Writing Ruining Reading?

Writing vs.

Reading

If you’re reading this, you are pretty great. That’s the first thing.

The second thing is, since you read my blogs (not all, but even just sometimes), I hope you know that I love reading.

I have always loved reading. I’ve loved reading my whole life.

Reading for pleasure as an adult resumed when I began grown-up life after college. A job. No more classes.

Nowadays I’m reading seemingly more than ever. Not just for my book club. For fun.

But I’m also writing my own book.

Said book is in the editing phase. This is unlike the writing phase. Another name for the writing phase is the “vomit” phase. It was like vomiting all the words onto the page.

I enjoyed the writing/vomiting. It moved along at a nice pace. I felt productive.

Now that I’m editing, I’m zooming out. Less writing new words on the page, more crafting of the ideas that are there. Analysis of chapters, sections, words, details.

The problem is, folks–and thanks for sticking with me until I’ve finally gotten to the point of this whole blog–I can’t help but apply my brain’s editorial filter mode to all the books I’m reading.

I’m suffering. Truly suffering. Heavy sigh.

I’ll be reading and thinking things like, Wow. We are going to encounter yet another obstacle on our way to the final battle? Ah yes, back story time. Nice description of the countryside. Excellent use of smells. And so on.

I will concede that the better the writing, the more my internal editor quiets down, and I can immerse myself in the story. I hope someday my book will be so seamless that readers will read it, get lost in it, enjoy it. And I hope their internal editors stay quiet.