Writers who don't read

[Lingering_Wanderer]

I'm going to write a very structured response to your post, as these were how my thoughts were organised. Sorry if I sound a bit too academic, but it's just a habit.

1. Accessibility argument is solid. Writing is uniquely accessible compared to other storytelling mediums. It has low barriers to entry, and it's free (if you are purely doing it as a hobby without the intention to publish)

2. Analysis paralysis is real. The paradox of choice in modern book markets is genuine, especially in the absence of trusted recommendation sources.

But here's my 2 cents on the rest of the points you made:

The "perceived lack of diversity" feels like a filter bubble problem. You're consuming commentary about romantasy/smut rather than actually looking for books. If you only watch BookTok drama and "worst books ever" videos, of course you'll think that's all that exists. Literary fiction, horror, sci-fi, mystery, contemporary—these genres are thriving with diverse voices, but you have to actually look for them. "The literature ecosystem just never moved past the success of Fifty Shades of Grey" is quite a sweeping statement to make.

Secondhand learning has severe limits. It's like learning to cook by watching cooking show commentary without ever tasting food or touching ingredients. I don't think a filmmaker makes films without watching films themselves. Like what @KevinReijnders mentioned, you learn how to craft a good story by... reading good stories. Good books are the best teachers.

Bottom line is: Yes, you can write without reading. Some people do it successfully. But you're operating with one hand tied behind your back, and acting like that's a reasonable choice rather than a limitation is... eh, not the best mindset.

At the end of the day, if you are doing it as a hobby and it makes you happy, write to your heart's content.

[TAMAnnoying]

Why don't people read?
They don't have time

Why do people insist on writing, even without reading?
People have a finite amount of time on this planet, if people write instead of read it's because they enjoy it more, same as if they read instead of write. It's relatively impossible to read and write at the same time.

What happens when you write without reading?
You are in fact writing and not being distracted, as it is very hard to write and read at the same time. This is why I always hated taking notes in class.

[ShidoDraws]

That's a pretty interesting perspective. The things I read are quite selective as well. I mean, everyone has different tastes and I believe your approach to writing is justified.

The way people write has very much more to do with the people they surround themselves with. If your friends are all looking to you for advice, perhaps you need to find someone who can give you that feeling as well. Not necessarily someone to give you advice, but someone who you know you can learn from by just watching.

Personally, I don't have anyone to ask me for advice, so I can't say if I'm at that point yet. Though, you probably don't need me to say that since you're already learning from works you read. Hehe.

But, it's worth thinking about. After all, no one is ever the best and we're all always learning.

[AmysGames]

I'm in a similar boat where I don't really feel like I read all that much; can't remember the last time I picked up a novel to read. That said, I've never felt like a particularly bad writer for a few reasons:

1. Growing up around other writers. I've always had friends and family who write, many of whom are incredibly talented, so I picked up a lot from them.

2. Other types of media. Maybe I don't read that many books, but I've read webcomics, played video games, watched movies, and of course read stuff that my (incredibly talented) friends have written. This probably affects my writing style, but I've always been more drawn to "indie" media, haha.

3. Cultural osmosis. I know a lot about what happens in popular books, despite having never read them myself, simply from listening to other people talk about them.

That said, I do think reading more is helpful to becoming a better writer—I feel like I always learn something when I break out of my bubble to check out something new—I just acknowledge that I'm also bad at this, lol.

[Zhengo]

First answering my own experience, I used to read/watch a good bit of media like books, comics, animation, etc. These days not so much as I am busy creating my own comic, so the reason I don't read much is because of time limitations. I do feel like this is actually a big blind spot for my creative process because I think expanding my knowledge of media would help me be a better creator and open up new perspectives for me to explore. Outside of media though, I do try to expand my knowledge of things when I can, and that usually requires reading (sometimes reading wikipedia pages xD). Does this count as reading? I'd actually say yes. I feel as this post is too focused on reading modern fiction, when reading is much more than that.

I agree with @Lingering_Wanderer. I'm not sure where you're getting your sources of the current modern literature scene, but be aware that media commentary channels get their best engagement on drama and ranting. So obviously a lot of these channels end up becoming places where a lot of their content centers around them doing rants about trashy books. I listen to a great deal of these commentary videos too, I'm pretty sure I've heard more than a few of these youtubers complain about how they're being forced to watch/read slop so they can get their buck.

Second, if you are not seeing any good recommendations in the modern literature scene, have you considered taking a look at classic literature? There's usually a good reason these works survive the test of time, and you can also of course find a lot of think pieces that analyze and even criticize these works. Also, by "classics" you don't need to limit yourself to the stuff you read in high school. The most recent book I read was The Murder of Roger Akroyd by Agatha Christie (famous mystery writer) and quite enjoyed the mystery, characters, and the reveal motivated me to do a reread of the book. As far as I know this book is not common in most school curriculums. There is a wide breadth of classic literature that is going unnoticed that isn't just your usual Shakespeare or John Steinbeck. A lot of classic literature also tends to give you a look at how people lived their lives at the time period the book came out.

If you still find the classic literature world uninteresting to you, you can also consider researching mythology and folklore, and by extension, history. I actually fall into rabbitholes of random historical time periods from time to time and it gives me great perspectives of how other people view the world from different time periods and situations, which helps me better see the perspective of my own characters. Researching cultural history such as mythology, folklore, religions, etc. also helps you in worldbuilding, and a lot of myths tend to go off the deep end in whackiness that is actually not quite explore well in fictional literature. Also, exploring all that will probably at some point end up making you fall into the philosophy and political theory rabbithole. Heck, you can even switch your media commentary background noise to historical podcast background noise, so it won't be a huge time sink for you to set aside time to read something.

Another area you could read - nonfiction and psychology articles. Again it helps with worldbuilding and better fleshing out your characters. Though this part might be more daunting for people to read if they are more of a fiction reader haha.

Basically, I consider reading as part of the "research" aspect of writing.

• The most obvious aspect a writer needs to research - how to WRITE. Reading a lot of works, and a lot of works with good writing technique. Will help you avoid awkward prose and writing mistakes. I helped critique a novel recently that had a lot of issues with redundancy ("Sorry", he apologized) and using the wrong word for things (writing he is "burned" by the prophecy instead of he is "burdened" by the prophecy), and other common beginner tendencies like telling too much instead of showing. Learning the writer of it is only a "casual reader" was not a surprise for me.
• Research into real world aspects, such as culture, history, philosophy, etc. as to better depict a setting that engages readers and makes a world feel lived in. Allow you to better navigate your story's conflicts that may be political in nature. Better understand your own characters and what actions and behaviors they could exhibit. One of my favorite manga - Fullmetal Alchemist, was built on a ton of research
• Research things just so aspects of your story will be more accurate in general. I don't need you to get accuracy of stuff in your story down to the most minute detail, but at least enough so even people who have knowledge of said aspect can suspend their disbelief to a degree. If I see a hacking scene that uses a matrix wallpaper I'm gonna laugh my ass off.

All of that research will probably require you to do at least some level of reading. Just watching commentary and critique might give you stuff about broader what to do/not to do about writing, but it's like taking an introductory college class. You know general stuff, but do you actually know the details? I have a degree in Computer Science, and my college coursework gave me understanding of broad concepts that would show up in my career, but to do the stuff at my job, I still need to do my own research, read documentation of how a language or framework works. The degree doesn't automatically zap me with all the knowledge of CS and SE.

Same idea with writing. Even if you say you are writing within a completely fantasy world with its own law of physics, how will you know if the social cultures in your world make any sense based on your own historical context? How will you know that you are properly understanding your own character, if you gave them a background you yourself didn't experience?

Romantasy is in high supply these days because writers think they can get away with only writing what they know and not do any reading. No need to think about real world accuracy, it's a fantasy world, I'm making stuff up! No need to think about how characters respond to their surroundings, we only care about romance baby, and that's what everyone (ignoring aro people) can feel!

[DokiDokiTsuna]

it doesn't really come as a surprise to me that you are admitting this. I've read several of your threads by now, and one thing that does stand out was a lot of "I have (strong) opinions on this thing, but I didn't actually read/watch it". This fits that trend.

So, ordinarily a statement like this wouldn't bother me (you wouldn't be the first to point that out) but in this case it kinda does, because I feel like you're framing it as an inherent negative. And I have to ask: why? Do you think any opinion on anything you haven't watched in its entirety is automatically unfounded...? What, specifically, is wrong with the opinions that I've expressed??

I mean, it's not as if I pretend that I HAVE watched/read [insert media] when I haven't; I've never felt any need to lie about that kind of thing or misrepresent it. On the contrary, I think it's important to be honest about the limitations of your perspective, even when you do experience media firsthand. And when I haven't engaged with a piece of media in a certain way or at all, I'm very open about it.

So...if I'm not lying; if I'm just giving my impression of a thing and the concepts surrounding it, and asking other people for their potentially-more-informed perspectives (which is usually what I do)...where's the problem???
If it annoys you on a personal level, fine. But if you're pointing it out to me, that implies that it's more than just personal; that someone or something is being harmed in some way that I should be aware of. And for the life of me I can't see it.

This just feels reminiscent of the behavior you see in nerd/fandom spaces, where you need to "show receipts" and "prove you're a real fan" before anyone will allow you to speak. And I'm sure this won't surprise you either, but I've always hated that kind of attitude.

I would rather be around a 'sloppy' fan who just wants to yap about the thing they like than a 'strict' fan who will outright quiz people on whether they deserve to be spoken to about the thing they like. And I assume most people feel the same...so I've never felt embarrassed about walking into a space and saying "hey, I've heard some things about [thing], are any of y'all fans who want to tell me more?" just out of mild curiosity.
Again, most people are happy to share; the same way I'm happy to share details on any of the things I watch to anyone who wants to hear them, for any reason. It's just...a way of making conversation (which I thought might be appreciated on a quiet forum like this one...). And if you don't like that I'm a part of that conversation without any prior intimate knowledge of [thing], then all you have to do is keep scrolling.

But if you want receipts, let's do receipts: so of the ten previous topics I've started on this forum, all of them are titled with a focus on concepts rather than specific pieces of media-- people don't seem to realize it, but that's on purpose. When I want to just flat-out criticize a story, I do; when I want to talk about a theme or phenomenon that just happens to be related (i.e. most of the time) I structure my essays around that instead, and there IS a difference. Maybe it's only noticeable to me, but it's there. :T

Anyway-- of those ten, four of them do feature fairly heavy secondhand references to media. But six out of ten are squarely focused on things I HAVE watched/read, or no media in particular; just isolated concepts like common tropes and writing techniques.
Of the uglier four, I openly state that I haven't interacted with the media myself in all of them-- again, I'm not deceiving anyone. And only ONE of them actually spends a substantial amount of time on the referenced media...for the rest, I spend way more time talking about the broader concepts than the references, like a 3:1 ratio at worst.

So...yet again, I'm not seeing a problem here. Only one topic out of my last ten feels like a truly unflattering example of this 'trend"...which didn't seem to bother anyone in the thread, mind you. I felt like I learned a lot about a popular new anime while giving people who watched it a space to vent their frustrations. And if I'm spending 1/10th of my time here maybe being annoying, but still providing a win-win situation for the users on the forum...I feel like I can accept that. I hope that's what you wanted me to reflect on, because that's my takeaway.

But hey. Unless they're all being extremely disingenuous, the fact they seek out my thoughts on writing must prove on some level you needn't be much of a reader to write, right?

I must say, I've thought that many times myself... ^^;

I think a subconscious motivation for starting this topic was garden-variety imposter syndrome, based on the fact that my writing has been almost exclusively praised, and yet...well, see the OP. It's hard not to feel weird about it, unless you accept that maybe you don't have to be an avid reader in order to, at the very least, maintain strong writing skills. Which still feels blasphemous to say, but ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Hey @DokiDokiTsunaHave you considered making a YouTube channel and writing video essays?

I did, actually... ^^; I've linked it a couple times here and there: https://www.youtube.com/@dokidraws7945

The subject matter on the channel is much more narrow than my forum ramblings; I mostly discuss character design and fandom, with a surprisingly heavy emphasis on storytelling...plus one random Splatoon tutorial. XD Needless to say, I feel like I'm still finding my footing with it; especially after being on hiatus for half of this year...but that's a lament for another day...

"The literature ecosystem just never moved past the success of Fifty Shades of Grey" is quite a sweeping statement to make.

OK, I think I need to clarify this...so when I used the word 'ecosystem' (as opposed to 'community' or 'fandom') that was on purpose, because I was including the publishing industry and its aggressive limits on what is considered 'profitable' literature (therefore, what is considered worthy of heavy promotion and considered 'worthwhile' for new authors to attempt), which seems much more restrictive than in other mediums. Plenty of authors and booktubers have already discussed these problems...again, I'd like to be wrong; I'm just going by what I've heard.

I agree on the 'filter bubble' thing; that's what I was addressing when I said the 'emphasis on perceived' bit. It definitely applies to many consumers...but I don't think it applies to me, necessarily. Believe it or not, I don't watch tons of shock-value videos on smutty literature, because I do not want to hear about them. I know how YouTube algorithms work. ^^;
Instead, I am constantly forced to hear about them while watching videos about other kinds of popular books and broader issues in the industry, which speaks to their ubiquitousness, if nothing else.

Bottom line is: Yes, you can write without reading. Some people do it successfully. But you're operating with one hand tied behind your back, and acting like that's a reasonable choice rather than a limitation is... eh, not the best mindset.

1) I fully admitted it was a limitation...that was the very first paragraph under Item #3...
2) I'm probably playing devil's advocate again, but I think a limitation can be a reasonable choice, as long as it makes for an entertaining experience. Like playing a video game with the sound off, or with the minimum number of lives or the weakest weapon. Some people like to be challenged, even if those challenges are self-imposed. ^^;
Although when it comes to creative endeavors like art and writing, it's honestly even more subjective...like, how little knowledge counts as a "limitation", as opposed to just deciding you know enough to accomplish what you want? I don't think there's a pinnacle of artistic knowledge to definitively reach, so...who makes the call? Who decides whether you're "operating with one hand tied behind your back", or whether you only need one hand to create? Just throwing that out there.

Does this count as reading? I'd actually say yes. I feel as this post is too focused on reading modern fiction, when reading is much more than that.

You made way too many points that I agree with on some level, so I'm just gonna focus on this one, because it's very pertinent-- YES, all those things you listed count as reading, and I indulge in nonfiction reading quite often. I have my dedicated Wikipedia/Wiktionary tabs open at all times, I love a good news article, and the most recent (new) work of literature I HAVE read was actually a historical document on Mary, Queen of Scots, in the original French.
Additionally, I probably spend a less-than-healthy amount of time scrolling YouTube and social media comments, trawling for insights and opinions and inspiration for topics like these...in the literal sense, I probably spend most of my life reading.

BUT...the reason I didn't mention any of that is because I felt it would distract from the point. ^^; Because as many have noted, reading is important when you're a writer because it's supposed to inform your work...and very little of that informs my work. I write fantasy stories and philosophical dramas, not nonfiction. So it doesn't really 'count' in that way, y'know? I'm on Wikipedia to get ideas for things to put into my story, not ideas on how to write my story.

And seeing how well-received the OP was as it is (/s) I don't think "anyway, I spend hundreds of hours doomscrolling Tumblr and reading random articles about tube worms, and technically that counts as reading, so checkmate!" would have helped matters. ^^; But I DO appreciate you pointing that out.

[Zhengo]

BUT...the reason I didn't mention any of that is because I felt it would distract from the point. ^^; Because as many have noted, reading is important when you're a writer because it's supposed to inform your work...and very little of that informs my work. I write fantasy stories and philosophical dramas, not nonfiction. So it doesn't really 'count' in that way, y'know? I'm on Wikipedia to get ideas for things to put into my story, not ideas on how to write my story.

Refer to my second to last paragraph where I address the fantasy part. Even if you are writing a fantasy story, you can still apply the stuff you've read in non-fiction to the work in the how and not just as ideas. If you recently read a historical document of a monarch, and if you are working in a world where there is a monarchy, now you should apply that knowledge to make sure your existing plotlines and conflicts pertaining to your fantasy monarchy are grounded and make sense. If they don't, excise or fix them.

This is all how, knowing what and what not to do in a specific setting. This is just an example among many. I'm not suggesting you read nonfiction to write nonfiction, I'm suggesting you read nonfiction to better understand the cause and effect of why society would operate this way, why individuals may operate this way, in what ways would certain actions affect the story's society, etc. Even if the society in your story cannot be directly similar to whatever nonfiction you are reading, it's still good in general to have this knowledge in the back of your mind so you can make more organic settings and characters. The basis is that becoming more informed in general will make you a more well-rounded person and equip you to better execute any ideas you have for your writing.

This is literally the reasoning behind why there are colleges that subscribe to the idea that everyone should take some kind of liberal arts courses, even if you're studying in a non-liberal arts degree. So yes, it 'counts'.

Also, well, I wrote a lot because I wanted to be specific about my examples and try to highlight things to read that at least has some basis of quality or utility. I actually wouldn't really count scrolling social media to be a form, or at least an effective form, of reading. It can spawn ideas, sure, but you can also do that by traveling the world. Maybe sometimes you might sift through a gem that leads you down a rabbithole of useful info, but I see it more like spending most of the time reading below average quality fanfic.

[remiquise]

Personally, I don't have anyone to ask me for advice, so I can't say if I'm at that point yet. Though, you probably don't need me to say that since you're already learning from works you read. Hehe.

So selective about my reading I ain't read a book in like 3 years--

That aside, I joined a local writing group in order to find people I can learn off of. Tragically, no one there really has a writing style I want to emulate. It's a group with many differing styles and genres; I can learn more little things here and there-- but never big, sweeping things I can prescribe to my work as a whole. Perhaps some day I'll stumble across other groups, but for now... I'll gladly take whatever crumbs I can sweep up around me lol

I think a subconscious motivation for starting this topic was garden-variety imposer syndrome, based on the fact that my writing has been almost exclusively praised, and yet...well, see the OP. It's hard not to feel weird about it, unless you accept that maybe you don't have to be an avid reader in order to, at the very least, maintain strong writing skills. Which still feels blasphemous to say, but ¯(ツ)/¯

Imposture syndrome is a cruel mistress. Many times I've been praised for my writing and may times have I been asked about what I read immediately after. It is just kind of expected, reading and writing usually coexist. Definitely understand the awkward feeling as you hum and haw after being asked that, thinking up a way to answer that doesn't make you sound either really stupid, or like you're trying to say "I'm better than you" in some messed up way-- as if reading is "uncool" or something...

I suppose we can just relate writing to any other skill. Someone doesn't have to care all that much for art spaces to be a good artist. Maybe they'd be better if they bothered to look at references more often, flipped open an anatomy book, or read through some tutorials once in a while, but that doesn't mean someone cannot get good without such things. Some people just have an easier time visualizing and putting pen to paper than others-- just as some people might just grasp language/story telling without being all that interested in reading through examples, ya know? Yeah, I'd likely be better if I opened a book more often, but I can string together a story without that.

[abigaillmartin]

@DokiDokiTsuna dude! You have 1k subscribers! That’s insane!
I mean. To me I guess. I have yet to make videos and stuff. I’m not quite ready.

[Lingering_Wanderer]

off tangent, i'm also a tech grad haha

[Lensing]

I subscribed too, good channel

[NickRowler]

I don't read as much nowadays, mostly because...

1. Not having time. I guess during my freetime I would rather watch a TV show or play a video game.

2. Not being in the mood. Sort of ties into point 1.

3. Having a hard time finding stuff I am into. I don't think it's a diversity issue, I think it's just finding something with a story and writing style I would enjoy. If anything, it's the opposite issue, there is so many books out there that it's hard to single out what I would even enjoy. I feel like when I was a teen, I would just ignore bad writing and still get through a book. But I feel like now, if the narrative is clunky, I have a hard time getting through it. If I don't enjoy a book, I stop reading it.

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

I have to confess, I'm one of those writers who does not read. I've subscribed to many other writers here, and I should apologize. In my defense: I am one: old (71), two: slow, and three: low on energy. I simply only have time to write, post, and promote. Then, it's bedtime.

I have published on Tapas one fantasy novel, two sci-fi series, a book of short stories, and I'm currently posting a new book, one page per day. I've shared a total of 11 books, and I count it a good day when I get to do my writing and sharing without my wife catching me for some random chore.

I have to say: life is not that big of a deal. Read the book, or don't. Like it, or move on. Write a thousand-word critical essay, or forebear. If you get your feet tangled up in the details, you end up without a leg to stand on. Share a smile or a hug: put it out there: that's your part.

I always wanted to write, and now that I can share with Tapas, I'm easy. Again, sorry for being the writer who can not get around to reading all the other writers.

[binahwrites]

1- I think people dont pick up a book and read could be for one of these resons: 1- lack of time (could be due to work or school) personaly i read on my way to and from work otherwise i would just be seating for around an houer just listening to music, 2- People havent found a genre they enjoy or an author they like, puting your trust in booktok is a big gamble, 3- people sometimes just preffer other media like shows, or more visual like manga or comics than book

2- can't really answer this one as I'm an avid reader, but I would think the prestige of having written something is there, or the idea of bringing to life something you haven't seen

3- I don't think much happens, really, if anything, learning the name of a writing concept or principle you didn't know you were doing (setting up a hero´s journey, using chekhov's gun, etc.)

To me, I read because I find it fun. If I read a good book, I know I'm in for a fun time. If I read a bad book, I start thinking why it was bad and what I learn from it (writing style, the motif/theming, and so on)

This is a great thought exercise. I like your thread ´cos it makes me think about my answers and the way I view things

[Ordinaryaverageguy]

It'd be dumb to say those who don't read cannot write,

And I hope my post didn't come across as that. I do think that most readers, from their reading experiences, have some expectations when they sit down to read something new; how the prose is presented, how to tell who's speaking, how to paint a scene, & so on. Writers who don't read may not meet those expectations & the readers may quit their story too soon.

[Lensing]

For most adults it´s simply a lack of time. My brother and my dad used to read a lot when they
were kids. My dad is reading a lot again since he is a pensioner.

My brother is a writer, but he also has a full time job and a family.

I wouldn´t be able to read books because I´m just too busy with creating and performing.
I write comic book scripts and songs. Then I sing, play guitar and upright bass in 5 different
bands. I draw, ink, color and letter my comics. I teach kids how to draw and plays concerts
on the weekends. I spend the rest of the time traveling from place to place. I have books
in my hand every day, but it´s mostly anatomy and drawing theory. I haven´t mentioned
family, friends, cooking, cleaning, groceries. Welcome to adulthood

[kyupol]

I read mostly nonfiction... news, psychology, spirituality, science, politics, social issues, economics, etc.

That's why it sometimes shows in my work.

"Dialog flows like you're being lectured". Is some of the feedback I've gotten regarding my work .

[ori-taggart]

it feels like the literature ecosystem just never moved past the success of Fifty Shades of Grey;

Ouh that one hit like a brick to the face (not mine because I actually never took the time read 50SOG oops).

original works with similar potential to inspire a generation of young writers [...] I'm sure they're being written, but I'm not seeing them being embraced

I understand where that feeling's coming from. There's definitely new and interesting novels/webnovels coming out, but even in the action fantasy category, if it's not an overpowered god gaining some sort of video game like power that completely breaks the balance of the (kinda often) cruel world he lives in, the story will rarely be "embraced", to re-use your terminology.

unlike animation OR live-action, writing is extremely accessible.

You exposed yourself as somebody who don't read often, it's fair game I expose myself as someone who begun writing my series because it was easier (and I don't read that much either lol). I'd like the series I'm currently writing on Tapas to become a cartoon series or anime or whatever terminology we got.

I feel like I have an immense opportunity to put a lot of effort on something while not doing a backflip on my finances and throwing away my schedule and other projects like a javelin. I can make and customize the experience, add different episode thumbnails, etc. It's just a lot of fun to write, it's accessible and like you said, it's incredibly intuitive because we've been thought to pick up a pen and we've been thought to click on keyboards.

I also feel like we've learned so much about what makes a great story from other medium (you put spiderverse in your examples and that is extra valid) and that, as long as we understand what is surrounding us when we are writing, we can definitely pull something amazing even if it's our first writing project.

And look, every other type of art went through this debacle between seeking great art and letting newcomers pop in. I had a photography history class this semester. Photography was a complex thing to tackle in the 19th century, it had different processes that made it so a single photograph could take days to complete, there were dark rooms created to save the negatives of photos, new experimentations, new ways of taking pictures almost every five years since it was published in the late 1830s.

Then pops up Kodak at the end of the century. You had people going feral over the commercialisation of photography (kinda like people in past centuries would get mad if you were a writer different then a white man named Balzac or Zola or Victor Hugo). Add another century to the equation and digitalisation of the process, the power of phones as cameras and selfies, and you got everybody taking 10 photos in the span of five seconds at a party. Snobbism failed to derail progress, at least for long, because of curiosity, because of desires to become better and improve.

Pewdiepie can learn how to draw and become a linux head in his early thirties, I'll gladly keep writing despite never being an avid reader (that said university kinda made me see reading other stuff could always be a good thing).

In essence, you have a great post and it makes me think about my place as a writer. I do intend on reading more in the future, but I wanna write because there are stories that I want to tell, regardless of the outcome. I'll keep writing! That is all lol.

[MelancholicOtaku]

I can’t speak for every writer out there so I’ll just focus on my own opinions on the subject. I can understand how some might be confused on how a writer isn’t a reader. I got into writing because of my love of books, granted I am just getting back into reading but writing was always on my mind and I would write stories never finished them lol but I kept up with writing as a hobby.
However when I wasn’t reading as much I still learned from tv shows both live action and animated, movies and video games. There are so many different storytelling elements that a writer can learn from even without reading books.
So now I use a combination of everything I learned from books to games to comics to manga to tv shows and etc.

[Dashio_Sumeragi]

Interesting topic. I would like to add my own perspective too. You guys made a few good points here. I am also in the category "writing without reading". In my case it was also a long time since I had a book in my hands. There were several reasons for that. Oddly enough it started with school where they forced us to read things most kids find anything but appealing. And... instead of looking for books, my interest switched to movies and anime. And later when I exchanged school for a full time job, free time became a luxury.

So how and why I started to write... Movies, but especially anime can kickstart some wild fantasies. And for 13 years I was involved with anime in a bit different way than just watching (not professionally involved and I wish not to go into details) and that probably also contributed in a big way. I always had a creative mind, trying to imagine alt versions for existing stories, adding new stuff to them, but never wrote it down, so some ideas ended up forever forgotten. But then came a new challenge - being a parent and those among us who also have kids know, that is a different kind of headache and any creativity can pretty fast go down the drain.

Now kids got older, I started to rewatch some older anime, since I feel the anime world nowadays laks creativity and the stories aint good in general and this brought back my imagination. There are specific genres I like and I started to create my own characters. But then I tried out something new, something that did not exist in the old days - AI. I know AI is a very controversial topic in here, but I am not ashamed to admit I did use AI to create visuals for those characters. And actually seing those characters on the screen for the first time and not just in my head somehow ignited a new creative spark. And this time I´ve decided to write those ideas down. First it were just standalone mini scenes, skits, no plan, just fun, but those scenes put together started to make sence and... What the hell? Why not give it a shot? So without any prep, strongly influenced by anime style from roughly 20 years ago I started to write the Black Fang story. Basically the story is finished, but I have it in a weird screenplay-like format and ever since I discovered Tapas, I am doing rewrites, so it at least resemble a novel style plus the limitation of 15000 characters per episode, so that poses a new challenge. And yes, the story still feels like a screenplay at times.

Long story short: Do I read? No. Do I write? Yes. Is it good? Some people find it refreshing. Do I want to be a pro? No. But if those ideas stay only in my head and I don´t share them, than whats the point? Untold stories good or bad are just dead fantasies that are condemned to nothingness. And maybe one day a pro could find the story interesting and give it a new life.