figure skaters vs. books

[giogas]

I’ve been watching the Nancy Kerrigan story unfold on National and local news this week (I live about 10 minutes from the house where it all happened). I won’t get into how I feel the media handles these types of things, but I am struck by something

Comments

[annemariepace]

I think there are two ways I come to books differently than I used to: 1) I have a more solid knowledge of craft, so things that I'd skim over in the past (as a kid/young adult) now pull me out of the text and 2) I know stuff about people, that sometimes I'd rather not know. My decision to pick up or not to pick up a book is occasionally affected by how I feel about the author (I like most authors I've met personally, but honestly, some people's on-line personas, which may or may not be like the real person, bug me), or even the editor (there are two editors who come to mind whose books I usually dislike, and knowing that, I usually don't bother).

So I think I'm agreeing with you.

[giogas]

When reading novels, I still seem to read for pleasure vs craft. I can stay in the mood unless it's blatent. Maybe that's because I focus on picture books for my own writing. My thoughts (today) are more in line with yours in #2.

[annemariepace]

I'll add this though--if I know Julie Strauss Gable edited something, I'll usually pick it up, even if I wouldn't normally have done so. And so it goes both ways.

[giogas]

Agreed.

[tamra_wight]

Interesting thought Val!

I can't say a particular person has kept me from picking up a book. But the more I learn about writing, the easier it is for me to 'know' why I felt pulled out of the story. Before there was just something that didn't ring true . ..

[giogas]

I don't think I DON'T pick up a book, but I definately go into it with more of an agenda/different expectations.