Writing Styles and How They Plague Me, Part 1

As a writer, I have paid close attention to the writing styles of each book I have read. I particularly noted the books I have enjoyed the most, as well as the books I have disliked the most, trying to learn from both. This has taught me a great deal, and in most cases I can readily identify a lot about a book just by reading a few paragraphs chosen at random.

While I believe this is a great strength in many ways (not least of which that I can apply it to my own writing), I am seeing a significant detriment as well. Namely, that I am growing to crave certain writing styles at various times.

I frequently have difficulty sticking with any one book for very long, no matter how good it is, just because I want something different. I can be deep into a fantasy novel and all of a sudden want something more sci-fi, completely destroying all will I had to read anything fantasy. And then when I get a little bit into a sci-fi book, BAM! I want a mystery novel. It's a perpetually shifting mood that can never seem to be satisfied and I can never get under control.

Now, though, I am realizing more and more that I not only have to contend with genre/type of story, but also writing style. I may want a fantasy novel, but do I want something more weighty like Game of Thrones? Lighter fare ala the Shannara series? Perhaps something with a more detailed bent like Lord of the Rings (okay, I never want THAT style, but it's good for an example)? Do I want Stephen King prose or Orson Scott Card? Those two are similar in styles in some ways, but quite different in others, giving me subtle distinctions that make all the difference in the world. My ever-shifting mood knows how I feel about each of these (and more), creating a constant need to find just the right book that fits not only genre, but writing style as well.

Tonight I found myself craving a weightier science fiction novel, like a Game of Thrones in space, or something along those lines. I don't really have any books (that I know of) that are like that. I could continue my journey through the Dune novels (so, so good!), but those are far deeper than I am wanting to go right now. Maybe weightier isn't even the right word. I think I want something that takes itself quite seriously while exploring these intricate worlds with an air of authority the way Martin seems to know his lands as if he has lived there his whole life. Where do I find this? There are certainly plenty of boos like that out there, but do I have anything like that in my collection?

I have settled for finally delving into Robert Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land, which I have owned for years but never got around to trying. Maybe it will be what I am in the mood for, maybe not. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter, as I own't be able to get too far into it before having to go to sleep. And tomorrow night, my mood will almost certainly be entirely different...