Not sure I understand the topic. I'm pretty sure nobody literally reads while writing--your eyes and your brain would get all tangled up. I can barely write while I write!
(Oops! I tried to find a picture of a dizzy, mixed up dame, but ended up on a site for "animal-themed strip tease." I hope someone calls the ASPCA!)
I will confess, I have read instead of writing. I've probably done everything short of curing the common cold instead of writing. But reading is my favorite--because if I'm reading a mystery, about halfway through it, if it's good, my writer's brain starts taking notes:
- See how Hammett just complicated the plot by bringing it back to an existing element in Red Harvest, an element hiding in plain sight? Brilliant!
- Notice how Sophie Littlefield built a scene from one character to an out-of-control party so quickly? How it symbolizes the the chemical chaos of menopause--leaves her feeling helpless, yet she is anything but? Talk about echoing the theme in the superstructure--whew!
- Wow, how does Lehane keep me caring about the protagonist so much? How does he get that delicious scent of believability, hone in on our human vulnerabilites, and then haul off and hit someone with a bowling ball, and we believe it? He's got character mojo, man.
- That Juliet Blackwell can make me see San Francisco in all her color and texture with a simple phrase like "saltillo tile." How does she create the sense of warmth and humanity, even among ghosts?
- How does Camille Minichino make miniature-making so fascinating? How does she communicate the threat of death without showing much violence on the page?
When the note-taking gets too intense, I stop reading to go write, unable to stand keeping away from the page any longer.
It would be impossible to copy any of these writers, their voices are clear and strong and unique. Though I do fear accidentally stealing a setup, or a great line or some minor element, there's just no way I could steal a whole scene from any of them. By the third draft, if would end up my scene...
The last time an author's vavavoom made me read so quickly that I couldn't stop to think, it was Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. He was so young when he wrote the quite believable characters from childhood to old age, it made me feel like a world-class slacker.
Oops, I've wandered a bit off track here. I guess I'm just taking the long way to say, since I'm always reading and always writing, how could I avoid doing them both?
What do you read to inspire you?
I know exactly what you mean! When I read Gillian Roberts, I notice things like how she injects humor into a scene, with Roberta Isleib, I note how she complicates the story while keeping it readable, and while... well, you get the point. Reading really great mystery fiction teaches so much!
Posted by: Victoria Hamilton | January 21, 2012 at 07:24 AM
You guys are more observant than I am. I just dive in and get lost in the story. Anything I might learn is subliminal.
Posted by: sharan newman | January 21, 2012 at 09:03 AM
When reading mysteries, I usually start in "analytical" mode... but if the story REALLY sucks me in, then I disappear into that wonderful world that unfurls as I read. When I was young, that altered state happened all the time. Now, not so often, alas....
Posted by: Ann Parker | January 21, 2012 at 09:46 AM
Thanks for the mention, Staci!
My confession: I don't write every day, BUT, I can't remember a day when I didn't read. No matter how late at night, I never end the day without that pleasure. Current read: "Shut Your Eyes Tight" by John Verdon, whose "Think of a Number" was the best I've read in ages.
Posted by: Camille Minichino | January 21, 2012 at 11:12 AM
Ann,I've ruined movies for a lot of friends by explaining classic American Film structure--very distracting to think, "oh, that was the first act break" or, "son of a gun, right at 17 minutes, the initial nature of the conflict is made clear."
Sharan, I envy you that!
Camille--I'm trying to quit the TV habit now and read myself to sleep. So keep writing! I need the books!!
Victoria, Gillian (Judy Greber) was my first instructor in the MFA program--and you're right, she's got a deft hand with humor!
I've loved reading all the writers on this blog, by the way. Those were just the examples that sprang to mind late on a Friday night after the first day of Noir City!
Posted by: Mysti | January 21, 2012 at 11:57 AM
Loved this, Mysti. It is fascinating to learn what writers see in the work of others. I have to read prose that resonates while I write, letting it seep into the sub-conscious where it will make me a better writer in the morning. Not saying it works but it is a good excuse to read some of my favorites!
Posted by: Priscilla | January 21, 2012 at 02:25 PM
And I need to pay attention and READ whose post I'm commenting on!
Maybe Susan is right about multitasking!
Posted by: Camille Minichino | January 21, 2012 at 04:35 PM
I think I get inspiration from just about everywhere [including reading and movies] but I can understand the lure of plagiarism as sometimes you come across such a perfect quip or phrase you just want to run away and steal it. Fortunately, I manage to resist as the results would be fatal.
Posted by: Maddy | January 21, 2012 at 05:03 PM
No worries Camille! Staci & Mysti are very similar. I get called Wendy a lot too for some reason :0
Maddy--I'd never steal on purpose, but am afraid I'll store something away and forget about it. Luckily, I know my beta readers will bust me for anything I do by accident ;)
Posted by: Mysti Berry | January 22, 2012 at 12:45 AM
Priscilla--I noticed that after reading Red Harvest, I was paying a lot more attention to plot, better able to see where my story wasn't really driving forward. So I think you are on to something!
Posted by: Mysti Berry | January 22, 2012 at 12:46 AM