Convincing yourself you’re too busy to read is almost worse than convincing yourself you’re too busy to write. The truth is, you are never too busy to do either. Yes, there are things that may shrivel if they aren’t tended to. Creditors might start calling, friends might stop calling, a few pounds may be gained and your menu de jour may suffer, but I’ll tell you what won’t bloom if you fail to stop and sniff the dust jackets – your dreams.
A writer must do many (oh so dauntingly many) things to hone and cultivate their craft, one of which is, you guessed it, writing. But the other is reading. It’s crucial to a writer. What to do, and often times more to the point, what not to do, can be learned from losing yourself in someone else’s work.
For what seems like forever, I’ve been depriving myself of this easily accessible and potentially enjoyable education. Except, it hasn’t been forever. As a child, teen and young adult, I was a gluttonous reader. And, when my own kids were young and I was only slightly less than housebound, I devoured whatever I could get my hands on; Anita Shreve and Frank McCourt kept me company even while furious fingers and miniature mouths savagely suckled syrup-sweet sustenance.
Yes, while flying in planes, riding in cars, enduring long waits and relaxing under stars, I would read; an insatiable, undeterrable, indisputable addict of the written word.
So, what changed? Put simply, me.
When did I change? Just so happens it was during the most crucial time possible; the time when I began to think about writing in a more serious fashion.
Why did I change? I’m not sure even I understand it completely, but here’s the gist. I developed a mindset – if I wasn’t writing my own stuff, I didn’t deserve the privilege of reading others’.
Big, no…enormous mistake. Reading is inspiring, enlightening, developmental and motivational. Why would I deprive myself of that?
Well, it’s also shaming.
A writer’s writer hat rarely, if ever, gets tossed onto the banister or into the back seat. We read with writing on our minds. We taste each word with a different condiment. A boatload of gravy; “Awesome, that’s the way I would’ve written it.” A pinch of salt; “Ooh, I wish I’d thought of that.” A dollop of sour cream; “If I’d actually sit down and write, I could come up with something just as good.” Too much salt; “I am so jealous, my mouth is puckering.” So much rich chocolate sauce it gives you a bellyache; “I will never write as well as that.”
In all honesty, dreaming, talking and writing about writing will get us nowhere. It takes focus and intent. It begs experience and exploration. It demands we eat, sleep and breathe our craft and that of likeminded others. Never forget this. As writers, we not only deserve to read the work of others, we owe it to our own readers even more. Without it, we are just babbling buffoons.
If you need a pivotal place to partake, I hear that Khaled Hosseini guy is pretty proficient.
Oh, the shame.
Inspirational camping trip indeed Hazy!
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There’s gotta be a silver lining!!
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I feel guilty because I say I don’t have time to read – but I guess it’s just an excuse 😦 You’ve inspired me to pick up a book today 😀
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I…inspired….you? Day made. Thanks!!
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I put reading before almost everything else – some would say I read way too much. Oh, well, makes Miss Marly happy. Love the pic in this post, Hazy.
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Reading is a writer’s dark chocolate (and wine)! All are hard to put down, and all, make us very, very happy. ;0)
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I had a very similar experience about reading. When I was intensely writing, I thought I couldn’t read. (and when I say read – I mean read fiction) I’ve since found that is simply not true. As you say, there is never a time when you can’t read. I’ve also found that it doesn’t have to be the highest brow literature that teaches me – though it certain has and still does! a 99 cent Kindle download can teach a number of lessons – both things I want to do and things I want to avoid. Great post.
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Reading is a phenomenal way to school ourselves in anything, but even more specifically when it comes to writing. However, I tend to ‘punish’ myself by taking away that privilege if I’m not keeping up with my own craft. It’s silly and I’m changing my ways.
I too, have very eclectic tastes in reading material & love to experience a variety of genres. The wider the exposure the better.
Thanks for the follow Francis. I appreciate you stopping by!
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Love your work,reading in the car on my way to meeting up with my sister.Of course my husband is driving.
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Glad to entertain you while you’re…not…driving, Liz!!
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“A writer must do many (oh so dauntingly many) things to hone and cultivate their craft, one of which is, you guessed it, writing. But the other is reading. It’s crucial to a writer.”
I could not agree more!
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You must be a writer then, Adam! LOL. ;0D
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This really hit home with me! I always tell myself that I don’t have time to read when I know I could make time. I’ve even noticed that my writing has not been as good since I have basically stopped reading. I enjoyed the post!
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Yeah, I believe it’s really important if we want to write and imperative if we want to write well. It’s a blessing to be able to read as a writer, and to see so clearly what works and what doesn’t in someone else’s work, even if it’s difficult at times, to follow what we’ve learned when it comes time to put our own pen to paper.
Thanks for the comment, thenotsoperfectcollegelife!
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Yeah, you really inspired me. After I read this post I went to the bookstore and bought a couple of novels. Thank you so much for giving me that push I needed!
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