I received this from Windy. After having published his Apologia, 
“For Those That Have Eyes But Read Not” which had a respectable 168 Reader VIEWS to date, Windy sent me this.
I believe that it serves appropriately, like he says it – as a sequel to his Apologia (which incidentally had no worthy challenge).
Here is Windy’s sequel.
Hi Lainy,
This is a sequel to an Apologia that I delivered titled, “Does Reading Improve Writing?”
Several days have passed since I wrote lengthily on that matter.
While trying to understand what could possibly lead some to believe that reading DOES improve writing, I came to this conclusion.
It may be caused by an avid reader who is deluded by deja vu. The avid reader is driven by what he writes from what he reads. There is a satisfying feeling that he is beginning to emulate the author of the book.
What is the meaning of Deja Vu
It is the strange feeling that you have already seen or experienced something
What is Deja Vu in psychological terms?
Something that is believed to be an example of familiarity-based recognition
My conclusion it is not that reading improves writing but rather that the reader projects himself in similar position of the author of the book.
This is sufficient motive for the writer to justify that it is what he reads which empowers his improvement in writing.
I would call these kind of writers – Deja Vu writers.
Furthermore,
A Deja Vu writer would most likely produce ersatz writing
The Deja Vu writer does not rely on his originality, brain power and skill in writing what he thinks. He would not express in the manner that he would in the natural way that he is accustomed.
He actually begins to believe that his potential to write is summoned by the author(s) of book(s) he has read.
What is ersatz?
It is being an imitation or a substitute, usually an inferior one; artificial
An artificial or inferior substitute or imitation
My conclusion
These are a few renowned writers and what they have said about writing.
“If you wish to be a writer, write.” – Epictetus
“For a long time now I have tried simply to write the best I can. Sometimes I have good luck and write better than I can.” – Ernest Hemingway
“The way you define yourself as a writer is that you write every time you have a free minute. If you didn’t behave that way you would never do anything.” – John Irving
I have more that I could add to the above life. Suffice to say here, NONE of these writing luminaries EVER used the word READING!
So for whatever reasons a person boasts about being a writer or pretends to be a writer by wishing to produce a book comprising Blog Posts, this final quote ought to drive home the bare and brutal fact about writing.
“Writing a book is a long, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven by some demon one can neither resist nor understand.” – George Orwell
The Deja Vu writer lends credence to my “axiom” that
THE HUMAN MIND CHOOSES ONLY TO BELIEVE IN WHAT IT ONLY WISHES TO BELIEVE IN.
General Santos Time
