An Author's Reading Life
By Yolanda Smith
Mallory has ambitions
of being a world-class violinist someday. She keeps her instrument finely tuned
and follows a rigorous practice schedule. Although she covets a chair in the
renowned philharmonic, Mallory never attends orchestral concerts.
Odd?
Andre spends hours in
front of a canvas in his private studio. He paints from morning 'til night and
believes, if he is diligent, he will be a featured gallery artist in the
future. But Andre has never stepped foot inside an art gallery.
Unthinkable?
Edgar wants to be a
master chef. His loyal wife assures him
he makes the best bologna sandwiches she’s ever eaten. But wifey-poo would like
to ditch the bologna on occasion and spend an evening of fine dining at the
local five-star restaurant. Edgar is too busy whipping up his personal
creations to step foot in anybody else’s eatery and taste something other than
his own dishes.
Ludicrous?
Carrie wants to be a
bestselling author. Day after day she taps a thousand words on her keyboard,
the story finding its way from her head to the magical screen. Carrie doesn’t
have time to read books. She never reads classics, nor does she consume titles
off the current bestseller list. Audio books aren’t an option because she’s too
busy listening to other things.
Inconceivable?
Mallory, Andre, and
Edgar are figments of my imagination. But Carrie? I know her. Sometimes she’s
young, now and then she’s old, and often she’s middle-aged. She writes memoirs,
poetry, middle grade fiction, Bible studies, and romance novels. Carrie also
goes by many other names.
I ran into Carrie
recently and asked, “So, what have you been reading lately?”
Eyes downcast, she
offered a shrug of shame. “I know I should do better, but …”
Not a
Judgement, but a Plea
Have you met Carrie?
Does she stare back at you from the mirror while you brush your teeth?
When I became a writer,
I assumed all writers loved books at a high level. I assumed they recognized
the life-changing power of story, thereby gulping down as many tales as they
could swallow. But Carrie never ceases to shock me, and she shows up
everywhere.
Carrie is busy, and she
has a list of excuses—all valid, mind you. I hope she doesn’t feel I’m judging her
for not reading, or not reading enough. But I’m begging her to change her ways.
Here’s the thing. Carrie
can’t expect to be a bestselling author if she doesn’t know what a bestseller
looks like. She’ll never develop an ear for the cadence of literary language,
tease apart the particulars of her genre, nor feel the evocative power of written
words unless she consumes the work of the masters.
Finding
Time
For some of us, reading
is as natural as eating, and we would shrivel up and die if we didn’t feast on
a steady diet of literature. But for other folks, reading is an extra item on
the to-do list, only to find space once everything else is crossed off.
How do we make more
time to read? Here’s a short list of options for finding ways to consume more
books:
- Skip television. Don’t hate me. Can you scrub a half-hour program from your TV time in favor of higher learning? Could you—gasp—forfeit a whole hour? An average novel takes somewhere in the neighborhood of nine hours to read.
- Listen to audio books. I get in listening time when I’m driving, cooking, folding laundry, or getting ready for the day.
- Keep a book on your smartphone or tablet. Read a few paragraphs during those odd cracks of time when there’s nothing else to do but mindlessly scroll the internet.
- Read aloud to your kids, grandkids, nieces, or nephews. I’ve been doing this for the last twenty years, and there were many years this was the only kind of reading I had time for. Don’t discount the power of picture books and children’s novels. Some of the best stories in the world come from picture books.
- Find a reading partner, join a book club, or become a member of an online literary community. Reading is more fun when you can discuss it with someone, and you’ll find strength of motivation from this activity.
What to
Read
Read books in your
genre. Analyze the books that make all the lists and win the awards. Read books
outside your genre. You never know when something will ignite a new idea you
can incorporate into your own writing.
Read books that are
heartwarming and endearing, or lighthearted and fun. Find titles that make you
angry or cause you to examine your opinions. Grab books that are too hard for
you and will stretch you. Revisit old favorites. Read a classic once in a while
(audiobooks are great for this), and definitely find room in your repertoire
for the latest releases.
Already a
Reader
If you are already a
reader, consider ways you might encourage the nonreaders in your life. You’d be
surprised what you might be able to accomplish.
After five years of
marriage, my husband finally caught on that one of the primary ways he, a
nonreader, can connect with me, a book vulture, is by reading. Physical books
put him to sleep, but he spends hours on the road each day and discovered he
enjoys audiobooks. He’s read more books in the last year than he has in the
last decade. We’ve had great fun chatting about all the bookish things.
Seasons
There will be seasons
when reading is more of an option or less of a possibility. Take regular time
to reevaluate your reading life and see where changes can be made.
What would
you like to be different about your reading life? Do you have suggestions for
incorporating more books into a busy schedule?
(Photos courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/sattva/nenetus/everydayplus.)
TWEETABLE
Whew. There for a minute I thought I was Carrie. Escaped another one. Or did I? Good thinking material here, Ms. Yolanda. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou're so funny, Warren. I'll try not to call you Carrie next time I see you at church. Thanks so much for stopping by. Blessings! :)
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