This is an A Song of Ice and Fire post
I picked up A Feast for Crows on Saturday night. It is the fourth book in A Song of Ice and Fire series, the last one of my reread before I get to run out and buy/power up the Nook and dowload A Dance with Dragons. Now that I'm getting into it (currently on p 106), I'm realizing that I barely remember any of it.
Odd because the first three were totally familiar on reread. There were several "oh yeah! i forgot about that!" moments, but for the most part, it was all firmly tattooed on the grey matter.
Not so, AFfC. I think part of it is because several new POV characters take up the narrative, my favorites are absent, and the focus is on happenings that involve characters I wholely dislike, but not in the Love To Hate way of Tywin, for example. Even Arya (whom I love) parts left me feeling blah. I do remember that much.
I've been sooooo good for staying away from media that have a possibility of containing spoilers for the next book. So much discipline, when I am dying DYING to know what happens next. But I need to get through this book first. And it will be fine because I can't remember so many details, it will be like reading it for the first time. But seriously all I want to do is read and read and read AFfC and be done with it. Then get my sticky fingers on A Dance with Dragons. DYING. And I will not skip ahead and read the end and I will not look at discussion forums and I will not tell Stuart what happens. Unless he asks ;P
Then I am allowed devote hours to speculation and wank in multiple forums. I can bump up my spoiler level at The Tower of the Hand. And I can let myself watch the HBO series. Just not yet. Book first. Then happy fantard fun times.
But where did this discipline, this self-control come from? And why can't I apply it to my writing?