Last week, YA author/book reviewer extraordinaire Phoebe North shared her thoughts on reading other novels while drafting. I agree 100% with the idea of embracing stories while working on your own, mainly because it fuels me to write deeper, richer books. I've seen my creativity dip when I'm not reading other books, or watching TV shows/movies. In fact, I'm going to show you three examples that have recently fed my creativity and have lit a fire on my current WIP.
Le examples:
A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness
Awesome Character Development + Awesome Voice + It Made Me Sob = EPIC WIN
GAME OF THRONES on HBO (based on the series by G.R.R. Martin)
Awesome Characters + Awesome Worldbuilding + Political Intrigue + WTF Moments Galore = SUPER EPIC WIN
THE IDES OF MARCH
Political Intrigue + Awesome Performances + Seamless Plotting + RYAN GOSLING = *dies*
So there you go--some of my never ending sources of inspiration. Each and every one of them makes me want to write better. And I can't thank them enough :)
Now tell me: do you read/watch TV or movies while drafting?? If so, share your three examples in the comments!
5 comments:
I watch Tv, movies, and read non-fiction, but I can't read much fiction while I'm drafting--especially fiction in the same genre. Otherwise I feel like I pay more attention to what they're doing than what I'm doing, and those early rough attempts suffer in comparison. It's not a hard and fast rule, but I tend to follow it.
P.S. I'm taking donations for Pens for Paws, a fundraiser with other writers and artists for Fat Kitty City. Hope it's not too obnoxious to mention that!
I continue to read while drafting. My current WIP has a brother that committed suicide and so I will read books that have mc's who have lost a family member or close friend to death. Mostly to get that perspective on how they deal with it.
I have read/will read: Twenty Boy Summer, The Sky is Everywhere and Wintergirls to name a few.
I've spotted A Monster Calls several other places and after seeing it here again, I've got to read it!
I can't pull myself away from creative things while making something creative. That seems counterproductive.
Recently I've been reading the Mistborn series (epic story + sweet magic systems), playing Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii(fantastic focus + gorgeous and original worldbuilding), and I've been through Avatar:The Last Airbender (great characters + lovely animation) and Deathnote (the protagonist is the bad guy + thought-provoking plot) so many times I've lost count.
When A Monster Calls looks fabulous!! Will have to pick it up. Currently, I'm reading The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I vary in what I read to keep myself immersed in all genres. My last book was a romance and before that, a ya horror novel which is my chosen genre to write in.
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