Re: read OR write

James J Rovira (jrovira@juno.com)
Sat, 31 Jul 1999 10:21:44 -0400 (EDT) 

Good quote, Catherine.  Annie Dillard in the opening chapter of Living by
Fiction mades the same kind of connection, and makes it with a bit more
detail.

I think, early on, you NEED to read well before you write well -- heck,
even imitate writers you like if that helps.  Just be sure to imitate
several different writers, not just one.  But as you develop I think
Scottie's advice needs to be followed...you have to focus on your own
voice.

Jim

On Fri, 30 Jul 1999 10:47:17 -0700 (PDT) Catherine Marie
<tangerineness@hotmail.com> writes:
>This is a response to a slightly old message, but I've been away for a 
>while 
>and I couldn't not respond to this one. Although I must agree that it 
>doesn't take someone who is "well read" to be a good writer, and I 
>don't 
>want to get into that part of it, but I think maybe, just maybe, there 
>is a 
>far more important reason that many authors are well read, that has 
>more to 
>do with why they write than why they read. I just want you to read a 
>passage 
>from a book many of you know very well.
>
>"If only you'd remember before ever you sit down to write that you've 
>been a 
>reader long before you were ever a writer. You simply fix that fact in 
>your 
>mind, then sit very still and ask yourself, as a reader, what piece of 
>
>writing in all the world Buddy Glass would most want to read if he had 
>his 
>heart's choice. The next step is terrible, but so simple I can hardly 
>believe it as I write it. You just sit down shamelessly and write the 
>thing 
>yourself. I won't even underline that. It's too important to be 
>underlined."
>                                     -Seymour Glass
>
>                            Catherine
>
>
>_______________________________________________________________
>Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com

___________________________________________________________________
Get the Internet just the way you want it.
Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month!
Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.