[Oberon]

Hemingway's writing has a particular style, a particular flavor. If I deliberately tried to write something like it, it would be derivative from the very start. Who wants to go there?

Write like yourself. If you want to write differently, be different.

[Lee'sGhost]

Now I need to figure out if I'm not published because I write like me, or because I don't write like me.

Damn.

[squarebarb]

Yes, but on the other hand, we all need our time of apprenticeship.

If you admire Hemingway it doesn't hurt to end up imitating him for a while.

Look at how much Cormac McCarthy learned from Hemingway. I would say a lot.

We learn from our favorite writers, we don't start out tabula rasa.

[Eleutheria5]

"Hemingway's writing has a particular style, a particular flavor. If I deliberately tried to write something like it, it would be derivative from the very start. Who wants to go there?
Write like yourself. If you want to write differently, be different."

I find I learn more from reading terrible writers, because I can avoid their mistakes, especially when they repeat them over and over because they think they're doing something clever. Try Harry Turtledove or Piers Anthony for some really bad prose and story structure/execution. Especially Turtledove for bad structure and prose; Anthony for inept dialogue and execution. The masters, I just enjoy for their own sakes. Wouldn't dream of imitating them.