The one thing that keeps me going, sustains me when the real world can be a bit too much, is reading. My 6 year old asking me if she can read to me, watching her discover the joy of silent reading, my 3 year old staggering over with a pile of books, PURE JOY! Thank you for another wonderful read xx
Oh my goodness, I loved this read. I have struggled with my reading practice and now I'm trying to consume everything while writing my memoir - books, poetry, Substacks, whatever I get my hands on. I do feel envious, but more than that, motivated. I love to sell myself short and ignore the fact that it's absolutely miraculous that us writers are all so unique with our art. Something to remember x
I wholeheartedly agree with you. I read the so I learn *how* an author writes. I keep my favourite author’s books on my desk as I’m writing so I can borrow their confidence x
I’m currently doing a writing course with Charlotte Wood (longlisted for the Booker) and today’s session was all about influence. No artist creates in a vacuum and writers are no different. So looking forward to your book x
Daisy, I love this so much - I’m going to share it to the LWS Literary & Commercial Fiction room I co-host as we were discussing reading while writing, are we influenced ‘too much’ and this is just perfect. I’ll tag you there if you’re a member of that room. Thank you! 🙏🏼🩵
I have always read greedily. Books to me are like food: I just can't imagine life without them. As an editor, I never really trusted writers who said they didn't read. Why would you not want to be inspired by others, to learn from them, analyse why something worked so brilliantly (or why it didn't)? I think we all worry too much about copying, being overly influenced by others. Writing is alchemy. We take ideas, stories that have been told a million times before. But as we write, we filter it through our own experiences and it becomes something new. If we're lucky, it also becomes something glittering and beautiful.
Yes! I do think it's an ego thing - as soon as we make peace with the fact that we are always, and never going to be original, and it isn't really about us at all - we can be generous, and open to being inspired and grateful for everything before us, and everything around us. And writers who don't read - seriously, I'd rather employ an office full of writers who don't wear deodorant.
When I was in college, my creative fiction professor invited us to her home in Brentwood. In every room, there was at least one wall that was a built-in bookshelf loaded with books from floor to ceiling. She had one modest space of about three small shelves tucked in a corner that held her personal journals. That’s what this essay reminded me of. I’ll take reading over writing every time too!
Also Robert Downey Jr. lived across the street, and the garden was teeming with flowers and cozy vibes.
This is such a gorgeous, evocative description of a book loving space and life! (And possibly the first time that 'cozy' has appeared in a sentence with 'Robert Downey Jr'?!)
The one thing that keeps me going, sustains me when the real world can be a bit too much, is reading. My 6 year old asking me if she can read to me, watching her discover the joy of silent reading, my 3 year old staggering over with a pile of books, PURE JOY! Thank you for another wonderful read xx
Oh, how gorgeous to share it with your children! I think our love of stories is so innate and instinctive X
Oh my goodness, I loved this read. I have struggled with my reading practice and now I'm trying to consume everything while writing my memoir - books, poetry, Substacks, whatever I get my hands on. I do feel envious, but more than that, motivated. I love to sell myself short and ignore the fact that it's absolutely miraculous that us writers are all so unique with our art. Something to remember x
I’m so glad this resonated, thank you for reading! X
I wholeheartedly agree with you. I read the so I learn *how* an author writes. I keep my favourite author’s books on my desk as I’m writing so I can borrow their confidence x
I love this! And I learn so much from rereading and revisiting books too, it teaches me so nuch about technique.
I’m currently doing a writing course with Charlotte Wood (longlisted for the Booker) and today’s session was all about influence. No artist creates in a vacuum and writers are no different. So looking forward to your book x
Reading is the one thing that brings me real joy in my life and I'm grateful for my parents to have ignited that love !
But I would have no idea how to study a book' structure on my own. I miss literature classes for that, they used to be my favourite
Daisy, I love this so much - I’m going to share it to the LWS Literary & Commercial Fiction room I co-host as we were discussing reading while writing, are we influenced ‘too much’ and this is just perfect. I’ll tag you there if you’re a member of that room. Thank you! 🙏🏼🩵
Thank you so much, I would love that! So happy to hear that it resonates! X
I couldn’t tag you and I can’t work out how to invite you, but if you want to join the room, it’s already sparking a conversation. https://community.londonwriterssalon.com/c/literary-fiction/
Great, thank you! (I’ll check my settings and find out how to make myself taggable!)
I've added you now, so you should get a notification... I'll try tagging you now xx
I have always read greedily. Books to me are like food: I just can't imagine life without them. As an editor, I never really trusted writers who said they didn't read. Why would you not want to be inspired by others, to learn from them, analyse why something worked so brilliantly (or why it didn't)? I think we all worry too much about copying, being overly influenced by others. Writing is alchemy. We take ideas, stories that have been told a million times before. But as we write, we filter it through our own experiences and it becomes something new. If we're lucky, it also becomes something glittering and beautiful.
Yes! I do think it's an ego thing - as soon as we make peace with the fact that we are always, and never going to be original, and it isn't really about us at all - we can be generous, and open to being inspired and grateful for everything before us, and everything around us. And writers who don't read - seriously, I'd rather employ an office full of writers who don't wear deodorant.
When I was in college, my creative fiction professor invited us to her home in Brentwood. In every room, there was at least one wall that was a built-in bookshelf loaded with books from floor to ceiling. She had one modest space of about three small shelves tucked in a corner that held her personal journals. That’s what this essay reminded me of. I’ll take reading over writing every time too!
Also Robert Downey Jr. lived across the street, and the garden was teeming with flowers and cozy vibes.
This is such a gorgeous, evocative description of a book loving space and life! (And possibly the first time that 'cozy' has appeared in a sentence with 'Robert Downey Jr'?!)
Yes! I don't understand someone who wants to write, but is willing to give up reading.
It's a bit 'don't get high on your own supply', isn't it?! Reading is a wonderful thing for us to have in common with our favourite writers! X