Renewing Your Commitment to Reading
August 16th 2010 12:50
Over the last two weeks I've talked about renewing your commitment to writing and what counts as writing time. But-as a wise commentor pointed out last week-reading is just as important to your future as a writer as writing is.
The fact is, one in four people doesn't read any books at all. As a writer, you can't afford to be one of those people, regardless of how busy you are. Just like you need to make time to write, you need to make time to read. For me reading is a lot more flexible-I can't write much by hand and even if I had a laptop it would only travel so far-so it's a lot easier to commit to than writing is. That said, a lot of times I do still fall short.
There are many kinds of reading-reading for work, reading online, reading books, reading for research, reading for enjoyment. You need to make some time for all of them, but odds are you already make time to read for work, to read online, and possibly even to read for research. It's taking time to read for enjoyment that's key, and it's the kind of reading most people forget about.
Reading for enjoyment isn't necessarily separate from reading for work or research-it all depends on how the books/online stuff is written and what you're reading about-but you need to also take time to read specifically for enjoyment. Time to read a silly fantasy novel like any of the Discworld books or a heavier novel like How to Kill a Mockingbird if that's what you like.
When you're reading for enjoyment, don't think too hard about how the story comes together. Your subconscious will notice it, and every once in a while something will leap out at you, but the point is to get lost in a story that isn't yours. Simply by turning around when you're finished and asking what made that story so good, you'll learn something.
So how do you make time for reading? You can pick a book to bring with you on your daily commute if you're not driving-it takes me forty five minutes to an hour to get to school, each way, for example-and it might just amaze you how much reading you'll get done. You can make a commitment to read every day at least one way on your journey. You can decide to stop watching TV entirely and replace that hour or two (and if you watch TV for more than two hours on a regular basis, you need to cut back on that anyway) with a good book.
Not only do you learn a lot from reading but reading also increases your quality of life-it makes you think, it entertains, and stories are always good for the soul. Reading is essential, in my opinion, not just for a writer but for full development in any person. And it's important that you make the time to read even when you think you're 'too busy'.
I've decided that I want to read for enjoyment for an hour five days a week, the same amount of time that I hope to spend writing. I think this is a good starting commitment and I know that I'll be able to stick with it even during school-the joys of a long commute.
What does your commitment to reading look like?
The fact is, one in four people doesn't read any books at all. As a writer, you can't afford to be one of those people, regardless of how busy you are. Just like you need to make time to write, you need to make time to read. For me reading is a lot more flexible-I can't write much by hand and even if I had a laptop it would only travel so far-so it's a lot easier to commit to than writing is. That said, a lot of times I do still fall short.
There are many kinds of reading-reading for work, reading online, reading books, reading for research, reading for enjoyment. You need to make some time for all of them, but odds are you already make time to read for work, to read online, and possibly even to read for research. It's taking time to read for enjoyment that's key, and it's the kind of reading most people forget about.
Reading for enjoyment isn't necessarily separate from reading for work or research-it all depends on how the books/online stuff is written and what you're reading about-but you need to also take time to read specifically for enjoyment. Time to read a silly fantasy novel like any of the Discworld books or a heavier novel like How to Kill a Mockingbird if that's what you like.
When you're reading for enjoyment, don't think too hard about how the story comes together. Your subconscious will notice it, and every once in a while something will leap out at you, but the point is to get lost in a story that isn't yours. Simply by turning around when you're finished and asking what made that story so good, you'll learn something.
So how do you make time for reading? You can pick a book to bring with you on your daily commute if you're not driving-it takes me forty five minutes to an hour to get to school, each way, for example-and it might just amaze you how much reading you'll get done. You can make a commitment to read every day at least one way on your journey. You can decide to stop watching TV entirely and replace that hour or two (and if you watch TV for more than two hours on a regular basis, you need to cut back on that anyway) with a good book.
Not only do you learn a lot from reading but reading also increases your quality of life-it makes you think, it entertains, and stories are always good for the soul. Reading is essential, in my opinion, not just for a writer but for full development in any person. And it's important that you make the time to read even when you think you're 'too busy'.
I've decided that I want to read for enjoyment for an hour five days a week, the same amount of time that I hope to spend writing. I think this is a good starting commitment and I know that I'll be able to stick with it even during school-the joys of a long commute.
What does your commitment to reading look like?
| 76 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
Comment by RedParrot
My reading commitment is ... well ... comprised of a variety of things.
1. First and foremost, fundamentally and relentlessly, I use the library. Seriously. I have been going to the library since I was about 6 ... almost non-stop (on the usual due-date frequency) since then. Minor interruptions for uni (wherein the reading shifted content for practical reasons). I even worked in a library during all of high school. Librarys RULE for a reader. I read everything ... I go up and down all the aisles and pick out what looks good, what is interesting, what is unusual. Sometimes I search for more of what I have already read - next in a series or whatnot. I am incapable of leaving the library with less than - oh - say 10 - 15 books at a time. I won't read them all, but I will read several of them. I need more than what I can read so I can dump a crappy book and still have stuff to read. I read them several at once. When I was a kid and as recently as last week - the best is to be surrounded by 5 or 6 really good books all being read concurrently, some really GREAT junk food (chips, or sugar treats - sours, swedish berries, skittles ... oh, skittles! ... licorice goodies) and sit in some comfy spot in the sun for about 3 uninterrupted hours or until my eyes fall out. Ah... THAT is one of my greatest all time luxuries.
2. Book stores ... I can find a book store like a magnet finds true north. See above related to libraries ... because of the cost, much less goes out but I still buy books to have them.
3. CBC radio often interviews authors. So do papers and magazines and tv interview authors. From there, I may well find the books discussed because they sound so damned interesting. Often, they are not disappointing.
4. The Dictionary Rule ... our house has a dictionary (most used book in the house). If we can't spell a word, know its meaning or are otherwise questioning of a word, WITHOUT EXCEPTION ... some one needs to look it up. The point being here that the commitment to reading is so rooted that it starts with the basic respect for words. It helps if large swaths of the family is Irish. The Irish *know* their words, man.
5. A fine sprinking of everything ... of the 5-6 books on the go at any one time, they range in subjects from work-related, fiction (and genres), How To (ie knitting patters, making your own books), interesting non-fiction, travel, science, cooking etc etc etc ...
6. Magazines. Oh god. I love magazines. I love the pictures. The focused information on a particular topic (even if I am not - personally - purusing said topic). Here's where a library is critical ... I can go through REAMS of magazines ... gobble them up like popcorn. They are so wonderful. I also ask for xmas for distant gift-givers to get me a subscription to X ... I have about 3 I get at home this way. Just enough ... and of the topics I really want to follow. Running. Cooking. Drawing ... it's all so fantastic.
7. Our house gets 3 newspapers at the moment. 2 national newspapers and one local "news" where all the ads come in. I don't read them cover to cover ... but I am in them poking around ... curiously ... if you read the entertainment section and the sports section with enough attention, you can actually "stay current" without any time investment in the actual watching of TV. : )
I think from above I have come to the conclusion that I have no overt commitment to reading. I just do it because it is like breathing to me.
I have the sneaking suspicion that I didn't really answer the question ...
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
That is quite the answer-and it's enough of one for me.
Personally I have a very active social life-almost too active to be a writer-and spend much of my time (pretty much all weekend, every weekend) out and about partying with my friends. Because I spend so much time out and about experiencing life as it is, I spend a lot less time reading things other than blogs.
Some people never consciously need to make a commitment to reading, like some people never need to consciously make a commitment to writing. I read almost like I breath, but what I am trying for here is a commitment to a certain kind of reading. In the past few months most of my reading has been school related or somewhere online; I'm trying to take the time to read more offline. As much as almost everything is online, there are still hundreds of good books I won't find on the web, and I need to take the time to enjoy those books.
~Dianna