One of my faves, Stephen King, says, not in these exact words, that a writer must read, as for a writer reading is an invaluable learning tool. On the other hand, I read at some point that Walt Whitman said he does not read as he is afraid he might, unconsciously, copy things from what he has read.
Sadly I was not able to verify the truth of this second statement, so Walt Whitman might, or might not have said it, but that does not change the fact that I read he said it and I thought about it.
When I was young I liked reading, but I was not mad about reading. I would read because it was nice to read and often there wasn’t anything else to do. Especially in the long, hot summers. Now though, things have changed. Drastically.
Now I adore reading. I find it relaxing, energizing and often enlightening. I learn something from each book I read and love immersing myself in their worlds.
Recently, I had to wait for 5 hours in an airport, and I did not mind it one bit. I found a comfortable chair, got my snacks and drink and had a wonderful time reading. At the end of the wait I was relaxed and refreshed. I was with a colleague that was exasperated by the wait, and I realized how lucky that I have my books and my stories. I am no longer killing time, I am cruising through it.
Reading is such a big part of my life and it has made such a huge impact! Not just by reading stories and fiction, but by learning and supporting my mental health. A book that taught me a lot about dealing with cognitive distortions and anxiety, is a book my better half gave me, book entitled Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy and written by David D. Burns.
This is a wonderful book that has taught me different coping mechanisms to have a more fulfilling life and I recommend it to anyone interested in cognitive psychotherapy or who just wants to read an interesting, useful self-help book.
Reading comes in different shapes and sizes. The wonderful thing about it is that it gives you access not only to stories but to information that otherwise you would not get.
As a writer I learn from the books I read so much. Sometimes I am in awe of the worlds and characters other humans have created and I wonder if they are really human or they are magic creatures.
I am grateful for every book I love. Some books I start but never finish, and I do not feel bad about that. There are so many books and so little time that I cannot spend it reading something that I do not like. I usually give them about 100 pages. If in 100 pages they did not catch my attention then I move on. No hard feelings.
Another funny thing I found is that the same author can have a really good book and a really bad one. I found that reassuring as it shows even the good ones can have some bad ones.
I sometimes start hunting down books from my younger years. Recently I was very pleased to be able to find a Winnetou by Karl May. Funny enough it is difficult to find in English, very easy in German. I loved Karl May’s books growing up and I wanted him represented in my tiny library, and now he is. Yey!
Happy reading all!
What Stephen meant was that for a wannabe writer, reading is the study of "publishable writing." Over the years one absorbs by a sort of mental osmosis "what works". Quite frankly, someone who doesn't read will never be a writer.
Thanks for following my newsletter, Alina. Glad you passed hours at the airport with a book. Books, especially good ones, are the best for not just passing hours, but filling in the gaps. Don’t know if you watch sports, but reading during the slow parts (no scoring), perfectly acceptable. I read one during a baseball game. Didn’t miss a thing with people shouting and the big screen replays!