"I don't want to write like them. I want to be different."
Oh I totally agree that you don't want to try and mimic anybody's style. I don't either. Although I do have to say that I think I tend to do that subconsciously. I listen to a lot of audio books while I commute of all styles and generes. After listening for an hour or so (Or reading a paper copy for that matter--it's just that it's less likely for me to read a novel right before sitting down to write), if I sit down to write, I find myself writing my own ideas in a style very similar to what I just listened to. Then when I edit, I have to make sure the voice of the piece is consistent all the way through. I don't know if that makes any sense at all...if not, just ignore me. :) I do think you can learn a lot about crafting great dialogue or using description effectively for your genere by studying the way others do it though.
Re: Practice makes perfect
Oh I totally agree that you don't want to try and mimic anybody's style. I don't either. Although I do have to say that I think I tend to do that subconsciously. I listen to a lot of audio books while I commute of all styles and generes. After listening for an hour or so (Or reading a paper copy for that matter--it's just that it's less likely for me to read a novel right before sitting down to write), if I sit down to write, I find myself writing my own ideas in a style very similar to what I just listened to. Then when I edit, I have to make sure the voice of the piece is consistent all the way through. I don't know if that makes any sense at all...if not, just ignore me. :) I do think you can learn a lot about crafting great dialogue or using description effectively for your genere by studying the way others do it though.