17T09:00:54.820-04:00You know...you're right, I hadn't thought ...You know...you're right, I hadn't thought of it that way-!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com