Join Alex J. Cavanaugh and a multitude of writer's in this monthly hop to help support one another!
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Alex's awesome co-hosts for the February are Misha Gericke, LK Hill, Juneta Key, Christy and Joylene Buter!
February 1 Question: How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?
Becoming a writer has changed my experience as a reader quite a bit. I always read for entertainment and enjoyment, and now I also read to hone my own writing. Each writer has their own style and I'm still trying to find mine. I feel reading is absolutely essential if you want to write.
If I see a typo in an acclaimed NYT Bestseller, I actually smile. Nobody is perfect. So that makes me feel somewhat better.
But, because I am a writer, I never discredit an author. Even if I dislike the story, I would never write a bad review or publicly state on social media why I didn't like their book. I guess you'd have to be a writer to understand the long hours of hard work that goes into a book, and not only with the first draft, but also with the ceaseless editing. The saying by Ernest Hemingway holds true with many writer's,
“There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.”― Ernest Hemingway
I can't write a bad book review either. I know the effort involved, even if the end product fell short.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree about the bad reviews. I never do that. If I don't like a book I usually don't end up finishing it anyway so I would review something I haven't read all the way through.
ReplyDeleteThere's enough negativity in the world without adding to it, so I agree 100%.
ReplyDeleteI'm that way too. I would never write a bad review. But I would def not recommend their book. I'm a great word of mouth for great books though.
ReplyDeleteI agree about avoiding writing bad reviews, especially for indie authors. It stings to receive those nasty reviews and I don't want to spread that ouchiness. I like what you said about learning more about writing through reading.
ReplyDeleteI used to be really harsh about what I considered bad writing. Then I started writing myself, and I soon realized how difficult it is. While some authors are still better than others, anyone who can write a book to completion and go through the struggle of getting it published deserves some respect.
ReplyDeleteI won't review less than three stars. There's not point, its cruel. It takes a lot of effort and time to write and a bad review can be awful to shrug off. For every bad one, there needs to be 100 good reviews. It's not fair, but it's what sells books.
ReplyDeleteshahwharton.com
I hear ya about typos making you feel better. I can still be critical of badly edited writing, but I'm not super public about it. Too afraid of my friend Karma. 😉 Great post!
ReplyDeleteI love 'hearing' another author's voice, while reading their work. I always learn something. Actually, I learn a lot from reading other authors' books from structure to world building to character development. I really love reading!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about finding typos in best sellers--it's kind of a rush. Reviewing other authors is tricky, especially if you blog with them.
ReplyDeleteThis might be a reason I like audiobooks. You don't see the typos. :D
ReplyDeleteOh, I love that quote. I smile when I see the bestseller typos, too, for the exact same reason as you.
ReplyDeleteMy goodreads star reviews now consist of 5 for great, and 4 for not as great. I can't find it in me to go lower. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'd feel pretty bad about giving another author a poor review. Even if the story was really bad, I'd only feel sorry for them for how much they don't know yet.
ReplyDeleteI never understood how traditionally published books could have mistakes, since they are edited SO many times...but it's all in those last pass pages. Whoever inputs any changes at the end can't make a single mistake, since nobody will be looking at the document again.
ReplyDeleteIf I cannot offer something good and at least give a 3 star I won't write a review. Lucky for me I've never done less than a 4 star so far.
ReplyDeleteHappy IWSG Belated Day!
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit