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This week question is:
What would you prefer: reading your favorite book over and over again until you got sick of it OR reading 100s of mediocre books? And why?
I have a double answer for this. As a reader my answer would be, yes, I'd prefers to read my favorite book(s)/series over again and not have to read another mediocre book ever again! I'd just live in bliss reading Tamora Pierce's novels, Harry Potter, Vampire Academy, Soul Screamers, Divergent, The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, etc over and over again. And I don't think I'd ever be sick of them really.
However, as a writer I can't think like that. I can't just stay reading the same books over and over again hoping they give me the key to success. In reading mediocre books I learn what works, what doesn't, and why it doesn't work. And all of that is knowledge I need for when I write my own stories. Of course, you never know what kind of book it is until you open it so, maybe I'll run into a lot of mediocre novels along way, but I love the big surprise when I find a real gem among the crap pile.
However, as a writer I can't think like that. I can't just stay reading the same books over and over again hoping they give me the key to success. In reading mediocre books I learn what works, what doesn't, and why it doesn't work. And all of that is knowledge I need for when I write my own stories. Of course, you never know what kind of book it is until you open it so, maybe I'll run into a lot of mediocre novels along way, but I love the big surprise when I find a real gem among the crap pile.
What do you prefer?
