Writing Book research: Can it help? [PG13 related material]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR=DimGray]Howdy yall, tis me again.

I have a questoin to ask. Will reading and studying bokks and how they are written, effect my ability to write?

I mean, my time here on the boards has been filled with ups and downs. Especially with my writing.

Her are two examples of what was bad and what was good.[/COLOR]


[COLOR=Blue]MY BAD:
[QUOTE]As hijar, Tala, and DC came back to te castle the queen spoke to them.

"Mom what do you need?" Asked Tala. "Well daughter, son. your sister is inaprostitution ring." Replied the queen. "that is why I wanted you to look for her. Find her bring her back. She must be brought back. your sister Yulian will be joining you. She is waiting outside. First go to Valnar city and find directions to Stranthea Kingdom. My advisor has found that your sister resides there. Now go get your weapons and go to your sister. good luck."

The 3 went to their rooms and got their weapons. They walked to the area of the castle where Princess Yulian was located. The clouds grew dark with resentment.

"Well are you guys redy?" Asked Yulian. "Ya we are." Replied Tara. "Good then off to the city you go." "But sis I thought you were going to come to?" "Mom always wants me to come with you." She replied. But I'm going to just give you a map." Their sister was always dressed in pink. She was always lazy and gave crap to noboby. Her eyes were always angry. but she wasn't rude, just lazy.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[COLOR=DimGray]Notice the bad? Now here's a sample of my godd work[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Blue]GOOD WORK:
[QUOTE]Galbor awoke on a bright Sunday morning. As he peered out the window he could see the birds fly away into the distance. The sun caressed the horizon with the blazing passion to rip the skies asunder. The trees swayed as the wind blew softly. Touching the houses with a slight chill on what was a warm July morning. Galbor, embraced by the day?s beauty decided to stay inside that day. His mother was sick, and his father was helping the knights as they went on a crusade to the nearest kingdom.

Galbor got dressed in his normal attire. He sighed slightly as he sat on his bed for a moment. ?Will mother be alright?? he asked himself. Laying back he felt something soft touch his head. His kitten Sapphire had touched him with her paw. Galbor picked her up and started to pet her slowly. ?Well at least I have you.? He smiled at his cat.

During that time alone with his cat, miles above him a small meteorite was falling fast. Through the skies it caused a small fire to shoot against the currents. It started to fall so fast the impact could kill the town. Falling, falling, and falling like a frail flower seed being planted. The townsfolk ran away screaming. And soon the meteorite had impacted with the ground. The earth shook as housed blew apart. Suddenly 3 men emerged from the meteorite. They wore silver armor and had swords.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[COLOR=DimGray]It's not be flawless, yet it is my latest greatest work.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Blue]So would reading books and studying the styles help my writing?
I'm thinking that First person, third, and foreshodowing types should be read. Should I give it a rty?
And would there be anything else that would help me in my development?[/COLOR]

[Doublehex]

Reading books will without a doubt enhance your abilities to write. Just like having a teacher help you on an assignment will hopefully make you better in that subject, reading books from more experienced authors will give you a template on better writing styles.

[Cyriel]

[size=1][color=teal]Reading more books will definitely change your writing. The more you read, the more you are familiarized not only with different writing styles, but also with grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and literary techniques. Seriously, reading is just like practicing and learning, except...it's enjoyable! ^__^
I'd also suggest keeping a little book/notebook that you can just use for writing. Anytime any idea comes into your head, or you liked a particular passage you read, you can jot it down, and then later it's like a chest full of little ideas for you to use or brainstorm from. You can mark your progress as well. Also make sure to read all different types of books, not just the ones that you like - it's important to get a wide range of knowledge. [/color][/size]

[Shinmaru]

Oh, reading and studying writing styles definitely affects your writing ability. To be honest, most of what I've learned about writing has come from reading and noticing how authors use words, puncuation, different types and lengths of sentences, and so on and so forth. I'd say general observation taught me around 85% of what I know and use when writing. A college course I took in grammar taught me everything else I find useful.

So, yeah, reading more can only have a positive effect on your writing. :)

[Redemption]

[size=1]As the others have said, observing what other authors do when they write is a good start. But notice that nearly every one of the authors you read has their own distinctive style of writing. Generally, you can't tell what it is, but if you read a passage from an author you've read a lot of, usually you can pick it. It may be their detailed descriptions of the surroundings, or the deep development of their characters, maybe their punctuation techniques or the way their characters interact.

Develop your own style of writing, perhaps by combining aspects of other authors' writing that you find appealing, or you like doing. Or just create something entirely on your own. In the end, reading other authors' works is research, and research shouldn't be copied word for word.[/size]

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]Here's how I understand the situation in front of us prospective authors:

If a person wishes to excel at a particular discipline?say, art, or trombone?the best course of action he/she can take is to study under someone who is already proficient in the field he/she wishes to enter. So aspiring artists will look for the best studio they can find and afford, and prospective trombonists will want to take lessons from a well-trained professional. Likewise, for us authors the best we can do is to learn from those who have mastered our field.

Unfortunately, most of the "creative writing" courses available teach only development of ideas, and not actual syntax; even the yearly requisite English courses skim over how to write well, focusing only on minute, individual aspects of it, like spelling or grammar, without tying everything back together afterwards. Both are necessary, but they must be used together, and are ineffective alone. And still other vital knowledge, such as proper use and flow of mid-sentence punctuatuon, is put to the side.

I have been reading since about the age of four or five; Dr. Seuss got me started, and I gradually progressed through the Bobbsey Twins/Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew series', eventually reaching such distinguished authors as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Fleming, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Tom Clancy, to name a few. I have read through most of these books at least twice (because I enjoy them), and so I have been basically absorbing style, structure, and flow until it pretty much just comes out my fingers when I write or type. I do not necessarily mimic any one author, nor do I write as a large smush of all of them combined (pretty hard to mix Fleming with Seuss), but I know how to make the words I write say what I want them to say, how I want them to say it, almost off the top of my head.

To your question I will answer this: I do not believe one can write effectively, or even hope to write masterfully, unless he/she is familiar with the language he is using, and the best way to get more familiar with the language is to read it. However, I would caution against reading only one author and attempting to immediately emulate them, since that is dangerously close to plagiarism. Read as much as you can, in as many genres as you can enjoy (to this day I refuse to read romance), and let your skills and style develop over time.

And keep writing, even if it's lousy at times. Writing is basically our method of praticing.

-A[/FONT]

[Zen]

[color=darkred][size=1]

For me, imitation has been the only learning tool I've ever had. Be it how I learned to draw by tracing styles I admired (eventually fusing them to create my own) or even my martial arts style (a combination of different styles I enjoy as seen from others).

As for writing, things came along slightly different. In actuality, I don't read nearly as much as I'd like to. I read more non-fiction that I do fiction because I enjoy learning about subjects of interest. However, if I gave you the list of fiction authors that I've read and enjoyed, you'd definetly see how they influenced me.

Go flip through the following ( recommend, highly, all of them):

[b]1984[/b] by George Orwell
[b]Brave New World[/b] by Aldous Huxley
[b]Anthem[/b] by Ayn Rand
[b]World War Z[/b] by Max Brooks

These three books helped me in what I feel are the... spirit of my writing. I like big, enormous, themes. And even though these books deal mainly with outrageous political commentary on world events, they taught me how to convey a message through a story.

In The Hit right now, my underlying message may seem a bit.... dim compared to these, but hopefully it is there. It tells the tale about how a man's past and present determine his future, and how through dire situations, you can overcome with the help of those around you (even if you don't trust those people yourself) and the lessons from your past. It tells how you can have people who care about you greatly, without you knowing just how much they really care. How bad situation can show your best friends. And while The Hit was written initially just to be a cool assassin story, I wanted something deeper to coincide with it. The message in it is still being told.

Another thing these books helped me do is learn how to tell a good story through unfolding events in first person. As if in each chapter, you are more than less reading the protagonists mind rather than listening to him tell a story. [b]Anthem[/b] and [b]1984[/b] are the biggest influences in this area. You experience and feel the same thing the main character feels all at the same time as he/she does. This is actually my favorite style of writing (first person) because it's more personal and emotional. Aswell, it is possible to invoke humour into a dire situation (alá a back thought in the character's mind) without presenting an useless object for the plot. Basically you don't have to interupt the current situation just to lighten the mood.

The last thing I'll comment on about these books are how they taught me to end a story without extreme closure. Particularly, [b]Anthem[/b] and [b]World War Z[/b]. The taught me that I can give closure, leave an a good note ([b]Anthem[/b]'s ending inspired me for months on, and I nearly became an anarchist based on it, haha), and also provide an option for sequel or continuation. Another thing it taught me, (now [b]WWZ[/b]) is how to instill a particular gut-dropping feeling at the end of a chapter book. [b]World War Z[/b] ended nearly every chapter with a feeling of relief, admiration, or fear that could be physically felt as read. I try to do something similar in The Hit, as is apparent. On top of this theme, all of these books (save [b]Brave New World[/b]) taught me how to give a good, big revelation at the end (or near end) of a story. I have a big gut wrencher planned for The Hit, so look out for it.



Using myself as an example, Its apparent that reading is essential if you want to become a good writer. You can't just tell a good story without seeing how one is told. Back when I began writing, I sucked.... like.... an ungodly amount. My writing style reflected what I read (mostly young teen fiction) and it showed. It was simplistic, child-like even, and on top of that, my writing never had a point to them. I wrote just to write, without an idea in mind, I cranked out incoherent garbage constantly.

Search the username [b]Double_B_Daigo[/b] to see some of my past atrocities, and I think you'll see how I've improved, haha.[/color][/size]

[Dagger]

Reading great novels, and keeping an eye out for what makes them great, is half of it. The other half is reading critically.

The pitfall of this is that it can make it much harder for you enjoy and/or get sucked into books. Look for plot holes, poor pacing, weak endings, etc. Ask the same questions when you're looking over your own work: why would someone want to start reading this? Why would he or she want to continue reading it?

For studying structure (and a lot of other stuff, for that matter), I'd suggest starting with short stories.

~Dagger~

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Hero, in your case, even if it only helps a tiny but, I'd go for it, lol.

Yes, I'd say reading more could help you adopt your own style. Just be careful what you read.[B] Reading manga will not help you[/B]. If anything, it can only make you worse (especially if you're reading freaking [B]Inuyasha[/B]).

I second the notion of [B]1984 [/B] if you're looking for a sort of bleak outlook. If you want it to be a personal tale, read [B]To Kill A Mockingbird[/B]. For a more psychological angle go for [B]A Scanner Darkly [/B] or [B]Boogiepop And Others [/B] (best book ever). If you want suspense, try [B]The Davinci Code [/B] (only story to piss me off with suspense, lol.) [/COLOR]

[Johnny Justjohnny]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Gray]Reading will help you tremendously. A lot more then sitting in a classroom and having rules forced at you all day, that's for sure. I'm a terrible in-theory writer - on grammar tests, I never do exceptionally well and I still have trouble telling my verbs from my nouns, but I can still spin a fine yarn because I read so compulsivly.

Read a lot, from different artists and different genres. When you're reading, look at what the artist does that you especially like, something that sticks out at you as interesting, and try and incorperate it into your writing. Not word-for-word (bcuz dat wuld b plagerasmi!1oneshift) but try and caputure their style. Then read other books by different artists and do the same thing. Eventually you will build a unique writing style of your own - something that a classroom can never teach you.

Suggestions? I can't tell what you like, so what can I suggest? You have to build a writing style that is tailored to fit you - and you have to be constantly reading so you can keep your writing style fresh, so that you and your readers don't grow tired of it. The worst thing for an aspiring writer is to grow tired of writing.

Good luck!

BTW, proofreading really does help. In your example of bad writing, most of it was just very poor proofreading... and don't pretend to be above spellcheck! [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Dagger]

[QUOTE=2007DigitalBoy][COLOR=DarkOrange]
Just be careful what you read.[B] Reading manga will not help you[/B]. If anything, it can only make you worse (especially if you're reading freaking [B]Inuyasha[/B]).
[/COLOR][/QUOTE]
I disagree. Even watching movies can be helpful if you're taking a critical approach to the script/story. The same basic principles of storytelling apply as much to manga/comics and other mediums as to novels. Besides, learning what [I]not[/I] to do is just as important as figuring out what makes good writing good.

~Dagger~

[Claire]

[FONT=Arial]I hardly ever read for lack of an interesting book, and I don't think it shows in my writing. I think that, for me, it's easier to write without having read anything because I know I'm creating my own story with no prewritten influences. As for grammar and stuff like that, I learned that in English class over the years and books never really helped me with that. My mother is also an english major, so I guess it's just in the blood.

On the other hand, reading can be very useful in structuring a vocabulary, which is a very nice thing to have when trying to write a good story or anything else. Books can sometimes spark inspiration, which is partly how my vampire series began (I had already created several characters and came up with a main storyline, I just lacked the will to start writing anything).[/FONT]

[Allamorph]

[quote name='Clurr][FONT=Arial']My mother is also an english major, so I guess it's just in the blood.[/FONT][/quote]
[FONT=Arial]Yeah, that could play a bit of an important role.... :animeswea (I have an English major Mom, too.)[/FONT]

[Zen]

[QUOTE=Dagger]I disagree. Even watching movies can be helpful if you're taking a critical approach to the script/story. The same basic principles of storytelling apply as much to manga/comics and other mediums as to novels. Besides, learning what [I]not[/I] to do is just as important as figuring out what makes good writing good.

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]
[color=darkred][size=1]

I second you. My actual writing style is highly influenced by action film and anime. You can tell by how I constantly have fights scenes going on, and how I describe them vividly to give a sense of action and movement in my writing. I'm often told it's the best thing I do writing wise, and it gets me alot of compliments (even an accomplished writer saying I need to show them how it's done, hah). That's the thing I dislike most about literature, is that action is often generalized, rather than going into the deep details of combat and action that I love. If it can be read, it can be imagined, and I love giving the reader an awesome, over the top fight scene to imagine. It's what makes my writing 'unique' I believe.

So aye, you shouldn't rule out the influence of movies/anime/comic book/manga for writing style. I suggest you check out the work of Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore, DigitalBoy. Some of the best American authors out right now and both work in graphic novels (and regular novels as well). Big influences on me in this area are Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Shinichiro Watanabe, and Frank Miller.

[/color][/size]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR=DimGray]Thanks for the help so far. I really apreciate it.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DimGray]To DigatalBoy, my mother just happens to have [b][COLOR=Blue]"To Kill a Mockingbird."[/COLOR][/b] So I'll find it and stat reading it.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DimGray]The current book I'm reading from is[/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue][b]"Fullmetal Alchemist, VOLUME 1:Land of Sand."[/COLOR][/B]
[COLOR=DimGray]It's an FMA title that's actually a novel.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DimGray]A book that I might use is the [/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue][B]Dot//Hack[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=dimgray]novel I own. It has good cred, and the genre is sci-fi/fantasy. So it's in my department.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Blue]A new question.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Blue]How can I check if anybody would even be interested in my stories? Heck this would even help my RPs in the adventure inn, lol![/COLOR]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Another thing to keep in mind if you are going to read more to help your writing style, something I would highly recommend as I?m positive all the books I?ve read over the years has influenced how I write. Anyway, as I was saying, don?t be too quick to immediately jump into some of what are considered the more classic books or more well written.

Now before that sounds confusing, if you are reading something like ?to kill a mocking bird? or ?1984? and you find yourself having trouble following it due to the storyline not grabbing your interest. Don?t feel like you have to read it. I?ve run into this myself, authors that their style of writing actually get on my nerves and make it feel more like homework instead of something enjoyable to read.

Take J.R.R. Tolkien, I positively hate their books. The writing style drives me up the wall. I enjoyed the movies made from them but to read the books? [shudder] No offense to those of you who do like Tolkien.

So even though reading is an excellent way to help you improve your writing, don?t be discouraged if you start a series and don?t like it, simply move to something else, or rather try getting things from different types like mystery, science fiction, fantasy and others until you start finding things you do enjoy reading.

A few authors I would recommend are David Eddings and Mercedes Lackey, and for something that is written more simply and yet does an excellent job of telling the story, the Harry Potter series is a good one to read to get an idea how to write clearly for a very wide audience and yet still be engaging to read.[/COLOR]

[2010DigitalBoy]

[QUOTE=Dagger]I disagree. Even watching movies can be helpful if you're taking a critical approach to the script/story. The same basic principles of storytelling apply as much to manga/comics and other mediums as to novels. Besides, learning what [I]not[/I] to do is just as important as figuring out what makes good writing good.

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]
[COLOR=DarkOrange]The reason I say not to read manga is because it' different in too mny ways from novel writing. A lot of people try to write based on the stuff tey read in manga and a lot of situations they portray seem odd or the action is badly paced.

Between the vast nuber of bad manga that are popular and the many manga that have things like extremely random moments or little notes from the artist and such things, manga can be a bad influence.

Not to say that absolutely no manga can hlp you. I thhink Death Note or Boogiepop are god for anyone, heh.

As for learning what not to do, that's only okay if you can identify what not to do. If you're going trough the trouble of asking what to look at, you prolly don't know.[/COLOR]

[Dagger]

But blind imitation isn't the point. (God knows the FMA novels aren't shining examples of great literature, after all.) What I'm trying to say is that you can get a lesson out of anything you read or watch. You shouldn't be unconsciously influenced by other works to the point that reading a crappy book suddenly drags your own writing down.

Nor should you give anything a free pass. Let's look at the titles you mentioned...

Death Note is a prime example of a story with funky pacing. Its author deliberately opted to throw away character development in order to go for suspense & thrills, but do you want to make the same trade-off? It's an unrealistic story that touts itself as being the epitome of realism (and I'm not talking about the shinigami, either). And Boogiepop's complex structure makes it easy to overlook weaknesses in the basic story and characters.

I can say this despite being a fan of both series.

ForgotteÑ-HerÖ: Just try to examine your stories from the reader's perspective. Why should [I]they[/I] care about what's happening? If you haven't given them a good reason to keep going after the first paragraph, better do some revision.

~Dagger~

[Allamorph]

[quote name='SunfallE][COLOR=RoyalBlue]Take J.R.R. Tolkien, I positively hate their books. The writing style drives me up the wall. I enjoyed the movies made from them but to read the books? [shudder'] No offense to those of you who do like Tolkien.[/COLOR][/quote]
[FONT=Arial]You wound me.

But [COLOR=DarkRed]SunfallE[/COLOR] has a good point. If you're not going to enjoy reading it, don't bother. Try it first, but if you find you're having to force yourself through it, then you should probably put it down for a long while. For example, I forced myself through Moby Dick in sixth grade (don't ask), and I will probably never read it again; along the same lines, reading Charles Dickens feels like slogging through thigh-deep, slowly hardening mud.

Incidentally, Anne McCaffrey has a plethera of wonderful sci-fi fantasy novels you could try, and then there's the popular Terry Goodkind (if you haven't heard of the Sword of Truth series yet, you must be living under a rock :animesmil).

[B]EDIT:[/B]
[quote name='ForgotteÑ-HerÖ][COLOR=Blue']How can I check if anybody would even be interested in my stories?[/COLOR][/quote]
I feel this issue kind of secondary, actually. Sure, it's nice to have people read your stuff and say "Hey, keep it coming", but I write more because I have a story in my head and want to put it down before it eats me alive. I try to keep the fact that I might have an audience in mind, so I don't just write down plot and action and leave out detail and description, but I also don't really attempt to tailor my material to a specific group of people.

To actually answer the question (:animeswea), just post your stuff here, or start mentioning it to your friends/peers. Even writing in front of them will arouse theire interests, and you might even get some fellow writers to talk to and bounce ideas off of.[/FONT]

[Tekkaman]

[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2]I may be repeating what everyone else is saying but you know i'm always here to help you, Hero. Here's my two cents:[/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2][/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2]When I first joined the Boards, I was a good reader -- hell, really good -- but I didn't have much writing talent aside from poetry. I loved English classes, though (Still do till this day), so I wanted to give writing a shot.[/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2][/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2]Years later, I joined Otaku and watched Raiyuu compete in [b][i]OtakuBoards Survivor[/i][/b]. I was hooked right then. I would go around the boards and try to duplicate how Raiyuu wrote and think that I would get the same recognition. I was mistaken.[/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2][/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2][b]1. OtakuBoards will not teach you how to be a great writer. OtakuBoards will only show you the unique personality of a great writer. I only say this because we've had this conversation before -- you becoming good at what you do, vis a vis, writing. In short, Otaku is a great place to find your creative flair, not the basics of writing.[/b][/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2][/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2]I figured out that learning th basics as a writer would be far more benificial than trying to mimic others. Yeah, it can teach you... but only so much. So I browsed the internet for answers.[/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2][/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2][b]2. Book reading will help your struggles with writing. Another thing that may help you out as well is proofreading, critiquing, and constructive criticism from others.[/b][/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2][/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2][b]3. Merriam-Webster Online -- Look up what [i]period, question mark, colon, semi-colon, etc...[/i] mean so you can have a better idea of how to use them in a sentence. (I just did that tip a week ago, lol)[/b][/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2][/size][/font]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2]I'm still learning, but i'm here to help whenever you need me, Hero. Just do what you've been doing and PM me whenever you have to. Oh, and talk to Allamorph if you can, he knows his stuff and is problably the kindest soul you'll ever get to know.[/size][/font]

[Lord Of Terror]

[QUOTE] Originally Posted by ForgotteÑ-HerÖ
A new question.
How can I check if anybody would even be interested in my stories? Heck this would even help my RPs in the adventure inn, lol! [/QUOTE]

You could create a poll. i.e The types of RPG's people like to participate in.
Just a thought but also if they join your rpg then most of the time it means they like it, or at least want to try something new.

[Claire]

[QUOTE=Allamorph][FONT=Arial]
Unfortunately, most of the "creative writing" courses available teach only development of ideas, and not actual syntax; even the yearly requisite English courses skim over how to write well, focusing only on minute, individual aspects of it, like spelling or grammar, without tying everything back together afterwards. Both are necessary, but they must be used together, and are ineffective alone. And still other vital knowledge, such as proper use and flow of mid-sentence punctuatuon, is put to the side.[/FONT][/QUOTE]
[FONT=Arial]
My English classes hasn't even touched on any grammar or writing skills yet. At least, I don't remember ever doing so. The only times we've come close was when my teacher said something about "subject-verb agreement," but that was about it. I don't remember doing ANY writing and grammar stuff since the sixth grade. (And even then, I didn't really didn't need to be taught because we were just rehashing elementary school stuff and things I already knew from my mother).

As for Creative Writing, I took that last year just for fun. Creative writing can't be taught. Creativity and imagination is part natural, but anyone can grow a decent imagination if they just think out of the box.

Right now I can't decide if reading books has a positive on negative influence on one's creativity. On one hand, doing so can inspire new ideas. On the other, it's absorbing a prewritten storyline and is not interactive at all.

Like I said, I never read and I'm pretty sure I'm doing just fine in the writing department.[/FONT]

[Allamorph]

[quote name='Clurr][FONT=Arial']I don't remember doing ANY writing and grammar stuff since the sixth grade.[/FONT][/quote]
[FONT=Arial]What's depressing is that writing skill is not valued as highly anymore, and neither is it reinforced. Of course there are always those bizarre humans among us who just seem to be blessed by the muses ? metaphorically speaking, naturally.

[quote name='Clurr][FONT=Arial']Creativity and imagination is part natural, but anyone can grow a decent imagination if they just think out of the box.[/FONT][/quote]
Yep. However, I do not see evidence that many people wish to actually use their imaginations anymore. Also depressing.

[quote name='Clurr][FONT=Arial']Right now I can't decide if reading books has a positive on negative influence on one's creativity. On one hand, doing so can inspire new ideas. On the other, it's absorbing a prewritten storyline and is not interactive at all.[/FONT][/quote]
On the contrary: with a book one is free to develop any auditory, visual, or otherwise tactile sensations on one's own level; the author may provide boundaries, such as the reek of a rotting corpse, the caress of a fresh spring breeze (to get rid of that God-awful corpsey smell), or the ... well, you get the idea. The author gives the reader a reference and describes a particular scene as expicitly as he/she wishes to, but it is the reader that makes the story live. I mean, without a reader, the whole thing just ends up as ink on pressed paper. And [I]that's[/I] a whole load of fun there, mmm-hmm. :p

It takes two to tango, you know. Same principle here.[/cliché+cheesy tie-in]

And even with the predetermined story, [I]you[/I] don't know how it'll turn out, at least if the author is worth their weight in Asimovs, so you still get to watch the whole thing unfold in front of you.

If you say that "the Good Guy always wins", then I ? I shall strike you.

[quote name='Clurr][FONT=Arial]I hardly ever read for lack of an [B]interesting[/B'] book....[/FONT][/quote]
Expound, please. I cannot fathom that every book in existence is tofu to you. (^_^)

[quote name='Clurr][FONT=Arial']Like I said, I never read and I'm pretty sure I'm doing just fine in the writing department.[/FONT][/quote]
True, but that does not mean that you should utterly abandon the pasttime. It's fun.[QUOTE][FONT=Arial]Originally Posted by [B]Tekkaman[/B], taken from another thread and appropriately edited.[/FONT]
[font=Palatino Linotype][size=2][I]And... stop right there, [Allamorph]. ... Yes, if you don't know already, [fun] has no description for how great it is.[/I][/size][/font][/QUOTE] Hee hee. I love thread-hopping. Anyway, I'm sure you know what fun is, so I shall spare you [I]that[/I] tortuous speech.

I've blithered enough.[/FONT]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DarkRed][quote name='SunfallE][COLOR=RoyalBlue]Take J.R.R. Tolkien, I positively hate their books. The writing style drives me up the wall. I enjoyed the movies made from them but to read the books? [shudder] No offense to those of you who do like Tolkien. [/COLOR][/QUOTE][QUOTE=Allamorph][FONT=Arial']You wound me.[/FONT][/quote]
Hmm...It seems that I will be doing the same since I dislike Tolkien for probably the same reason SunfallE does. The way he goes back and forth from plain English through archaisms to poetic prose annoys the hell out of me as well. And for someone looking to improve their writing, something like that is bound to be more confusing than helpful.

So I'll simply echo what SunfallE said. Shop around so to speak and don't get discouraged if a series you are reading is either boring or difficult to follow. Toss it aside and look at something else. I know that for myself, it's rare for me to like a romance novel and for the most part I avoid them. So don't feel like you have to force yourself to read something.

Another good author would be Terry Brooks, not his Sword of Shannara series but the one Magic Kingdom for sale: Sold. Though you might enjoy the Shannara series even if it is a bit overly excessive on descriptions instead of action between the characters.

Either way, don't give up because some form of practice is better than none. ;)[/COLOR]

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]Two of you!

[I]"Ohhh, they got me, Jim. Say good-bye to Ole Yeller for me, and tell May I ? I'm sorry."[/I] *dies*

[I]PAIN!!! Holy freakin' ? eeeeaaauuurrr[size=1]RRRGG[/size]GGHHHHHH!!!!![/I]

Oh, right. *pant* I'm an Immortal; I can't bloody die from a heart wound. I just keep comin' back. (Jays, the resurrection process always hurts so freakin' much.)
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Hmmm. I've been meaning to read the Landover series for a while now; I've read both the Shannara and the Knight of the Word series. I'd recommend the latter first. But yeah, good author to look at. Also, before I forget, Isaac Asimov and Orson Scott Card.[/font]