Ask Jerry
Writer vs. Reader
Asked by Roseanne Schmidt on April 21, 2020
Lately, I've been having issues reading for enjoyment. I have a natural proofreading ability to spot surface errors in a book, which can slap me out of the story and get pretty annoying. However, it's gotten ferocious since learning more about writing (ex, joining the guild).
I am concerned that I will not be able to read as a reader anymore … Is this normal?
What are some of the things you do to switch the inner editor off?
Jerry's Answer
Sorry, that's the bad news that comes with the good (how much more observant a writer you are). It does tend to ruin us for reading less than quality material. It makes me much pickier in what I read. I take full advantage of Amazon's free samples, because I can tell within a few pages whether the mistakes are going to drive me nuts.
I'm able to turn off my inner perfectionist/editor only when I'm writing my rough drafts and just trying to get the gists of my stories down. Somehow, like you, I can't manage that when reading other people's work.