[David Adams]

Okay, so I got an ARC of Shane Michael Murray's new book, The Orc of Many Questions. I helped him with the cover as well; Raymond Tan, the guy who does Lacuna's covers, drew the picture and I did the typography.

It probably won't be ready for a little while, but I'm throwing it in the same category as The Milestone Tapes, Wool, and The Dollhouse.

Seriously you guys are going to love it, and reading it's really energised me; it's kind of the same feeling I got when I read Wool, where I just went "Yep, this is better than my stuff." I want to write more of my Kobolds book Dreaming of Dragons now that the Christmas rush is behind me, and now I can see how to do it right. Doubt I can top Orcs, but hey. I've never let being put in my place stop me from writing.

So has anyone ever had that feeling? Where you read someone else's book and go, "Wow, this is really freaking good, I wish I could write something like this!"

 

[valeriec80]

So has anyone ever had that feeling? Where you read someone else's book and go, "Wow, this is really freaking good, I wish I could write something like this!"

Oh yes. Often.

 

[Red Dove]

Not as much as I used to

 

[David Adams]

Not as much as I used to

Because you've run out of good books, or because you're getting better?

 

[LG Castillo]

So has anyone ever had that feeling? Where you read someone else's book and go, "Wow, this is really freaking good, I wish I could write something like this!"

All the time.

 

[Guest]

So has anyone ever had that feeling? Where you read someone else's book and go, "Wow, this is really freaking good, I wish I could write something like this!"

Oh yes. Frequently.

 

[sbaum4853]

I agree with the 'not as much as it used to' poster. 13 years ago when I made my first serious stab at writing for publication, everyone on the best seller list blew my mind away with their talent. Now it's a smaller group that I read to get blown away. For me, the ultimate standard bearer of great writing that I've found is Jonathan Franzen. I like to read his stuff and get crushed at his awesomeness.

 

[A. S. Warwick]

Pretty much most things I read.

Escpecially with my favourite authors.  There is a reason I keep re-reading them after all...

 

[Saul Tanpepper]

So has anyone ever had that feeling? Where you read someone else's book and go, "Wow, this is really freaking good, I wish I could write something like this!"

Sometimes I read my own stuff and wish I could write something like that.

 

[jvin248]

.
Often! But I can also spot the bad ones now too. That revelation came after reading a couple of trad pub'd books last summer. One was worse than any I had read in years - it was a thick one I carried around for a couple of weeks determined to finish it just to see "how did this get through?" Famous top ten author and everything. Because my wife saw me carrying it around so long she thought it must be good so she started reading it. We laughed. The other was one of those "by famous author with unknown author" books and it was phenomenal. The only negative was the editor flagged at about 2/3rds before picking back up for the end. Plot, characters, sentence/paragraph construction, typography, cover, - the whole package, amazing.
.
add comment: This is funny too, yes. Sometimes I read my own stuff and wish I could write something like that -D Adams
.

 

[MLKatz]

Sometimes I read my own stuff and wish I could write something like that.

That's the spirit! And boy do I love that Open Wide cover!

Anyway I'm sure that any author starts out by being an appreciative reader. Most of us were probably motivated to write by something we read.

Thanks, David, for the tip about the book too!

 

[Mathew Reuther]

Oddly enough it's not reading that gets me as much as it is watching.

I have some serious "OMG" going on when I watch certain TV series/Movies. I think it's because I'm not experienced with that kind of storytelling.

But awesome that the book is so good. Will be nice to pick up a copy when it comes out.

 

[B Sheridan]

So has anyone ever had that feeling? Where you read someone else's book and go, "Wow, this is really freaking good, I wish I could write something like this!"

There are quite a few authors I feel that way about. One especially, but she's a KB regular so I don't want to sound like a kiss-ass. There are also a lot of specific books that I wish I'd written bc they resonate so much wth me.

Also? I was like Shane Michael Murray is writing books now? For realzies? Isn't that what the grown up version of his character did on that show my college roommate watched? How prophetic. I hope he's not still rocking the long hair... Wait, how did David Adams get an ARC? How does he know him? He's from B-lo, not the other side of the world...

Yeah, welcome to my brain. Then I googled. Ha. You said SHANE, not Chad. (And yes, thankfully Chad cut his hair.)

 

[Dan Harris]

So has anyone ever had that feeling? Where you read someone else's book and go, "Wow, this is really freaking good, I wish I could write something like this!"

Yeah, when I finally read Old Man's War a few weeks back. Perfect blend of concept, plot and characterisation. But my reaction was more 'I can't wait to write something as good as this'

 

[dalya]

I didn't know Hugh Howey had a new pen name.

BA DUM DUM!

 

[60911]

Yeah, when I finally read Old Man's War a few weeks back. Perfect blend of concept, plot and characterisation. But my reaction was more 'I can't wait to write something as good as this'

HAH, I just finished that book last night and I had roughly the same thought. An amazing blend of humor and heartfelt moments that combined with fantastic concepts to create a phenomenal book.

 

[Amanda Brice]

The other was one of those "by famous author with unknown author" books and it was phenomenal.

I'm actually writing one of these. I particularly hope the "and it was phenomenal" part applies to the one I'm doing with Gemma Halliday.

To answer the OP, I love when I finish a book and say "man, I wish I'd written that!" It's wonderful.

 

[Anotherdreamer]

The thing I get jealous of the most is beautiful foreshadowing.

 

[Quiss]

So has anyone ever had that feeling? Where you read someone else's book and go, "Wow, this is really freaking good, I wish I could write something like this!"

Perhaps, but right now I go "Wow, I wish I had a fanboy like that to rave about my work!"
Hugh's going to get jealous.

 

[Guest]

So has anyone ever had that feeling? Where you read someone else's book and go, "Wow, this is really freaking good, I wish I could write something like this!"

I'd like to say "very often" but I haven't read enough books during the past half year... not even WOOL! *hides from David Adams*