To Read, Or Not To Read

Every author can relate to the struggle between reading and writing. Me in the book store is like a kid in the candy store. There's always something else I want, even though I have a stack of books waiting for me to read.

The problem is I will read every last one of them when I should be writing. Or is it a problem?

Some, myself included, believe that I need to spend more time writing. We love reading too much, and its taking up valuable time that could be spent creating our next work of art or completing one of the many that should have been done already. For me, its almost an addiction. When I escape into a book, I'm not coming out until I finished the last sentence and every emotion is counted for and analyzed. Then I'm on to the next one. But what about my work

According to many sources, reading is beneficial to writing. I know that it stirs up emotions that I want to express, exposes me to other viewpoints and writing styles, and helps me improve my writing. So it can't be all bad, right? Leo Babauta actually gives some tips to show how we can use reading to become better writers. Some advice he gave in his article was to read great writers and story tellers and mimic them in your writing. Experiment with the things you like about them and make their techniques your own. He also suggests reading other genres and analyze characters, plots and themes.

Unwittingly I have been doing homework and hadn't realized it. So now I use my pleasurable hobby to my advantage. When I read, not only do I enjoy the story and how it makes me feel, I also think how I can use what I'm reading. For example, I recently read Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile. She gives a lot of information about sugar cane farming, so much so I wondered if she had experience in the field. She also had a way of writing in a way I could imagine the older characters talking. Even though I was reading for enjoyment, I noticed how I can use these techniques. Its easy to write how I would normally speak, but when writing older, or younger, characters, I want to write in the style and lingo they would use. And I must do my research.

However, in this instance, there can be too much of a good thing. As with everything in my life, I must find a balance. It can't be all play and no work. I do have to make time to write. It is recommended to schedule time to write each day, even if its only a few minutes. All the tools I pick up reading won't benefit me if I don't put them to use. The good thing is that all the reading inspires me and gets my creative juices flowing so that my writing is more productive.

So the bottom line...Read! Read! Read! And I won't feel guilty about escaping into books. However, I will keep my inspiration journal handy so that when an idea pops in my head or I see a technique I admire, I can write it down for future use instead of dismissing it until later. I'm one to forget. Reading also helps with my writing block periods. So, pick up your next novel, preferably by Bella Evans, and shamelessly read like my shameless plug. Also be on the look out for my next novel. Coming soon... as soon as I put down this new book I got from the library!

#writerslovereading #readinghelpswriting