Writing doesn’t exist in a vacuum. There’s a long literary tradition backing it up, which depends on the language and the country you’re writing in. And it depends on what literature you love.
Considering that, it’s remarkable how many aspiring writers think that they don’t have to know about any other writers. You’re not writing in a void. There’s a lot of backcountry to explore.
For those who think it’s a lot to ask people who struggle to find time to write, to find the time to read challenging books as well: you find the time for what you love. Ask yourself what you’re spending time on: that’s what you love.
What people love is shown by what they do, not by what they say they love. Nothing revolts me more than someone who says they were “inspired” by something. People who use that word are not serious people. Serious means that you do it, not that you talk about it. Believe the art, not the artist.
Besides, you can exaggerate the difficulty of joining a tradition. If you love the art form, then you can pace through the Elysian fields of it like a racehorse. It’s not torturous labor if you’re in love with it. But speaking of equestrian things, you have to have the breeding for it. The talent for racing needs to be in your blood.
How can you tell that? You don’t have to tell. You’ll know it if you try.
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