As much a writing is an essential part of me, there’s one activity that I can’t do without, as it underlies my ability to write.
Reading.
And my reading varies. I read the newspaper every day, although in fairness I’m a front to back reader, starting with the TV coverage, then sports, then movies and gossip, and then the editorial pages. And then maybe I’ll skim the news. I also read magazines, mostly TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly and Sports Weekly.
And throughout the day I chAs much a writing is an essential part of me, there’s one activity that I can’t do without, as it underlies my ability to write.
Reading.
And my reading varies. I read the newspaper every day, although in fairness I’m a front to back reader, starting with the TV coverage, then sports, then movies and gossip, and then the editorial pages. And then maybe I’ll skim the news. I also read magazines, mostly TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly and Sports Weekly.
And throughout the day I check CNN.com, ESPN.com, and whatever newswires I need to check for work.
And of course, I read an exorbitant amount of copy as an editor (occupational hazard).
In regard to books, I try to mix up my fiction and non-fiction, and rotate between standard fiction and comic book/graphic novels. And I try to have at least two books going at once. Often I read fiction on the subway and nonfiction at home, or vice versa. Right now I’m reading one of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman paperbacks on the train, and M. Scott Peck’s In Search of Stones at home.
The thing about reading is that as it soaks into my noggin, soaks into me, somehow, someway it manages to find its way out through my fingers, clacking these keys, and onto the pages of my books. Which isn’t to say that I’m writing what I read, but that I pick up things from reading. Technique and style, turn of phrase, a particular word that amuses me.
Here’s one example. Some years ago I read–and loved–[i]Cat’s Cradle[/i] by Kurt Vonnegut. One of the elements I found fascinating was that his chapters were basically a page or two long. That’s it. And the book itself–the physical book–was small. So each chapter was very short. For whatever reason, that style of storytelling really stuck with me, and I used it as a model for Finders Keepers. Now, my chapter aren’t quite as short as his (at least I don’t think), but the style had a profound impact on me, translating into how I wrote.
I also just enjoy reading. It’s fun. But as a writer, I find that the more I read the more energized I am to write, and the less I read the less energized I am to write. There’s a definite connection for me. It’s like sunshine. The more I’m out in the sun the more I want to be in the sun. There’s something life affirming about it.
So, yep, I’m a reader. Books, trade paperbacks, the Internet, newspapers, magazines. I won’t go so far as to say that I’m a reading junkie–I’m not–but reading, and more importantly, reading good writing, helps me evolve as a writer. The two are connected. It’s just what I do.
Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/11/17 07:54
Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/11/17 07:54
Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/11/19 20:38
Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/12/05 06:44
