When you’re elbow
deep in a first draft, can you read other fiction, or does it mess with your
own writing?
I find the
reality of being an author means I am (as at the moment) working on polishing a
manuscript in one series, working on substantive edits for a book in another
series, finishing up proof edits for another book in that same series, and
outlining and plotting three other proposals. I also have a stack of
books to read by authors with whom I will shortly be sharing panels in Phoenix, USA
(Left Coast Crime), Vancouver, Canada (Cuffed) and Bristol, UK (CrimeFest).
So – do I
read “other” fiction while I’m elbow deep in a first draft? Yes, both my own,
and that of other authors. Sometimes I have little choice about what I’ll be
reading – be it revisions, research, or making sure I’m familiar with the works
of folks with whom I’ll shortly be sharing the podium, sometimes I have a “must
do” list. When I can choose what to read, what is it? Often biographies, or
other non-fiction works, or fiction in a field that is something other than
crime. I often return to classics I’ve enjoyed in the past,
finding them soothing and always ready to show me something I’ve missed on
previous visits.
Does any of
what I read mess with my writing? I don’t think so. I think everything I’ve
ever read has somehow been absorbed and must influence everything I write – and
I’ve been reading for more than fifty years now, so that’s quite a lot of stuff
rattling about up there in the old noggin. But as for what I read today influencing what I write
tomorrow? I don’t think it happens that way. Not for me, anyway.
When I am
utterly immersed in my writing – to the extent I can be with several projects
on the go at once – I happily admit to enjoying watching TV and movies. I find
the relaxation is a total release. It doesn’t mean I don’t still love to read,
it just means I also enjoy watching TV and movies…an hour or two of total
otherworldliness is a great escape.
