It's funny how doing something for a job or taking things seriously changes the way you look at them. I watch films for a living (well, part of it) and doing that has completely changed the way I look at movies. I find it really hard to just sink into a film these days and just enjoy it. I'm always thinking about who the audience will be, and how easy it will be to sell.
It's the same with reading. I find I'm far more critical of what I read now because I can't turn off my inner editor. Little things like repeated words or mis-used commas really bug me. If a story becomes too unbelievable, I can't suspend my disbelief and go with the author.
I miss the days where I could look at cinema or read without critiquing, but my eyes have changed. My perception has altered. I have become far more discerning. A film has to be pretty fantastic to provoke a positive reaction from me. Most just get a 'meh'. A book has to have me totally gripped, dying to turn the next page for me to ignore the little niggly things that bug me.
Do you find it hard to turn off your inner critic?
I'm a nasty, sarcastic critic now -- whether it's books, films, or TV. I've gotten disgusted and stopped in the middle of countless books over the past couple of years. The only thing that's held my attention recently is The Help. That's a good book, even if it's a bit slow-moving for me.
ReplyDeleteYes. While learning to better my writing, I pick apart everything from movies to conversations in the grocery store to see how they tick.
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