Should you allow the books you read to influence your voice?

[Twook00]

It seems I write better when I've been reading a good book. In fact, I'll often pick up a favorite book and thumb through a few pages before writing something just to get the author's voice in my head.

That said, I've heard many published authors say that they do not read while writing because they don't want the other author's voice to influence their own.

As a new writer who's not really developed my own voice, I don't know if my methods are helping or harming me. Thoughts?

 

[Jabrosky]

Isn't the major reason would-be writers are encouraged to read a lot precisely because they get more ideas and influences that way?

That said, I do worry about distractions when I'm working on a story, so I hesitate to delve deep into books that don't relate to my current project in any way. I am willing to study isolated scenes just so I know how to write certain moments in my own work.

 

[GeekDavid]

I can see a potential problem if you only read one author over and over and over, but if you expose yourself to a bunch of different authors, with a bunch of different voices, they'll likely tend to cancel each other out.

For that matter, if you're worried about stifling your own voice, why read forums like this? Aren't you afraid my voice, or Jabrosky's, or Ireth's, or Steerpike's will overwhelm your own?

 

[Twook00]

Well, I know that if I read Neil Gaiman, my writing style will sort of absorb some of his writing style. Then, I read George R. R. Martin, who has a completely different writing style, and will find myself mimicking him. I just wonder if this is part of the process or something I should avoid when writing a story.

I can certainly see how this would be an issue if it causes your own story to be inconsistent due to swapping styles half way through.

 

[GeekDavid]

My honest advice is, WTDT! (Write The Darned Thing!)

Then turn it over to at least one trusted reader and see if they see a problem. If they do, fix it. If not, don't worry about it.

 

[Writeking]

I have yet to develop my writer's voice. I feel i won't truly find it until I finish the first draft and take the time to edit it. I guess it's hard to say when you find your writer's voice, I think it comes to people at different times when they discover it. As a new writer I don't think it just comes to you at the start, but in time you'll know when find it.

 

[Svrtnsse]

I have yet to develop my writer's voice. I feel i won't truly find it until I finish the first draft and take the time to edit it. I guess it's hard to say when you find your writer's voice, I think it comes to people at different times when they discover it. As a new writer I don't think it just comes to you at the start, but in time you'll know when find it.

I think you've got a point here.
I was rather concerned with the whole voice thing for quite a bit, but I've calmed down a bit about it. The way things are going at the moment my writing style is changing all the time. I learn new things, I try different approaches, I make mistakes and experiment. Trying to maintain a specific voice through all that would likely be an exercise in futility.
At the moment I just want to get comfortable writing. I believe that once I achieve that voice will follow on its own.

 

[Twook00]

Here's what's interesting to me... If I read something and hear my (somewhat underdeveloped) voice in it, I usually don't like it. But if I write something in another author's voice, I almost always love it, despite the fact that I'm still the one writing the story.

I do think that reading other's will make you a better writer. If you're writing a scene and you're struggling with it, find an author who wrote a similar scene and see what you like and dislike about it. Did they describe the setting in a way that sets the tone differently than you did, are they using more props in their scene, did they leave out a lot of details to make it a crisper read?

In that regard, I've almost always benefited.

 

[Twook00]

Very solid point, Svrtnsse.

 

[Writeking]

Perhaps this article might help you out

How To Find Your Natural Writing Style

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

Most writers stumble upon their own, unique voice by first emulating authors they admire.