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Why read if you're not gonna write down the road


emin

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Why not join a forum and immediately irritate it's regular members by making a criticism based on very little information?

 

Oh. You have done. irked.gif

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What a curious first post to post on a book club forum, where the very name tells you that it is a community of readers.

 

Is it 'lazy' to enjoy reading the work of others? It's not the word that I would use at all. To read a viewpoint from another's imagination can be fascinating, iluminating, educational, stimulating and many other positive, or indeed negative terms. I also write, but nothing would ever take away my utter pleasure at reading a good writer's work.

 

 

 

 

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I didn't think it was offensive. :huh: It's a good question, really. I can see what you mean, I think, but I don't particularly agree. You assume that exploring the thoughts and opinions of writers means applying them or contemplating them without any relation to your own thoughts. I "enjoy my own thoughts" every time I pick up a book. When I read I compare the writers opinion with my own and just because someone that I might even really respect has given their opinion, this doesn't mean that it will automatically over-ride my own. It might, however. It might just shape my opinion and add to it, or it might simply allow me to understand the views of others better (even if I still disagree). I guess if I was ever to write it would be either to express an emotion or put forward an opinion, but it would be damned self-righteous of me to assume that because I put my opinion out there it should be taken as law, so I assume that other writers must (or should) feel the same. My writing, if I ever take it up in a more serious form, will be to share, not to dictate. I will enjoy it, surely, but I will enjoy it just as I enjoy discourse or debate with other people, and that has 2 sides.

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I didn't think it was offensive.

 

Neither did I. Just irritating, someone popping on here to go la-la-laaa with their first post. I agree with what you say and Chrissy, of course. It's all good! biggrin.gif

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Why just enjoy in other people's thoughts, why stay lazy, why not think hard and try to enjoy in your own thoughts..

 

 

 

book is like a bank, you borrow the thoughts to make your own thoughts, you don't take them just to spend them, and it's even worse if you keep them. reading is borowing. (appologies for bad english)

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Unfortunately I think your poor English means that it's not really clear what you're asking, or even telling us, and it's open to interpretation. To me, you're suggesting that those who read are simply taking other people's thoughts, and not using their own. Whereas writers are giving their thoughts back?

 

If that is your meaning, then as someone who reads and doesn't write, I'm afraid I am rather offended. So hopefully I've interpreted wrong.

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The way you are putting things sounds like you are accusing us of something. You can learn so much from reading, and yes your thoughts can be expanded by it, I don't think it is lazy to read someone else's thoughts- but helps to expand your own. I do write but if I had never read I would never have started writing. My reading is an inspiration, some of the best books are what I would love to be able to write. However I see no problem with reading for enjoyment- it can take you to a whole other place.

Edited by Lucybird
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If you are a writer (I take it that you are) then it really baffles me how you can be calling your audience thoughtless, unoriginal idiots. Readers are very loyal to the writers they enjoy and if you would take a few minutes to look around at the other threads on this forum you would see that we have a very diverse group made up of readers, writers, reviewers and story lovers in general. Many of those who are readers on here review the books they've read and share their thoughts- aka, they WRITE original, personal thoughts. Many operate their own blogs where they post these reviews and other musings and if you've ever spoken with a professional writer you would know that they frequently visit the blogs of their readers so that they can get ideas for their work and get feedback from their audience to help them in their future projects. The literary world is one big never-ending circle, we all help each other to branch out and grow.

 

Before you post again, would you please just take a look around and get the feel for your audience here?

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ahh.. the bad man has broken into our quite home and scratched our beautiful ears with something that will remain unapropriate and dumb until someone gets it

 

Ayup, Chuckles. Keep your poorly constructed sarcasm to yourself. You're only showing yourself up. Have a look around the forum and check out the interesting discussions, the wit, the thoughts (original, believe it or not) and some of the blogs. You'll see you are wildly inaccurate with your 'observations' and that your comments are a tad inappropriate.

 

There's a spell checker, too, dude.

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Why just enjoy in other people's thoughts, why stay lazy, why not think hard and try to enjoy in your own thoughts..

 

You've hurt my internet feelings!

 

Fortunately, I can express my complex emotional state using parentheses and a colon.

 

: (

 

Troll alert.

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reading is beautiful

the second most beautiful thing

its a gift

not many can do it

its seductive

its fudgeing magical

but its not just a drug

its a challenge

its a school at first

and a gym later

 

 

why should I write if I have all this books that I will never be able to write myself

why should I earn money if someone is giving it away

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Well. Clearly, we are in the company of a genius, of whom I quite fail to grasp the brilliance. I feel thwarted by my own inferiority. I'm troubled by the rising boredom I'm beginning to suffer with this guy. I'm too low-brow to understand his wit. Where's that bucket of water...

 

...I had one here somewhere...

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Well, I think this too is a thread just made to stir things up a little. Not that we need it. ;) But is sounds patronizing and insulting, the way the question was put then. It's okay to ask why people don't write if they love to read.. just mind the way in which you ask it. English not being your first language is not an excuse for me, it's not my first language either and I think that if you don't quite know HOW to put it, you should either ask a mod/admin here how you can put it best so people don't get offended (or don't know what you mean) or not make a topic at all. If you meant something else than how it came across to most of us, that would have been easily fixed by just asking someone for help with the english first. There's many nationalities on this forum so there's bound to be someone speaking the same language.

 

On the topic: I don't write and never will. Why? Because I suck at it. I've tried, admittedly it's been years and it was for school, never the most inspiring way to write. But I just thought my stories couldn't live up to the stuff I read, and being a perfectionist in some ways, that's a reason for me not to bother with writing. In no way that means I am just borrowing someone elses thoughts, have none of my own, or don't have a vivid imagination. I think a lot, some would say too much ;) and have a very very vivid imagination, again, some would say too much. I just don't feel obligated or drawn to put those thoughts down to paper. Or computer, whatever. ;) They're fine where they are, in my head. :giggle2:

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reading is beautiful

the second most beautiful thing

its a gift

not many can do it

its seductive

its fudgeing magical

but its not just a drug

its a challenge

its a school at first

and a gym later

 

why should I write if I have all this books that I will never be able to write myself

why should I earn money if someone is giving it away

 

What's the first?

Not many can do what? read?

 

This sounds like the saying of Grasshopper in the TV series Kung Fu! :D

 

 

Well, I think this too is a thread just made to stir things up a little. Not that we need it. ;) But is sounds patronizing and insulting, the way the question was put then. It's okay to ask why people don't write if they love to read.. just mind the way in which you ask it. English not being your first language is not an excuse for me, it's not my first language either and I think that if you don't quite know HOW to put it, you should either ask a mod/admin here how you can put it best so people don't get offended (or don't know what you mean) or not make a topic at all. If you meant something else than how it came across to most of us, that would have been easily fixed by just asking someone for help with the english first. There's many nationalities on this forum so there's bound to be someone speaking the same language.

 

On the topic: I don't write and never will. Why? Because I suck at it. I've tried, admittedly it's been years and it was for school, never the most inspiring way to write. But I just thought my stories couldn't live up to the stuff I read, and being a perfectionist in some ways, that's a reason for me not to bother with writing. In no way that means I am just borrowing someone elses thoughts, have none of my own, or don't have a vivid imagination. I think a lot, some would say too much ;) and have a very very vivid imagination, again, some would say too much. I just don't feel obligated or drawn to put those thoughts down to paper. Or computer, whatever. ;) They're fine where they are, in my head. :giggle2:

 

Well said Univerze - thoroughly agree. :)

Edited by SueK
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So according to the OP, we are lazy if we just chose to read work by other hardworking people, and not contribute to the written word ourselves? Hmm .. by that rational, why on earth would I want to take the time and effort to write a brillant piece of work to just waste it on lazy people who can't be bothered to write themselves? Where's the motivation in that? Writing is not just about making money.

 

Think your reasoning is a tad twisted my friend. Have you ever even read a good book?

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Using the OP's argument why watch TV or a Movie if you are never going to write a script, why listen to music if you are never going to write a tune, why play a computer game if you can't be bothered to program your own. I could go on but that would just be feeding the Troll.

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