When I was younger, before I had kids and when I had time to sit for hours and immerse myself in a novel, I read to escape into whatever world the author of the day created for me. I suspended disbelief and inhaled the story until I got to the last page.
Now that I've been writing seriously for just over a year and have spent time giving and receiving critiques, something has changed in my reading style. Now when I read, even something I've read and loved before, I read it as if I'm reading to give a critique. I note what I like and don't like about word choice, imagery, the way the author handles transitions, chapter titles, everything. I can't help but stop when I encounter punctuation I would change.
I have to say it really is getting in the way of my enjoyment of reading.
I think that becoming a writer TOTALLY RUINS reading books! I took a writing class from Brandon Sanderson. He said that eventually that goes away, and you can just read for enjoyment again. I REALLY hope he is right!
ReplyDeleteUt-oh! It's apandemic then.
ReplyDelete@Peggy - I hope so too.
ReplyDelete@Shelly - Oh, no - you got it too? :)
It hasn't hit me yet. Well, no more than before. Some books stood out before I even became an author.
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