Header photo by Nijwam Swargiary on Unsplash
Originally published on The Writing Cooperative on Medium.
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” (Norman Vincent Peale)
Many of us have authors who we look up to and aspire to become more like. It’s logical, and the quotation suggests that if we aim high, even failure can bring us high achievements.
My learning a second language is an example of aiming high. I listen to the local radio station hoping to eventually speak Dutch like a local. I’m falling far short of that level, but having heard the sound and structure of the words and sentences I learn what I should (and shouldn’t) be doing and I’m getting better at speaking Dutch.
The same holds true with reading; I read a lot of books and articles written by good writers and I’m learning a lot from them about how I can improve my own writing.
There’s a flip side; I like to read bad writing as well!
Reading Glasses
There’s an idea that we’re influenced by the people we spend time with.
It’s easy to see how this idea translates into how our skills will adopt characteristics and mannerisms that are present in the activities in which we immerse ourselves. In short, if we keep reading something from only good authors, the chances are high that we’ll end up writing in a similar style as those authors.
This is essentially the same point as above, where our own standards will improve. But only to the level of those authors we reading. I’d also fear that by emulating these authors we’re in danger of losing our own unique voice.
Glass Half Empty
I’m a naturally negative chap, and this means that when I compare myself with a role model I’m painfully aware that I don’t measure up. And by the inherent nature of role models, at best I can only hope to be as good as them. Never better.
In the meantime I’m falling short and I feel miserable about it. I work hard, I practice, I try and I persevere. And yes, I may be getting better, but the measure of my success, when compared to where I want to be, is by its nature one of failure.
Who wants to feel like a failure?
Bad Writing: An anti-role model in a half-full glass
This is why I like to read bad writing. I don’t mean this to be negative; in fact it’s the opposite for two reasons:
1. Reading bad writing makes me realise how far I’ve come. I see the pool of words in my writing glass rather than the gaping space that’s waiting to be filled. I become more positive and encouraged because I see that I’ve learned things and that I’m on a journey of learning more! Bad writing is a reminder that writing is a never ending journey!
This isn’t a dig at those writers, far from it. Read on:
2. It’s inspirational! If these guys are putting out bad writing, then why can’t I put out my writing? They’re trying their best (I hope) and giving it all they’ve got, and they’re not letting things stand in their way.
Kudos to these writers!
I’ve just finished reading a book written by a single mother of three young children. The story line kept me reading, but the reading itself was laborious! The writing was clumsy and the words needed to be thrown up in the air, reshuffled, sifted, and allowed to settle again in the right order. And apparently it was professionally edited! But here’s the thing: I’m a married father of two. I’m sure that I have much more time available to me to write than this author, and yet it is she who’s gone through the effort of putting words to her ideas, getting them down, and published a novel!
Now I’m making no plans on becoming single again or getting an extra kid, but writing-wise I should be more like this lady! She’s my role model!
It sounds counter-intuitive, but we can be inspired by writers of bad writing, we can feel more positive about our own attempts, and we can learn from it too.
The question is, what should we do as readers to help those writers become better?
In the meantime, I hope I’ve inspired some of you with this article! 😊
Paul
