Fantasy writers don't read fantasy books?
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Dollop of Whipped Cream
Member # 391
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written Monday, October 23 2006 18:21
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According to a podcast from Wizards of the Coast, Margaret Weis, a prominent American fantasy author, does not read fantasy novels. Discuss. [ Monday, October 23, 2006 18:26: Message edited by: Tyranicus. ] -------------------- "Tyranicus is about the only one that still posts in the Nethergate Forum." —Randomizer Spiderweb Chat Room Shadow Vale - My site, home of the Spiderweb Chat Database, BoA Scenario Database, & the A1 Quest List, among other things. Posts: 562 | Registered: Friday, December 14 2001 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 1934
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written Monday, October 23 2006 18:42
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I've seen her review fantasy books. That doesn't make any sense. [ Monday, October 23, 2006 18:42: Message edited by: Andraste ] -------------------- You acquire an item: Radio Free Foil Posts: 1169 | Registered: Monday, September 23 2002 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Monday, October 23 2006 19:02
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I have heard of fiction authors who claim they do not read the works of others to avoid 'contaminating' their style. I tend to think of them like I would of a scientist who does not read any publications other than his own to avoid polluting his opinion. -------------------- Encyclopaedia Ermariana • Forum Archives • Forum Statistics • RSS [Topic / Forum] My Blog • Polaris • I eat novels for breakfast. Polaris is dead, long live Polaris. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair. Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Councilor
Member # 6600
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written Monday, October 23 2006 19:48
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It doesn't bother Dikiyoba what authors choose to read or not. If it works for them and their writing isn't terrible, Dikiyoba doesn't really care. Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Monday, October 23 2006 19:55
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Many fantasy authors claim that most of their reading is non-fantasy, and I'm willing to believe that. Reading for variety, non-plagiarized inspiration, genuine interest, and so on are all possibilities. I'd also be surprised if a fantasy author read no fantasy, though, because I'd assume anyone writing the stuff must enjoy it, and enjoying it means reading it. —Alorael, who can definitely tell that some authors don't read much in their area. There are certain fantasy and sci-fi tropes (beyond the obvious Tolkien kind) that have been bandied about in the books so long that they've become assumptions to be accepted or flauted. When they're not addressed, or seemingly unconsciously addressed, it seems like the author isn't familiar with those tropes. It's not always a problem (although it can be), but it stands out. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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The Establishment
Member # 6
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written Monday, October 23 2006 20:28
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quote:I don't think this is an apt comparison. In fiction writing, and in fantasy, you are free to make it all up. If you can come up with an idea that can be coherently made into an enjoyable story, then you can be a successful fantasy writer. In science, there is specialized knowledge being discovered and developed all the time. In order to be an effective scientist, one needs to be aware of current and previous work and the conclusions derived from them. In science, you cannot just make up everything you want, it has to follow from existing knowledge and experimental data. To summarize, in fiction writing, it does not matter what "results" your colleagues have "derived" from their work. The only thing it gains you is certain popular trends and some external inspiration. In science, if you come up with a theory that contradicts experimental results, you are probably not doing science. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 6581
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written Tuesday, October 24 2006 03:05
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Personally, this thing doesn't bother me. It may be a great help to a fantasy writer read some fantasy books, but is not necessary. -------------------- Download Geneforge 4: Rebellion You have 6 posts. Nobody cares what you think. - Thuryl Wikipedia may be your friend, but UBB is not. - Dikiyoba Posts: 1310 | Registered: Tuesday, December 20 2005 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Tuesday, October 24 2006 07:39
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I am surprised that she reads anything at all with the quality of her writing. She probably knits or plays softball. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
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written Tuesday, October 24 2006 08:27
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The more a person reads, the better their command of language, understanding of subjects they read about, etc. One of the reasons "classics" are considered classic is that the language used is much more rich than a person could get from just watching TV all day. It's probably not necessary for fiction writers to read the same kind of fiction they write, but if they don't read anything at all, their writing quality will not be very high. [ Tuesday, October 24, 2006 08:29: Message edited by: Zeviz ] -------------------- Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword, For it too has the power to kill. However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword, Can also have the power to heal. Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Tuesday, October 24 2006 08:42
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Exactly. Admittedly, the analogy with science was far-fetched, because the field is far more definite on what is correct and incorrect. But there are other crafts and arts as well - say, cooking, architecture, painting. These require solid skills as well as individual creativity. You can do things wrong in writing just as you can in architecture. Refusing to study the works of colleagues (past and present), either out of lack of time or because they do not want to subconsciously contaminate their style (and this isn't made up, I've seen an author quoted on this) pretty much assumes that they have seen all there is to see and know all there is to know, which is wrong. Writing good exposition and dialogue are real, actual skills (I know, because I suck at them), and while literary courses can teach you the basics, looking at how others do it is likely the best way to learn. --- Okay, I shouldn't complain. The authors obviously know what's good for them, and as long as their work sells, they're doing at least something right. But I still think it's stupid. :P -------------------- Encyclopaedia Ermariana • Forum Archives • Forum Statistics • RSS [Topic / Forum] My Blog • Polaris • I eat novels for breakfast. Polaris is dead, long live Polaris. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair. Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Tuesday, October 24 2006 12:29
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"As long as their work sells" is a terrible mark of good writing. All kinds of garbage sells. It's just good enough for authors who churn out popular garbage to pay the bills without having the guts to be real starving artists producing masterpieces that will only be appreciated a few hundred years later. —Alorael, who would rather get fantasy from authors unfamiliar with fantasy than fantasy like Eragon, which is all too familiar with other fantasy. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, October 24 2006 12:33
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Depends how hard the author works, I'd say. Someone who spends forty hours a week with their own hobbits isn't going to want any more. And in this, you know, the comparison with science isn't so far off. I hardly ever like reading other people's work, though of course I can't entirely avoid it. I figure either it will be bad, in which case I will have wasted my time, or it will be good, in which case I will feel bad that I didn't think of it first. But probably most fantasy writers used to read a lot of fantasy, before they started serious writing. So it's probably only people that have been cranking it out for a long time that are oblivious to tropes that are recent trends as far as they're concerned. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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Board Administrator
Member # 1
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written Tuesday, October 24 2006 13:39
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I have come to believe that the creative process is a highly individual and quirky thing. While I would be surprised to hear of a writer who didn't read anything at all, the idea of a genre writer who doesn't read that genre doesn't even make the surprise meter move even a little. - Jeff Vogel -------------------- Official Board Admin spidweb@spiderwebsoftware.com Posts: 960 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |