Reading and writing are two different faces of the same coin. Lucy Hounsom’s metaphor explained the importance of reading for a writer. The more you read, the more you improve your style, for example. Your vocabulary increases and gets better and better. By reading other books, you may also get inspiration and ideas – which obviously doesn’t mean that you have to steal from them.
The Centre Stage stood in the central part of the North exhibition area of the ComiCon London, squeezed among colourful stalls packed with merchandising and t-shirts. Despite the surrounding noise of people wandering around, a sort of soothing silence prevailed within the dim conference room. I reached the front rows – anytime I attend an event, I can help to have the best view of the panellists – and chose my seat. Beneath the dominating MCM ComicCon logo, the conversation almost immediately kicked off; Jared, the moderator, stepped on the stage, followed by the participants Daniel Polansky (A City Dreaming), Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke & Bone series), Steven Erikson (Rejoice), Nicholas Eames (Bloody Rose), and Vic James (A Gilded Case). They made themselves comfortable on the upholstered chairs, their hands thoughtlessly toying with the microphones. “I was highly inspired by ‘The Lord of the Rings’,” Eames started off, replying the initial question. “The detailed descriptions of the landscape and countryside completely enchanted me.” Daniel Polansky switched in his chair – I expected a reaction, instead, he just chuckled. “There are endless books which inspired me,” Jones said, “but I would say that ‘2001: Space Odyssey’ entirely impressed me.” The panellists were sci-fi and fantasy authors, and they all read numerous novels of these genres. The reasons as to why these books stroke them were varied. “Even if the books impress me, I tend to read them once only,” Erikson said. “The second reading may change the perception of the story and, consequently, change your opinion.” Taylor has never been a fantasy reader during the college, but she then rediscovered the genre and fully plunged into it. “Re-reading doesn’t provide the same emotions,” Polansky claimed. “Although you can deepen some aspects of the story, the second time won’t ever equalise that feeling.” “I don’t re-read either,” Eames said, “but I started picking up books that I wouldn’t ever choose when I was younger. I discovered numerous titles that I had unforgivably missed.” The writers agreed that reading as a reader was a completely different thing from reading as an author. “Harry Potter brought me back to fantasy,” Taylor said with a chuckle. “I got inspired and started working on my ideas.” “I read books of all genres and kinds,” James said. “The best one I had sparked my writing ability.” Erikson confirmed to have been – and still be – a voracious reader of any book falling into his hands, but he also thought that writing fantasy was harder than writing fiction. “When you write fantasy, you have to create a world and characters with endless details,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of reference books to check when you decided to create a story about elves, dwarves, and humans.” “Fantasy has deeply influenced me since I was in the High School,” Eames claimed. “I chose to start writing something that impressed and influenced readers as much as those books had affected me.” It was time to focus on contemporary authors. So far, the writers had spoken of books written in the past and authors who literally created a genre. “Doris Lessing with her ‘The fit child’ astonished me,” Polansky said. “It was amazing and, at the same time, terrifying.” “Becky Chambers is the most amazing author I read of,” Erikson said. “I could add dozens, but her books are very good.” “Tade Thompson is involving and stunning,” James said. “The classics of sci-fi anyway still delight me. They are perfect. They have everything a good book can have.” She then added: “As a reader, I sometimes get bored of fantasy, that’s why I prefer to vary my reading with other genres, especially historical essays. They also help my research.” Contrarily, Taylor claimed that she had never ever got bored of fantasy. It was in her heart and mind. “The number of books published every year is so huge,” she said, “that I can’t help to contribute to this genre.” The last bit of the conversation involved a few suggestions from the authors. Steven Erikson gave a more practical and professional tip to they who wanted to become authors. “You always have to finish what you started as you’re still inspired,” he explained. “In the moment you give up or begin to care less about that project, the inspiration flies away, and getting it back is very difficult.”
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