Reading to Write

I remember when I first decided to become a freelance writer. I was scared to read the work of others. There was this deep down nagging fear that I would inadvertently plagiarize someone else's work. Not intentionally, of course. The only fix was to steer clear of books.

Eventually, I grew tired of being afraid, of course a world literature class in college pushed me past it. I was forced to read classics like Iliad, Odyssey, and Dante's Inferno. Fast forward a couple of decades and now I can choose what to read and I'm digging in again.

I like reading the work of proven writers. I can't be afraid I will be a Claudine Gay, accused of purposely plagiarizing. There is a difference. I'm gleaning from a knowledge base to encourage me to write. The classics will do that to you! Excitedly, I cracked open The Last of the Mohicans last night.

I'm not sure if other writers have dealt with this fear or not, but if you have...try to get past it. Use their pieces as a springboard for your own creativity. Duplicated terms may happen accidentally, but we can't control everything. We simply have to strive for originality with every storyline and every sentence.