Poll #45: The Better Motivator?

[Andy]

Which motivates you more: reading a terrible book, or reading a great book?

[Lykaios]

I don't read terrible books, I haven't the patience to keep reading them.

So it has to be a brilliant book. :)

I love Inkspell.

[Starry]

For the most part, if I don't like a book within the first twenty pages, I give it up and move on to something more interesting. The only exceptions to this are school books (obviously), something someone has recommended to me (if I feel guilty about not finishing it), and something as horrible as Brisingr that I'm reading for the entertainment value.

I don't read terrible books, I haven't the patience to keep reading them.

So it has to be a brilliant book. :)

I love Inkspell.

I liked Inkheart better, actually, though I own both. Wasn't there supposed to be a third book eventually?

[Majyk]

Both, actually.

I liked Inkheart better, actually, though I own both. Wasn't there supposed to be a third book eventually?

Yeah. Inkdeath. I want it to come out already. I thought it was supposed to be here by now *glares*

[Lykaios]

Inkdeath is out in England, it's a bestseller in Waterstones, WHSmiths and on Amazon (UK). :) It's a big hard back though so too expensive for me at the moment.

I like Inkspell better, there's more action and I want to know what's happening to all of the characters and I love being able to clearly imagine all of the characters and the Inkworld. I hate it when description in books fail.

Inkheart was good, but they kept running away and then getting caught and it sort of seemed repetitive to me, but still good. :)

[Carraka]

Definitely reading a terrible book. Especially by people my own age. Makes me want to "raise the standard" ... as if I can.

Because on the other end, I'm reading Scott Lynch and thinking, gods, I'll never debut like that unless I wait until I'm forty ... -sob-

[Majyk]

Inkdeath is out in England, it's a bestseller in Waterstones, WHSmiths and on Amazon (UK). :) It's a big hard back though so too expensive for me at the moment.

I like Inkspell better, there's more action and I want to know what's happening to all of the characters and I love being able to clearly imagine all of the characters and the Inkworld. I hate it when description in books fail.

Inkheart was good, but they kept running away and then getting caught and it sort of seemed repetitive to me, but still good. :)

No way! Lucky :glare:.

I'm not sure which one I liked better. They were both good. But this is getting off topic...

/spam

[phytoxoeia]

To get us back on topic...

They both motivate me an equal amount, but a great book a bit more. A terrible book makes me go "BAH! I could write this so much better!" (not to be snobby or anything), such as certain parts in Twilight. Some lines and parts make me go *cringe* and seriously, in the third part of Breaking Dawn, Bella is less human than she was when she was human. She's a vampire, for crying out loud! She's finally fulfilled her dream, and you can't feel any of it. The "humanist" part of the whole series was Jacob's point of view.

By the way, I'm a convert to Jacob's side. Heck with Edward. Jacob's human.

Anyway, to get myself on topic, a great book makes me want to write something, even if it's completely and utterly has zilch to do with the book I've read. Pretty much the same thing with great movies.

[Mercy]

Most of the time, good books inspire and motivate me.
Terrible books just make me cringe. xP

[Shaun]

Has to be reading a great book. Great books teach me more than crappy books do, because a crappy book only shows me what doesn't work, not what does. A few years ago I would have said the opposite, though, but growing as a writer has changed my perspective on books.

Oh and this should be poll #45, Andy...

[Double A]

Reading a great book because I think, "I want to be a good writer like that!"

[The_First_Investigator]

I think, I join Double A. But sometimes it's also motivating reading a terrible one - I once did that, and it made me stop thinking I'd never be able to live off writing. And when doubt comes back (which quite happens) I'll do it again and again . . .

[Shadow]

Terrible books. Thus I learn what NOT to write. For example, Eragon. After thinking about it for a while, I surmised that my fantasy books would be almost as cliche as that, were it to be published. And so I began my rise to satire and pre-Tolkien fantasy (praise be to Neil Gaiman)! Thus, reading good books just gives you entertainment, it doesn't teach you very much, whereas with a terrible book (if you can identify one), you know what you shouldn't be writing and you have motivation NOT to write like that.

[PMD14]

Well if it's a great book then it makes me think: Well of course this got published. It would be impossible to write something like this. So a great book doesn't motivate me.

If it's a terrible book, I probably will stop reading it so that won't motivate me.

If it's an okay book, then I think with a little work I could write something as good as this. That motivates me.

[ElephntFalingOffClif]

Reading a great book for me because it makes me want to go write something great too.