The Danger of Writing Like Your Favorite Authors
I've been a reader and a writer for a little over a decade. I get it. On the reader side of things, you discover amazing stories. You immerse yourself in more of the author's work. You might even take a break from writing. Reading is an excellent way to "study" literature, but there is a huge danger that comes from too much reading and not enough writing... writers may plagiarize more than they realize. It's not a crime to admire the style and story details of an author. Many writers "borrow" ideas from other writers. However, for the majority of your own writing, you want the story to be unique. You need to develop your own style.
You shouldn't abandon reading for the sake of writing. You can, however, practice healthy tips that will keep your story from sounding like every other story.
Branch Out
Don't limit yourself to one genre, a handful of writers, or a certain aesthetic. If your mind is occupied with a plethora of imaginative scenes, it's a lot harder to plagiarize. If you do "borrow" ideas from a multitude of writers, it will sound more original than basic, cliche ideas from a few authors, depending on how you mix it. Add your own thoughts and plot twists, too. The more you force your brain to think, the more creative it will become.
Breathe
Do not read right before you write. Give yourself some time to breathe, letting go of your favorite scenes. You don't want it sneaking into your work. It doesn't matter if you are gradually working through a book or if you've just finished one. It's in your mind, whether you like it or not. Start writing the next day, pretending your reading never happened. Sure, you can be inspired by what you just read, but let it be fuel, not a means to plagiarize.
Fan-Fiction
This may sound dumb, I know. Some people call fan-fiction lazy. I call it practice. A writer can still use their creativity to come up with unique characters in fan-fiction. Additionally, it's extremely hard to stay true to an unoriginal character's personality. You don't want to change what's demonstrated in that particular fandom, but you also want to have fun and add twists and turns, too. While it sounds as though fan-fiction would only help plagiarizing along, it's not true. Depending on how you write, of course. Go crazy with the original plot. Anything to satisfy your love of reading while still practicing writing. That fan-fiction may never meet the eyes of another person, but it doesn't have to.
Evaluate
Many read for entertainment, which in turn encourages writing for entertainment. If you are simply a reader, it doesn't really matter. If you want to be an engaging writer, you should be aware of what you consume and how you consume it. Think about what you're writing as you're writing it. You glance at the paragraph before... is it sounding like someone else? In the dead of night, right before falling asleep, you think of an idea that you quickly discard, realizing it's been done before. The next morning, you figure out a way to make that idea more unique. If you are treating every word you put down as a precious piece of your puzzle, you're bound to get excited over your work. Eventually, you'll get so excited... you almost forgot about the writers who inspired you. Chances are, you'll re-read sections and laugh over how bits and pieces of other stories made their way into yours, but no one besides you would know, because you changed the expected outcome.
Write!
Force yourself to write. I'm not a mood reader myself, but I know many people are. When it comes to writing, don't let mood control you. Write whether you like it or not. Something, anything. You don't need "just the right book" before writing your own work. Keep the two separate. If you read certain books when you feel like it, there are no issues. If you do the same for writing, gradual plagiarism may follow, or expectant readers will grow tired of your progress. For your own sake, be consistent.
