Aspiring Writers Should Not Read these books.

[JanieDough]

The 10 Most Harmful Novels for Aspiring Writers



Any young person who wants to be a novelist should of course be a reader as well. But some novels can be more hazard than inspiration. They are often well-written, but their effects have generally been disastrous: they inspired younger writers to imitate them, they created awful new genres that debased readers' tastes, or they promoted literary or social values that we could very much do without.


Here are ten 20th-century novels that have done more harm than good to apprentice writers. My list is both entirely subjective (I am a scarred victim of several of them) and in no particular order.

 

[Zorak]

I don't like many of those books either, but I wouldn't be so arrogant, conceited, egotistical and downright condescending about it.

I've never heard of Crawfod Kilian. If I ever see his any books for sale, I'll make sure to buy them.

 

[Abcinthia]

My friend has a newspaper article from a few months back, saying that all new authors are shit becuase they are trying to write like Ian McEwan.

And I agree. His books are shit.

 

[Peter Parka]

Agree about J R R Tolkien. There's tons of fantasy stuff out there trying to be the new Tolkien and most of them are dire.

 

[satinbutterfly]

Agree about J R R Tolkien. There's tons of fantasy stuff out there trying to be the new Tolkien and most of them are dire.

:homo:

I much prefer 'original' fantasy series. :nod:

 

[hart]

I don't agree with it being harmful to read those books, what's needed is self-awareness. It's like my science fiction teacher, he said please don't write a book depicting this strange planet and the end result is it is really Earth. It's been done a million times.

 

[JanieDough]

I think the problem comes with people who aren't educated, and who read these books and then write their own with a bad editor.

It's like art - you should study other art so you know what's been done before, etc. but unless you are in a structured learning environment, you start to emulate other art instead of pushing yourself to create your own.

I do think it's funny the books they say not to read!

 

[edgray]

I don't know if I agree with that list, especially not On The Raod - such a fantastic novel that has been an inspiration to scores of writers.

Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged should be avoided anyway, aspiring writer or not...

 

[JanieDough]

lol. I like both of those books, and I don't think reading Kerouac juniors would be too harmful to our society.

On the Road was awesome. The part where he's in the jazz club in San Fransisco....brilliant! I felt like I was there.

 

[edgray]

lol. I like both of those books, and I don't think reading Kerouac juniors would be too harmful to our society.

On the Road was awesome. The part where he's in the jazz club in San Fransisco....brilliant! I felt like I was there.

On The Road is one of my all-time faves, though I liked all of his books, except for maybe Visions of Cody, which was seriously hard going.

 

[JanieDough]

On The Road is one of my all-time faves, though I liked all of his books, except for maybe Visions of Cody, which was seriously hard going.

I have to admit I didn't read any of his others. I have them on my to read list. I usually read all of one author.

It took me awhile to read On The Road since there isn't a direct point or plot - it just kind of chronicles the journey - with its ups and downs and slow times. I usually devour books in a day or two, and it took me weeks to read On The Road. It made me kind of weary of his others even though I liked it so much.

 

[edgray]

I have to admit I didn't read any of his others. I have them on my to read list. I usually read all of one author.

It took me awhile to read On The Road since there isn't a direct point or plot - it just kind of chronicles the journey - with its ups and downs and slow times. I usually devour books in a day or two, and it took me weeks to read On The Road. It made me kind of weary of his others even though I liked it so much.

I couldn't put On The Road down, and I'm not much of a reader, but it totally drew me into his world... if I could be anywhere in any space or time I'd be a beatnik in the fifties...

 

[Leah Love]

I recently started Lord of the Rings, just to see what all the hype was about... I am right now on the second book, and it is more of a chore then anything else. It's dry, with too many odd names, confusing references and even more confusing family trees -- are those really necessary?

I am a hobby writer, might even be an "aspiring" writer, and I read a bit - mind you a very little bit - about how to write and what to shy away from - too many odd names are one. If you MUST stuff your book/story full with them, at least easy the reader into it, one-two at a time, and not like Tolkien slap you with a dozen out-there names in matter of 2 pages. <- my opinion anyway.

 

[Abcinthia]

I recently started Lord of the Rings, just to see what all the hype was about... I am right now on the second book, and it is more of a chore then anything else. It's dry, with too many odd names, confusing references and even more confusing family trees -- are those really necessary?

I am a hobby writer, might even be an "aspiring" writer, and I read a bit - mind you a very little bit - about how to write and what to shy away from - too many odd names are one. If you MUST stuff your book/story full with them, at least easy the reader into it, one-two at a time, and not like Tolkien slap you with a dozen out-there names in matter of 2 pages. <- my opinion anyway.

I agree. I'm not a huge fan of LOTRbecuase I find them confusing and boring. I had to really push myself to read all the books becuase I thought it was a chore too. And I'm not a great fan of the movies either.

 

[JanieDough]

LOTR has a huge following for people who grew up in the 70's, and i think it was one of the first fantasy trilogies??

I know SO many people named after a character in LOTR

 

[toomuchwit]

i understand that you don't want to imitate, but there is no way that a writer shouldn't read hemingway, salinger or mccarthy.

hemingway changed writing because he taught writers that sentences are more powerful when they're declarative. salinger wasn't the best writer in the world, but his novel franny and zooey is quite good as are his short stories "perfect day for bananafish" and "for esme - with love and squalor.

and as far as cormac mccarthy goes, and especially his novel blood meridian, i think i'll trust the word a pulitzer award winning author michael chabon, who rightfully so, called blood meridian one of the best novels of the last two decades, than the word of crawford kilian, that brilliant man of letters