wendelah1: Fox Mulder reading, text=reading is fundamental (reading is fundamental)

[personal profile] wendelah1 2008-01-28 08:24 am (UTC)(link)
I would rather have stories that were told well, than stories that complied with canon. I just want the writing to be great. I want to have my brain explode. My favorite writer on livejournal, who does not write in this fandom, by the way, is [livejournal.com profile] synecdochic. Her story for Stargate Atlantis, freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose is the best story I have ever read in any fandom. I don't even like the show, but I love this story. I certainly don't ship the pairing, and I don't care if it is canon compliant, because that is not what this writer is about. She is about the language and the story, and the characters she is creating, which are infinitely more interesting than what the show was doing, anyway. I guess I love good writing and good story-telling more than I love any television show, even The X-Files. I will read anything if the writing is terrific. I don't just mean fan fiction, either. I read widely in any case, it is my favorite hobby, my first love. I need books like some people need water.
leucocrystal: (tv | x-files : lips)

[personal profile] leucocrystal 2008-01-28 08:32 am (UTC)(link)
I think it's just due to a different approach to reading in general. If I don't have an interest in the characters, the quality of the writing itself can only do so much for me. The same applies to original fiction. I OD'd quite a bit on reading when I was younger (as you know, I started quite early), so now I'm much more particular about what I like. Probably not the best approach, but it works for me.
wendelah1: (My house on a good day)

[personal profile] wendelah1 2008-01-28 08:50 am (UTC)(link)
I am asking this just to clarify. Reading no longer gives you pleasure, in and of itself. Only a fairly narrow subset of reading material of any kind holds your interest. Does that sound correct?
leucocrystal: (misc | books : le petit prince)

[personal profile] leucocrystal 2008-01-28 09:28 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I probably should've been more clear the first time around. I do still love to read, I'm just pickier than I used to be. I used to read just for the sake of reading, but now I'm much more discriminatory. Frankly, my new job environment perpetuates this, which is fine for me. It's not just good characters; I need interesting plot, well-done prose, or that rare kind of writing that sort of... transports you. Sadly, there's just not that much of this out there, that I've come across anyway.

That said, being picky has its perks. I rarely spend time on books that I don't enjoy, so when I do finish something, it's a good experience. Also, I don't rush read as much as I used to, either. It's more leisurely now I guess, and I never read more than one book at once.
wendelah1: (My house on a good day)

[personal profile] wendelah1 2008-01-28 05:55 pm (UTC)(link)
I am always reading about twenty books at a time. I read very quickly, too, unless I am reading strictly for content. I read a little bit slower, then, I guess. I have a very good visual memory, or at least I used to.

If I didn't have anything else to read I would be reading the back of the cereal boxes. Fortunately, in my house that will never be a problem.