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I don't like reading, but yet I have the dream of being a writer.

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xYinxx

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Tried reading a book, but I just don't feel motivated to finish it. I don't know why, but I just don't. I feel that being a good writer if you don't like reading is an impossible feat.

I originally took a short break from writing, and I have recently written something and have a current story that I want to work on. However, don't writing and reading need to go together? Is there no other way to become good at this craft?

Furthermore, I used to like reading when I was younger. Now I'm a bit older, and my parents think I probably don't have an interest in reading right now. Which could be true.

So...what could I do? Should I just not bother practicing the craft if I don't like to read?

Thanks in advance.
 

Brightdreamer

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So, this one book is boring to you. Doesn't mean all books will now bore you.There are many books that bore many people, even though those same books are probably someone else's favorites.

Yes, to be a good writer, you really ought to read, if for no other reason than to figure out what you want to write about - but that doesn't need you need to force yourself to go through the whole library, choking down titles that really do nothing for you. And if you still enjoy writing while you're temporarily sour on reading, go ahead and keep writing for yourself; just know that, odds are, what you're producing now won't be stuff you'll want to share with the general public.

My suggestion is to give yourself a little time and space over this. Relax. Interests do change, and we all pass through different phases in our lives where certain things become more or less important, or something that used to excite us grows a bit bland. Maybe try some different genres or authors. Try some short story collections or nonfiction titles or poetry. Give graphic novels a try, even. Or just back off for a month or two and try something totally different as a creative outlet. Maybe you'll come back to reading, maybe not, but forcing it will never work.

JMHO...
 

Shadow_Ferret

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First, I'd be curious to know how old you are. As they say, not liking reading could just be a phase you're going through.

I didn't like reading until I turned about 15, then I discovered a couple novels of heroic fantasy and I haven't stopped reading since. So it's possible, you haven't found the genre you enjoy yet.

As far as if you should write, that's a personal decision only you can make. As a writer, reading the works of better authors is one of the ways we learn to get better. Plus, if you don't read, how will you know if the story you're writing isn't already done to death? Or a cliche?

Is there a type of story you do enjoy? Since you don't read, that would mean the kind of movies or television shows you watch. If you go to the library and pick up several different types of novels in that genre, maybe you'll hit on an author you will enjoy reading. Or even pick genres you don't think you'd like. You might be surprised. All my life, I thought western novels were kind of silly and simple-minded, until recently, when I actually sat down and read one and was surprised to find they were as full of action and adventure as any fantasy or science fiction story.

If writing is something you really want to do, then keep doing it, but I'd suggest you try to learn how to love reading.
 

xYinxx

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So, this one book is boring to you. Doesn't mean all books will now bore you.There are many books that bore many people, even though those same books are probably someone else's favorites.

Yes, to be a good writer, you really ought to read, if for no other reason than to figure out what you want to write about - but that doesn't need you need to force yourself to go through the whole library, choking down titles that really do nothing for you. And if you still enjoy writing while you're temporarily sour on reading, go ahead and keep writing for yourself; just know that, odds are, what you're producing now won't be stuff you'll want to share with the general public.

My suggestion is to give yourself a little time and space over this. Relax. Interests do change, and we all pass through different phases in our lives where certain things become more or less important, or something that used to excite us grows a bit bland. Maybe try some different genres or authors. Try some short story collections or nonfiction titles or poetry. Give graphic novels a try, even. Or just back off for a month or two and try something totally different as a creative outlet. Maybe you'll come back to reading, maybe not, but forcing it will never work.

JMHO...

Most of my inspiration comes from manga/anime that I like, but some of it has come from books too, I guess. Has anyone ever been good at this without reading a lot?
 

xYinxx

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First, I'd be curious to know how old you are. As they say, not liking reading could just be a phase you're going through.

I didn't like reading until I turned about 15, then I discovered a couple novels of heroic fantasy and I haven't stopped reading since. So it's possible, you haven't found the genre you enjoy yet.

As far as if you should write, that's a personal decision only you can make. As a writer, reading the works of better authors is one of the ways we learn to get better. Plus, if you don't read, how will you know if the story you're writing isn't already done to death? Or a cliche?

Is there a type of story you do enjoy? Since you don't read, that would mean the kind of movies or television shows you watch. If you go to the library and pick up several different types of novels in that genre, maybe you'll hit on an author you will enjoy reading. Or even pick genres you don't think you'd like. You might be surprised. All my life, I thought western novels were kind of silly and simple-minded, until recently, when I actually sat down and read one and was surprised to find they were as full of action and adventure as any fantasy or science fiction story.

If writing is something you really want to do, then keep doing it, but I'd suggest you try to learn how to love reading.

Thanks! I'm actually 17 years old. Do you think that has something to do with it?

I enjoy fantasy stories the most, honestly. But it seems most of my favorite stories are YA books. Another thing though, it seems that I'm lazy when it comes to this. I don't know why, but I don't feel like reading books. It's odd.
 

Faye-M

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Sounds to me like you're picking up the wrong books. Maybe you've outgrown what you used to like?
 

robjvargas

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I don't particularly care about the furniture in my bedroom. But if I want to make a living as a woodworker, I think I'm going to have to make a lot of that. I can even look at poorly made furniture to learn what NOT to do.

You say the book you're reading isn't grabbing your attention. Why not? Is the plot moving too slowly? Do the characters not grab your attention? Maybe they're two-dimensional, not real enough.

A writer is, in any practical sense of the word, a craftsman. When you come across examples of your craft that don't ignite your love of the craft, don't just set that aside. LEARN FROM IT. Even bad writing, used this way, keeps me interested in being a writer.
 

Marian Perera

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Has anyone ever been good at this without reading a lot?

We always get that question in these kinds of threads.

I think there's always a one-in-a-thousand writer who can produce great stories without reading a lot. I don't think I'm that one-in-a-thousand writer, which is one reason I read.
 

Chase

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I think there's always a one-in-a-thousand writer who can produce great stories without reading a lot.

Not always by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe one in several millions.

Reading is the best educator on how to write, so good writing may depend on it.
 
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gothicangel

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Most of my inspiration comes from manga/anime that I like, but some of it has come from books too, I guess. Has anyone ever been good at this without reading a lot?

So, you do like reading Manga. So does my sister (I've read a few too.) They're high octane thrillers, character driven stories with plot twists galore. Have you though about looking at Japanese fiction (perhaps Korean)? Maybe novels aren't your thing and you prefer shorter fiction, novellas or even scripts?

I'm applying for teacher training, and if I was faced by a student like you I would respond 'great! Now lets work out what you like about manga, and see how we can explore that.'
 

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Another problem is that if you don't like reading, it would be hard, I think, to create something that would give pleasure to others when read. It would be like trying to cook a delicious meal when you lack taste buds. Very hard to judge if you're getting it right.

Why not concentrate on manga-style creations if that's your passion?
 

virtue_summer

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Thanks! I'm actually 17 years old. Do you think that has something to do with it?

I enjoy fantasy stories the most, honestly. But it seems most of my favorite stories are YA books. Another thing though, it seems that I'm lazy when it comes to this. I don't know why, but I don't feel like reading books. It's odd.
So read YA books. And don't be lazy. I'm serious. If you just want to write a story for yourself, you can disregard this, but if you're talking about actually becoming a good writer who writes things other people want to read, then you will need to read. It's that simple. I mean imagine someone saying something like this:
I want to be a film director, a really great one, but I don't feel like watching movies. I'm lazy. So how can I make excellent movies like the best directors out there without putting in any of the work to learn anything about them?

Reading as a writer is how you learn how a story is put together in the medium you want to write (if your story models are all visual media, for instance, you're going to be missing how written stories work because it's not exactly the same). Reading is how you study the craft of those who are further along than you so you can learn from them. It's how you note what both attracts and repels you in a work so you can put more of the former into your work and less of the latter. If you're looking for a career as a writer, reading is also how you do market research to understand genres, publishers, and your fellow authors. And for most writers reading is also a way to keep in touch with why they want to write in the first place. Even if it isn't, the fact is if you want to get good at something you have to put the work in.

As a writer, putting the work in to improve includes reading, if you see reading as work. Luckily you can probably find ways to enjoy this work if you just keep searching out different authors or genres or books until you find the ones that appeal to you the most. And if you can't find anything you'd want to read, I might actually suggest that writing isn't for you and maybe your creativity would flourish elsewhere.
 

milkweed

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Thanks! I'm actually 17 years old. Do you think that has something to do with it?

I enjoy fantasy stories the most, honestly. But it seems most of my favorite stories are YA books. Another thing though, it seems that I'm lazy when it comes to this. I don't know why, but I don't feel like reading books. It's odd.

Imagine that you are 17 and most of the books you enjoy are YA books! :tongue Interestingly enough I'm 49 and have zero interest in YA books or any book where the MC is a child, but I do love reading and writing about MC's that are my general age range. ;)

I'd say it's a phase that you are going through and don't sweat it. I went for years without picking up books and I was a pretty heavy reader up until my mid 20's and then I went to college and then grad school, well college sucked up all of my time so no reading for fun. Recently I acquired a tablet and have been reading voraciously ever since I got the kindle app.
 

Layla Nahar

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I went through a phase during which it was really hard to find books I liked enough to actually read. A freind pointed out that I was depriving myself of a pleasure I loved and suggested I note and think about what kind of books I had tried to read and why I rejected them. I will say that I was also being excessively critical - the same frien pointed out that I was depriving myself of many happinesses of the experience of entertainment by being this way. I got over this hump by expanding my reading tastes and holding off the critical voice - which was in the end a voice about my own writing (even though I wasn't writing at the time, having given it up because I judged myself to lack the necessary talent.) Letting go of the excessive criticality has made a big difference in many aspects of my life.
 

stormie

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A bit of input:

When I taught second grade, I had parents begging me to get their child interested in reading fiction, yet their child loved hanging out in the children's non-fiction section of the library and selecting those books to take home. I tried to explain that, yes, I can show them books in the fiction section but it won't necessarily make them interested in reading fiction.

So--read what you enjoy right now. Don't force it. You're still in school and probably have enough reading to do for class.
 

Jamesaritchie

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I'm sixty-one, but I love reading MG books. Love them every bit as much as adult books.

I suggest you try reading another dozen or so books. Here's the thing. If you don't read a lot, you won't know how to write a book, and even if you somehow figure it out, you'll almost certainly write something that's already been done a thousand times.

On the other hand, if all you want to do is write manga or anime, then those are really all you have to study.
 

gothicangel

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I went through a phase during which it was really hard to find books I liked enough to actually read. A freind pointed out that I was depriving myself of a pleasure I loved and suggested I note and think about what kind of books I had tried to read and why I rejected them. I will say that I was also being excessively critical - the same frien pointed out that I was depriving myself of many happinesses of the experience of entertainment by being this way. I got over this hump by expanding my reading tastes and holding off the critical voice - which was in the end a voice about my own writing (even though I wasn't writing at the time, having given it up because I judged myself to lack the necessary talent.) Letting go of the excessive criticality has made a big difference in many aspects of my life.

This was so me just before I went to university. I went into Waterstone's virtually every day and could never find anything to read. But now, I have a 'to read' list like the Leaning Tower of Piza. So what changed? Are their more books been published that suit my taste? No. I expanded my reading habits and discovered some marvellous authors. I've discovered books like Gone With The Wind and I, Claudius to Mary Renault and Hilary Mantel, to Robert Fabbri and Harry Sidebottom. A lot of the books I turned my nose up in 2006 are now on my reading lists. :)
 

Carrie in PA

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I'd like to be a doctor, but I don't feel like going to medical school. I'd like to be a dairy farmer but I don't want to be around cows.

Sorry, no.

It's probably partially an age and maturity thing. (I have a 17 year old son, so I feel qualified to answer you LOL) Nothing you want to do is going to come without putting the work into it. If you want to be a writer for real, part of the work is reading. Lots. In whatever form or fashion you wish to write in especially, but it'll be beneficial to read widely.
 

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Identify why this book is boring to you, why it hasn't hooked you and kept you reading. Is the plot too slow? Is it full of characters you don't care about? Riddled with plot holes? Are you just not interested in the genre? Figure out what it is and move on to another book. Maybe try out some short stories as opposed to novels. You're 17, feel free to experiment. I had a lab instructor in college who used to tell us all the time, "You're too young to be set in your ways." He was talking about food, but it applies here, too.

I used to love high fantasy when I was younger, but then I found out that horror was more than just a film genre, and now I've read more horror than anything else.

Good luck.
 

Undercover

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I only read a handful of novels each year. I'm super picky when it comes to committing myself to read a full length novel. Maybe try a short novel, or novella. I really like searching for a book though. I read more blurbs of books than anything. Are you on Goodreads? If not, maybe surf around there for a book that you'd maybe like. Go to the genres that interest you and just play a little game with yourself, in 10 book blurbs how many would I be interested in reading? Then if and when you find one or two that you like, keep searching that book. Maybe read the first chapter on Amazon, see if you like it. If the first chapter doesn't grab you, move on to the next. Until you find that book and want to read more on it. Sometimes the reviews on Goodreads and Amazon helps me find a book too. You can maybe search this way.

Hope this helps.
 

EMaree

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Sounds to me like you're giving yourself grief for a problem that doesn't actually exist. If you read YA novels then guess what? You read books. Just keep up the good work!
 
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