Do you think reading bad prose will make your prose bad?

[BlackKnightX]

I don't read as many fan-translated stuff as I used to simply because of bad grammar and awkward sentences. In fact, I actively avoid it even though there are many cool-looking stories begging me to check them out. If I give in, though, I often find myself editing the errors in my head more than actually enjoying the story itself. This gets exhausting real fast.

I could just simply let go and enjoy, but I believe what you consume can affect your output, usually in a very subtle way that you don't even realize it at first. That is until you try to write and find yourself stumble a bit or your sentences clearly become more awkward. You realize they are bad, and you know how to fix them, but the fact that you subconsciously did it at all makes it pretty clear what's going on.

Maybe it's because English is not my first language, so even though I believe I'm already fluent in it, the learning never ends. Maybe that's why I fear what I consume will affect my writing negatively because that's how I learn English in the first place. Input and output, bad input = bad output, that kind of thing.

Has this happened to you? How do you feel about reading MTL stuff? Do you usually edit and fix errors when you read like I do?

 

[laccoff_mawning]

If you don't realise what you're reading is bad, yes, because it will build bad habits. However, if you know its bad then I think it makes you aware of those types of errors so you become cautious of those yourself. In other words, if you read something and think its ugly ,whether this be grammer or something else, you will actively try to not copy it.

 

[K5Rakitan]

The bad stuff just shows me what I'd like to avoid.

 

[ElijahRyne]

I don't read as many fan-translated stuff as I used to simply because of bad grammar and awkward sentences. In fact, I actively avoid it even though there are many cool-looking stories begging me to check them out. If I give in, though, I often find myself editing the errors in my head more than actually enjoying the story itself. This gets exhausting real fast.

I could just simply let go and enjoy, but I believe what you consume can affect your output, usually in a very subtle way that you don't even realize it at first. That is until you try to write and find yourself stumble a bit or your sentences clearly become more awkward. You realize they are bad, and you know how to fix them, but the fact that you subconsciously did it at all makes it pretty clear what's going on.

Maybe it's because English is not my first language, so even though I believe I'm already fluent in it, the learning never ends. Maybe that's why I fear what I consume will affect my writing negatively because that's how I learn English in the first place. Input and output, bad input = bad output, that kind of thing.

Has this happened to you? How do you feel about reading MTL stuff? Do you usually edit and fix errors when you read like I do?

Oftentimes I will edit them while reading because they tend to be borderline unreadable if not, especially MTL. As for grammar, I find myself being more critical of my mistakes. Usually, I try to focus more on just writing, no matter how bad the grammar will be I can fix it when I finish. Yet, directly after reading MTL works I find myself hyper analyzing my every word. Which usually makes me burnout for a while, because of how exhausting it is to write more than a handful of paragraphs like that. That doesn’t mean I avoid reading them, but that I try to take a break from them for a couple of hours before writing.

 

[TotallyHuman]

Bad Prose
Bad Prose
Bad Prose
Bad Prose!

He writes across the nation
The thoroughbred of sin
He got the application
That you just sent in

It needs evaluation
So let the games begin
A heinous crime, a show of force
A murder would be nice of course

 

[J_Chemist]

The only prose I read is the Prose Edda.

But more seriously, yes, I have had my input effect my output sometimes.

 

[So_Indecisive]

I had a year where I mostly read MTL's and fan translations. That stuff affects you on a very deep level, when I tried to read a published English novel it felt painful to read

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

Usually, the only things that might impact my story are the plot I am reading, not the prose. My writing style is pretty unique, anyway.

 

[BearlyAlive]

That's the main reason I can't read Light Novels or anything that got MTL'd, my occupational disease kicks in and I have to stop myself from creating my own version for free just to spite the ones that created those abominations....

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

I don't read as many fan-translated stuff as I used to simply because of bad grammar and awkward sentences. In fact, I actively avoid it even though there are many cool-looking stories begging me to check them out. If I give in, though, I often find myself editing the errors in my head more than actually enjoying the story itself. This gets exhausting real fast.

I could just simply let go and enjoy, but I believe what you consume can affect your output, usually in a very subtle way that you don't even realize it at first. That is until you try to write and find yourself stumble a bit or your sentences clearly become more awkward. You realize they are bad, and you know how to fix them, but the fact that you subconsciously did it at all makes it pretty clear what's going on.

Maybe it's because English is not my first language, so even though I believe I'm already fluent in it, the learning never ends. Maybe that's why I fear what I consume will affect my writing negatively because that's how I learn English in the first place. Input and output, bad input = bad output, that kind of thing.

Has this happened to you? How do you feel about reading MTL stuff? Do you usually edit and fix errors when you read like I do?

 

[georgelee5786]

Only if you exclusively have read bad prose from birth

 

[ReadLight]

I don't read as many fan-translated stuff as I used to simply because of bad grammar and awkward sentences. In fact, I actively avoid it even though there are many cool-looking stories begging me to check them out. If I give in, though, I often find myself editing the errors in my head more than actually enjoying the story itself. This gets exhausting real fast.

I could just simply let go and enjoy, but I believe what you consume can affect your output, usually in a very subtle way that you don't even realize it at first. That is until you try to write and find yourself stumble a bit or your sentences clearly become more awkward. You realize they are bad, and you know how to fix them, but the fact that you subconsciously did it at all makes it pretty clear what's going on.

Maybe it's because English is not my first language, so even though I believe I'm already fluent in it, the learning never ends. Maybe that's why I fear what I consume will affect my writing negatively because that's how I learn English in the first place. Input and output, bad input = bad output, that kind of thing.

Has this happened to you? How do you feel about reading MTL stuff? Do you usually edit and fix errors when you read like I do?

Reading MTL anything doesn't sit well with me. If the translation is off, I lose interest in whatever I am reading.

I edit and correct mistakes, but only for my own work. If there are too many things to be corrected in someone else's work, I usually won't continue to read their work.

Does it make my prose bad? Can't say for sure, but I hypothesize that it will impact how I write. If I read one particular style of writing too much, my own writing style tends to lean towards imitating what I'm more familiar with.

 

[prognastat]

If it's the only example you've had maybe. However if you have also read better quality and can distinguish between the two I would actually say it makes you more sensitive to the mistakes since they will get on your nerves when reading it. At the same time if this is the case it will probably preclude you from reading the truly lazy/bad translations because they just get on your nerves too frequently to be able to enjoy the story itself.

 

[beast_regards]

Where one finds this good prose?

 

[BlackKnightX]

Where one finds this good prose?

Depends on each reader, really. But surely if you read widely enough, you've already come across such a distinction before yourself. Even if you don't think much about it, you can at least recognize it by the experience itself. For example, good prose will most likely be a smooth read, sometimes leaves you in awe of its beauty and wit, other time serves behind the shadows and highlights the story itself. Bad prose is... well, bad prose. You just know when you see it.

Where can one find good prose? When you know, you know.

 

[TsumiHokiro]

Short exposition of bad prose probably does not affect people (or this chick for that matter), but it would worry if that is the only thing we are reading. Even if we have been exposed to other things, this chick has found that people like to be similar somewhat to others, so it's always cautious with what it reads (and reading anything that is bad triggers in it an almost irresistible urge of making things more clear, once even going so far as actually doing it for real, so great was their interest in the text and so bad was the quality).

Some have said when you have read good prose you would not be influenced by bad prose, but this bird wonders: people like to read that which they are familiar with, so aren't those who are familiar with bad prose thinking "bad prose is actually the good prose"?