Harnessing Critical Voice
One of the pieces of advice that gets handed out to writers is that you need to read, both in the genre you write in as well as outside that genre.
In general, I agree with this advice, though I might phrase it differently: if you regularly create story, you should consume story. I know more than one writer who, in addition to reading, also watches TV as a method of consuming story.
However, for a lot of writers, it’s difficult to turn off that critical voice. Instead of reading for enjoyment and to consume story, you’re too caught up in technique. You tear apart any writing that you read, both to learn as well as to critique.
When I was a kid, I was a voracious reader. Read pretty much everything at my local library. Slowed down some when I went to college, but then picked up the habit again. So I’ve always been a reader, even though there were times in my life when I didn’t read as much.
About ten to twelve years ago, I started taking my writing seriously. It wasn’t that I wasn’t serious before that, or that I wasn’t professional about it. However, I learned that there were several levels above where I was. To get there, I had to focus on the writing. I changed my language, instead of saying, “I have to write,” it became, “I get to write.” Another mantra for me: My words before…
