Dear Reader,
It has been almost eight years since I was a student at Taylor University here in Fort Wayne, Indiana. There wasn't anything particularly remarkable about the school, but for me, it held a community I've longed for ever since. Writers.
Taylor was a place where I met, befriended, and learned from writers of various creeds and skill levels. Before that, I was part of a creative writing program in high school, and before that, I didn't know I had an affinity for writing. So, for almost a decade I was surrounded by like-minded individuals who shared my same passion for the written word.
Then, in 2009, Taylor University closed its doors. I took a year off, enrolled in a local college, got my teaching degree, and started teaching. I met, befriended, and learned from teachers of various creeds and skill levels. But I wasn't writing. The one thing I loved more than anything else, the one thing I would have given up almost anything for, was gone. I had papers to write for school. I had books to read for school. I had tests to take for school. Then I was teaching, and we all know how much time that can take up.
It was a little more than a year ago that my wife and I saw an episode of the popular YouTube channel Vlogbrothers wherein they introduced their new project, a storytelling convention called NerdCon: Stories. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed watching Hank and John Green's videos, and when we heard about the convention, we decided to give it a shot.
NerdCon was held in Minneapolis and was the most hectic weekend of our lives. In the process of our travels, we met a cool person and strong writer, Mary Robinette Kowal (yes, that is her book I am currently reading on the right). She introduced us to a podcast she is on called Writing Excuses. If you are a writer, you need to listen to this podcast. I will provide the link at the bottom of this post. In the year that followed, I have listened to most of their episodes, albeit some of them multiple times. One thing they kept talking about was having a writing group. I had finished a novel and was looking for some alpha readers. I needed a writing group.
So, I searched. And I searched. And I searched some more. I even attempted to form one online, but I didn't have any takers. Then, somehow I stumbled across a local group that meets a few times a month. This group had a good mix of men and women, old and not that old, quiet and boisterous. I have only attended one meeting so far, but it became quite clear to me that I am going to meet, befriend, and learn from writers of various creeds and skill levels. It is a part of me that has been missing. Stephen King has said that one should write with the door closed and rewrite with the door open. My door is open, and I am excited to finally share my writing with like-minded individuals who share my same passion for the written word.
Here is the link to the podcast:
www.writingexcuses.com
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
WIP
Dear Reader,
Earlier this year I reached a milestone I was afraid I would never reach. I finished my first book. It is a rough draft in need of much revision, but I got it done. It is a great feeling to finish a project, especially for me. I tend to either start something and stop after a while because I get bored, or I get near the end and don't finish because I am afraid of finishing. I am afraid of having nothing to write. What if that is the only story I have inside of me? What if the next thing I try to write isn't as good? What if I like what I have written but nobody else does? These questions haunt me. I even wrote a poem about it:
END
What provokes the human mind
is our misunderstanding of ourselves;
it is irony that yields our thoughts
as we misinterpret our destiny.
We will always see two things,
our answers to our present future:
a problem and a solution.
We ask for a problem,
only to find a solution.
When our solution is concluded, we lose
our challenge.
Looking forward is no longer a goal,
for it is nothing;
but to look back brings us once again to
the problem.
There is no end to a beginning of an end,
which some find senseless.
The only thing worse than the problem,
is the end.
Although I wrote that in high school, it is something I still struggle with today. Fortunately, the act of finishing something has eased that burden somewhat.
I am now on my second book, and I feel about 150% better about it than my first, even though I am only two chapters in. My fear of endings is still ever present, but having finished something makes it that much easier to continue. I am wondering if there are any other writers out there who struggle to finish a piece of writing for the same or similar reasons. Please let me know if you do and how you handle it.
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Earlier this year I reached a milestone I was afraid I would never reach. I finished my first book. It is a rough draft in need of much revision, but I got it done. It is a great feeling to finish a project, especially for me. I tend to either start something and stop after a while because I get bored, or I get near the end and don't finish because I am afraid of finishing. I am afraid of having nothing to write. What if that is the only story I have inside of me? What if the next thing I try to write isn't as good? What if I like what I have written but nobody else does? These questions haunt me. I even wrote a poem about it:
END
What provokes the human mind
is our misunderstanding of ourselves;
it is irony that yields our thoughts
as we misinterpret our destiny.
We will always see two things,
our answers to our present future:
a problem and a solution.
We ask for a problem,
only to find a solution.
When our solution is concluded, we lose
our challenge.
Looking forward is no longer a goal,
for it is nothing;
but to look back brings us once again to
the problem.
There is no end to a beginning of an end,
which some find senseless.
The only thing worse than the problem,
is the end.
Although I wrote that in high school, it is something I still struggle with today. Fortunately, the act of finishing something has eased that burden somewhat.
I am now on my second book, and I feel about 150% better about it than my first, even though I am only two chapters in. My fear of endings is still ever present, but having finished something makes it that much easier to continue. I am wondering if there are any other writers out there who struggle to finish a piece of writing for the same or similar reasons. Please let me know if you do and how you handle it.
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Dear Reader,
I am an avid fan of the television show The West Wing. It is a political dramedy about the goings on of the White House. Even though it is really interesting to see how the President's job is carried out, what is more interesting is the jobs of his staff. The show revolves around the Chief of Staff, Press Secretary, Deputy Chief of Staff, Communications Director, and Deputy Communications Director, the last of whom is played by Rob Lowe. At about the half way point in the series, Rob Lowe ended up moving to a different television show (I am still bitter). In the story line, he ended up becoming a congressman in California, and they brought in a campaign manager to be the new deputy.
I am telling you all of this because it got me thinking about a couple of things as they pertain to writing. First is that I have always loved television more than movies, but I have been especially curious about when, how, and why some characters' story lines end. Are they tired of working on the same show and want a change? If their character died, did the actor die (which also happened on The West Wing)? Was the money not good enough? Or did the writers simply decide that this character's story arc was at an end? It makes me think about my own writing. I have a couple of series in the works right now, and each one revolves around a core set of characters. Will I know when one character's story is over? Will I be able to bring myself to end a story arc for a character? Will readers resent me if I drop a character they grew to care about and possibly even love? In the case of The West Wing, Lowe's character, Sam Seaborn, was delightful, charming, funny, and brought a lot to the show, so I find it hard to believe that he was written out of the script to end his arc. At the same time, The West Wing was a very important show, one that not only earned awards, but deserved them as well, so I can't bring myself to believe that Lowe would leave a show like that for one like Parks & Recreation, the show he ended up on. Yet I know it had to be one of those two choices. The thing is, even though his replacement, Joshua Melina who ended up playing a character named Will Bailey, was nothing like Lowe's character, the writers did a good job of transitioning from one character arc to another, something that must have been difficult, something I am not sure I could do.
The other thing this got me thinking of was the introduction of Will Bailey. It takes some convincing to get Toby Ziegler, the Communications Director, to even consider Will for the job. At one point, Toby finally tells Will to write a 500 word essay on American leadership. When Will returns with his "assignment," Toby hands over the same assignment from his own hand. I really enjoy writing. Sometimes I need the solitude, but this helped me to remember that even writing can be collaborative. Toby, half way through reading the Will's essay, tells Will to stop reading his. He recognizes that Will is a great writer, and he recognizes it because of his own writing. As Will points out, Toby is not a bad writer, he was just in a slump. Toby had been worrying for days, trying to put out his best, thinking he was no longer any good, and Will came along and helped him realize that he was just exhausted. As a writer, I realize that is something I need. Sharing drafts with others is about receiving constructive criticism, but it is also about receiving support. This is the kind of support writer's need. Perhaps if I had this kind of support, I would know when it is time to let a character go, even if I was thoroughly attached to said character. This is something I will be chewing on for some time. Perhaps it is time for me to try to find that support. Anyway, that's all for now. Until next time, Reader.
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
I am an avid fan of the television show The West Wing. It is a political dramedy about the goings on of the White House. Even though it is really interesting to see how the President's job is carried out, what is more interesting is the jobs of his staff. The show revolves around the Chief of Staff, Press Secretary, Deputy Chief of Staff, Communications Director, and Deputy Communications Director, the last of whom is played by Rob Lowe. At about the half way point in the series, Rob Lowe ended up moving to a different television show (I am still bitter). In the story line, he ended up becoming a congressman in California, and they brought in a campaign manager to be the new deputy.
I am telling you all of this because it got me thinking about a couple of things as they pertain to writing. First is that I have always loved television more than movies, but I have been especially curious about when, how, and why some characters' story lines end. Are they tired of working on the same show and want a change? If their character died, did the actor die (which also happened on The West Wing)? Was the money not good enough? Or did the writers simply decide that this character's story arc was at an end? It makes me think about my own writing. I have a couple of series in the works right now, and each one revolves around a core set of characters. Will I know when one character's story is over? Will I be able to bring myself to end a story arc for a character? Will readers resent me if I drop a character they grew to care about and possibly even love? In the case of The West Wing, Lowe's character, Sam Seaborn, was delightful, charming, funny, and brought a lot to the show, so I find it hard to believe that he was written out of the script to end his arc. At the same time, The West Wing was a very important show, one that not only earned awards, but deserved them as well, so I can't bring myself to believe that Lowe would leave a show like that for one like Parks & Recreation, the show he ended up on. Yet I know it had to be one of those two choices. The thing is, even though his replacement, Joshua Melina who ended up playing a character named Will Bailey, was nothing like Lowe's character, the writers did a good job of transitioning from one character arc to another, something that must have been difficult, something I am not sure I could do.
The other thing this got me thinking of was the introduction of Will Bailey. It takes some convincing to get Toby Ziegler, the Communications Director, to even consider Will for the job. At one point, Toby finally tells Will to write a 500 word essay on American leadership. When Will returns with his "assignment," Toby hands over the same assignment from his own hand. I really enjoy writing. Sometimes I need the solitude, but this helped me to remember that even writing can be collaborative. Toby, half way through reading the Will's essay, tells Will to stop reading his. He recognizes that Will is a great writer, and he recognizes it because of his own writing. As Will points out, Toby is not a bad writer, he was just in a slump. Toby had been worrying for days, trying to put out his best, thinking he was no longer any good, and Will came along and helped him realize that he was just exhausted. As a writer, I realize that is something I need. Sharing drafts with others is about receiving constructive criticism, but it is also about receiving support. This is the kind of support writer's need. Perhaps if I had this kind of support, I would know when it is time to let a character go, even if I was thoroughly attached to said character. This is something I will be chewing on for some time. Perhaps it is time for me to try to find that support. Anyway, that's all for now. Until next time, Reader.
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Dear Reader,
After looking back on all of my posts, I realize that I talked a lot about reading, but not much about writing. This is, after all, a blog about reading AND writing. So, without further ado, here it goes:\
I recently graduated from college with a four-year degree in secondary education to teach High School English. I have spent the last four months teaching, and while it has had its fair share of ups, I realize now that what I really want to teach is writing. Not academic writing, though I admit it does have a place in my repertoire. I want to teach creative writing. Before studying education for four years, I spent three years pursuing a degree in professional writing. Before that, I took a three-year creative writing course in high school. I am 30. I have been writing for a while.
But even though I have been writing for half of my life, I have never had a story published. Is it because I'm a bad writer? Is it because people don't want to read what I have to write? Have I been constantly rejected? No, no, and no. The truth is that I haven't put as much effort into it as I should have. I can say that life got in the way (which it did) or that I was busy in school (which I was), but the fact remains that I have been lazy.
There was an author, I don't remember his name, who once said that he writes novels because he doesn't have time to write short stories. The fact of the matter is that writing takes time. Not everybody can be Stephen King and bust out two novels a year. However, even Stephen King would probably say that writing takes time. First, you need an idea, which is the second hardest part of the writing process. This is immediately followed by the hardest part, getting started. That blank sheet of paper or blank computer screen is a constant reminder to writers that they have done nothing, that they are failures.
Once the first words are written, writers can breathe a little, but their jobs are not yet done. They have to fight the impulse to edit as they write. If you are constantly editing as you go, you are not likely to get past the third page. Your manuscript will never be perfect. Once you are finished with the whole thing, feel free to edit, but not before. This may be difficult, but one thing you should remember as you write is the advice of author Anne Lamott in her book about writing titled Bird by Bird: Write shitty first drafts. Just throw up on the page now and clean it up later.
I am forcing myself to do some more writing, so hopefully I will be on here more. Until then, Reader:
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
After looking back on all of my posts, I realize that I talked a lot about reading, but not much about writing. This is, after all, a blog about reading AND writing. So, without further ado, here it goes:\
I recently graduated from college with a four-year degree in secondary education to teach High School English. I have spent the last four months teaching, and while it has had its fair share of ups, I realize now that what I really want to teach is writing. Not academic writing, though I admit it does have a place in my repertoire. I want to teach creative writing. Before studying education for four years, I spent three years pursuing a degree in professional writing. Before that, I took a three-year creative writing course in high school. I am 30. I have been writing for a while.
But even though I have been writing for half of my life, I have never had a story published. Is it because I'm a bad writer? Is it because people don't want to read what I have to write? Have I been constantly rejected? No, no, and no. The truth is that I haven't put as much effort into it as I should have. I can say that life got in the way (which it did) or that I was busy in school (which I was), but the fact remains that I have been lazy.
There was an author, I don't remember his name, who once said that he writes novels because he doesn't have time to write short stories. The fact of the matter is that writing takes time. Not everybody can be Stephen King and bust out two novels a year. However, even Stephen King would probably say that writing takes time. First, you need an idea, which is the second hardest part of the writing process. This is immediately followed by the hardest part, getting started. That blank sheet of paper or blank computer screen is a constant reminder to writers that they have done nothing, that they are failures.
Once the first words are written, writers can breathe a little, but their jobs are not yet done. They have to fight the impulse to edit as they write. If you are constantly editing as you go, you are not likely to get past the third page. Your manuscript will never be perfect. Once you are finished with the whole thing, feel free to edit, but not before. This may be difficult, but one thing you should remember as you write is the advice of author Anne Lamott in her book about writing titled Bird by Bird: Write shitty first drafts. Just throw up on the page now and clean it up later.
I am forcing myself to do some more writing, so hopefully I will be on here more. Until then, Reader:
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Bibliophobia
Dear Reader,
I am faced with something I don't ever remember facing. The book I am currently reading for my diet is a mystery by Agatha Christie. This is my first Christie book and, from what I understand it is one of the most famous mysteries ever written. But that's not why I'm writing this. The next book in my diet is a romance by Nicholas Sparks titled THE NOTEBOOK. I knew that eventually I was going to have to tackle the genre of romance, but I was not looking forward to it. You see, there are three different types of romance novels. There are what I call the acceptable romance novels. These are the regular novels about boy meets girl. This is Kurt Vonnegut's view on the subject:
In this story line, an average guy meets a girl, his life becomes great until, "son of a bitch," they fight and make up and he is better off than before. This is the type of novel I will be reading for my diet. The other two types of romances are cheesy, mediocre romances written by people who just want to get published, and what I call PBP: PaperBack Porn. Smut. The books that are often on the shelves of your local grocery store with pictures of nearly naked men on the cover. Let's put the latter two aside because I do not plan on reading anything that falls under that category. What I want to focus on is my first ever case of bibliophobia. I am afraid of reading THE NOTEBOOK.
Allow me to explain. I love to read Stephen King, fantasy, some science-fiction, YA, mystery, horror, etc. I am a slow reader, so I have not read much of any of these with the exception of Stephen King novels. However, I feel comfortable talking about any and all of these genres. See, I am an observer. I notice things, especially in books. My wife tells me that is one of the advantages I have as a slower reader. I see more than most people. More than that, though, I just know enough about these types ofj stories to talk about them.
I know nothing about the genre of romance. I have never read a romance novel in my life, and I suspect that after reading Sparks' novel I'll never read another one again. In writing the chapters for my other books, I could draw on past experiences, but I can't do that with THE NOTEBOOK. I chose this book because of the fantastic story of its publication. This was Sparks' first novel. Many novels do not receive much attention from publishers, let alone debut novels. However, when Sparks received an offer from his publishers, they gave him a $1,000,000 advance. That is six zeroes. One million dollars. Unheard of in a debut novel.
I want to find out if I can see what the publishers saw, but I'm afraid I will miss it because I don't have the background in this genre that I do in others. I do not like romance novels, I do not like the idea of romance novels. Other people do, and that's fine. I just don't want to miss out on an opportunity to grow as a writer. I guess I will just have to read it to find out if I can pick up on the literary cues.
Anyway, that is what I'm struggling with for now. Until next time, Reader.
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Beau James
I am faced with something I don't ever remember facing. The book I am currently reading for my diet is a mystery by Agatha Christie. This is my first Christie book and, from what I understand it is one of the most famous mysteries ever written. But that's not why I'm writing this. The next book in my diet is a romance by Nicholas Sparks titled THE NOTEBOOK. I knew that eventually I was going to have to tackle the genre of romance, but I was not looking forward to it. You see, there are three different types of romance novels. There are what I call the acceptable romance novels. These are the regular novels about boy meets girl. This is Kurt Vonnegut's view on the subject:
In this story line, an average guy meets a girl, his life becomes great until, "son of a bitch," they fight and make up and he is better off than before. This is the type of novel I will be reading for my diet. The other two types of romances are cheesy, mediocre romances written by people who just want to get published, and what I call PBP: PaperBack Porn. Smut. The books that are often on the shelves of your local grocery store with pictures of nearly naked men on the cover. Let's put the latter two aside because I do not plan on reading anything that falls under that category. What I want to focus on is my first ever case of bibliophobia. I am afraid of reading THE NOTEBOOK.
Allow me to explain. I love to read Stephen King, fantasy, some science-fiction, YA, mystery, horror, etc. I am a slow reader, so I have not read much of any of these with the exception of Stephen King novels. However, I feel comfortable talking about any and all of these genres. See, I am an observer. I notice things, especially in books. My wife tells me that is one of the advantages I have as a slower reader. I see more than most people. More than that, though, I just know enough about these types ofj stories to talk about them.
I know nothing about the genre of romance. I have never read a romance novel in my life, and I suspect that after reading Sparks' novel I'll never read another one again. In writing the chapters for my other books, I could draw on past experiences, but I can't do that with THE NOTEBOOK. I chose this book because of the fantastic story of its publication. This was Sparks' first novel. Many novels do not receive much attention from publishers, let alone debut novels. However, when Sparks received an offer from his publishers, they gave him a $1,000,000 advance. That is six zeroes. One million dollars. Unheard of in a debut novel.
I want to find out if I can see what the publishers saw, but I'm afraid I will miss it because I don't have the background in this genre that I do in others. I do not like romance novels, I do not like the idea of romance novels. Other people do, and that's fine. I just don't want to miss out on an opportunity to grow as a writer. I guess I will just have to read it to find out if I can pick up on the literary cues.
Anyway, that is what I'm struggling with for now. Until next time, Reader.
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Beau James
Friday, May 17, 2013
Writer's Diet Cont.
Dear Reader,
In case you didn't gleen from my last post, I am in the midst of a very important diet as a writer. I have set up a list of books for myself to read this year. My plan is to experience the diet for a year and publish a book about how to become a better writer through reading. After each book I read, I write a chapter on that category/book. In my next post I will go more in-depth into the Writer's Diet, but for now I am interested in what you like to read in the following categories:
- Classics
Books that are well written and have stood the test of time, let's say at least 75 to 100 years.
- Contemporary classics
Just like classics, but have yet to stand the test of time
- Genres
What genres do you like to read and what books in those genres?
- Bestsellers
What bestseller lists, if any, do you look at when choosing a book. What do you look for in a bestseller?
- Ancient classics
Mythologies and fairy tales
-Literary junkfood
Please let me know what you like to read in these areas. I am always interested in talking about books and, unlike many people, I take suggestions seriously. Until then,
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Beau James
In case you didn't gleen from my last post, I am in the midst of a very important diet as a writer. I have set up a list of books for myself to read this year. My plan is to experience the diet for a year and publish a book about how to become a better writer through reading. After each book I read, I write a chapter on that category/book. In my next post I will go more in-depth into the Writer's Diet, but for now I am interested in what you like to read in the following categories:
- Classics
Books that are well written and have stood the test of time, let's say at least 75 to 100 years.
- Contemporary classics
Just like classics, but have yet to stand the test of time
- Genres
What genres do you like to read and what books in those genres?
- Bestsellers
What bestseller lists, if any, do you look at when choosing a book. What do you look for in a bestseller?
- Ancient classics
Mythologies and fairy tales
-Literary junkfood
Please let me know what you like to read in these areas. I am always interested in talking about books and, unlike many people, I take suggestions seriously. Until then,
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Beau James
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Writer's Diet
Dear Reader,
Whew, now that school's over for the year and my computer is up and running again, I can focus on what I really love doing, which is writing. Of course, along with writing goes reading. How you can have one without the other is beyond me. They in fact complement each other. The more you write, the more you enhance your literacy skills. And the more you read, the better writer you become. Which is why I created the Writer's Diet. This is a diet for anyone wanting to write fiction.
Are you having trouble writing? Do you feel like your written skills leave something to be desired? If so, then you are a fat, lazy writer. Having trouble figuring out where your story is going? Then you need to get your butt out of that chair and head over to your bookshelf, or better, a bookstore. But wait. Why should I be reading when my struggle is with writing? If you seriously just asked that question then things are worse than I thought. Just put the pen/pencil/laptop down and take a deep breath. This isn't a permanent banishment from the blank page. It's just a lifestyle change. Remember, if you want to become a better writer, you can (I can). That blank page actually isn't as scary as it first seems as long as you have a good book handy. But wait. Won't reading distract me from writing, especially if it is a really good book? The answer is that if you are truly a writer, nothing can distract you from writing. Almost everything makes you think about it. Most importantly, you read things differently. Books become more than just getaways for you. They become vehicles for your writing. When you read classics, whether they are regular, contemporary (newer), or ancient (much, much older), you learn how to emulate that style. When you read a specific genre that you want to write, you start to pick up on what makes that genre work. When you read bestsellers, you begin to understand what people want to read. All of these things help make you a better writer. The question is, if that's the case then why the hell wouldn't you read more?
I thought that maybe I was being too harsh. After all, anytime I ask people if they like to read, the most common response I get is "I would, but I just don't have the time." So, starting at the beginning of this year I decided to take on the Writer's Diet myself and see if I could complete it in a year. I mean, if there is anyone who doesn't have the time, it's me. I was going to school four days a week, I am working full time, I have lots of homework, and on top of all that, I had over a dozen novels to read for school, none of which were going to contribute to me diet. All that on top of 18 books in a year with me writing about each book afterward (this gave me an approximate deadline of 20 days to finish reading and then writing about it for each book) was quite the daunting task. I decided to make it my New Year's resolution. School just ended for the summer and I've only missed one deadline (the latest one), and I am well on my way to catching back up. I recently got hired at a second job and will also be spending a good portion of my time studying for a very important exam that I have to take in the summer, so the pressure hasn't really let up. Not to mention, I am a slow reader (just ask my wife). Why am I telling you this? Because if I can do it, you can, too. Stop making the excuses and just start reading. You will be a better writer for it.
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Once again,
James
Whew, now that school's over for the year and my computer is up and running again, I can focus on what I really love doing, which is writing. Of course, along with writing goes reading. How you can have one without the other is beyond me. They in fact complement each other. The more you write, the more you enhance your literacy skills. And the more you read, the better writer you become. Which is why I created the Writer's Diet. This is a diet for anyone wanting to write fiction.
Are you having trouble writing? Do you feel like your written skills leave something to be desired? If so, then you are a fat, lazy writer. Having trouble figuring out where your story is going? Then you need to get your butt out of that chair and head over to your bookshelf, or better, a bookstore. But wait. Why should I be reading when my struggle is with writing? If you seriously just asked that question then things are worse than I thought. Just put the pen/pencil/laptop down and take a deep breath. This isn't a permanent banishment from the blank page. It's just a lifestyle change. Remember, if you want to become a better writer, you can (I can). That blank page actually isn't as scary as it first seems as long as you have a good book handy. But wait. Won't reading distract me from writing, especially if it is a really good book? The answer is that if you are truly a writer, nothing can distract you from writing. Almost everything makes you think about it. Most importantly, you read things differently. Books become more than just getaways for you. They become vehicles for your writing. When you read classics, whether they are regular, contemporary (newer), or ancient (much, much older), you learn how to emulate that style. When you read a specific genre that you want to write, you start to pick up on what makes that genre work. When you read bestsellers, you begin to understand what people want to read. All of these things help make you a better writer. The question is, if that's the case then why the hell wouldn't you read more?
I thought that maybe I was being too harsh. After all, anytime I ask people if they like to read, the most common response I get is "I would, but I just don't have the time." So, starting at the beginning of this year I decided to take on the Writer's Diet myself and see if I could complete it in a year. I mean, if there is anyone who doesn't have the time, it's me. I was going to school four days a week, I am working full time, I have lots of homework, and on top of all that, I had over a dozen novels to read for school, none of which were going to contribute to me diet. All that on top of 18 books in a year with me writing about each book afterward (this gave me an approximate deadline of 20 days to finish reading and then writing about it for each book) was quite the daunting task. I decided to make it my New Year's resolution. School just ended for the summer and I've only missed one deadline (the latest one), and I am well on my way to catching back up. I recently got hired at a second job and will also be spending a good portion of my time studying for a very important exam that I have to take in the summer, so the pressure hasn't really let up. Not to mention, I am a slow reader (just ask my wife). Why am I telling you this? Because if I can do it, you can, too. Stop making the excuses and just start reading. You will be a better writer for it.
Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.
Once again,
James
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