I hear and read about this all the time: A writer needs to read.
For some of us, though, as we get older and have less time due to family and work restrictions, it becomes more difficult to find the time (or make the time) to read a book every once in a while.
I know a lot of people who love to write but don’t like to read. How can you expect other people to read your work if you don’t read anyone else’s? It just doesn’t make sense from a balance-oriented perspective.
When I was a kid, my mom always picked on me about how much I was reading. Not in a derogatory or bad way, just gave me a hard time saying, “She doesn’t read books… she eats them!” Like a real bookworm. =)
As I got older and had kids, reading became a sort of lost hobby for me. I was too focused on housework, kids, cleaning, cooking, writing my first novel, and holding “day jobs” off and on.
I realized a couple of years ago how much I really missed reading on a regular basis. I have a whole ton of books, some of which I’ve never read or have yet to finish. Considering that, it isn’t like I don’t have the resources to read a lot. I just felt like I didn’t have the time.
There are a couple of ways to motivate yourself to read more, though, and whether it’s a few minutes at a time or for a stretch of an hour, reading will help any writer hone their skills and know what they like and don’t like, what works, and what to avoid.
One of the most fun and interactive ways to sort of force yourself to read while still doing something collaborative and productive is to create a book review section on your web site or blog. If you write book reviews and commit to doing so, then you automatically force yourself to be exposed to new work on a regular basis and meet other authors as well.
Another great way to “make time for reading” is to get books that you can read to your kids or have them read to you. For example, my kids are at an age where they appreciate the Goosebumps books by R. L. Stine. I used to love those books when I was younger! Not only can they practice their reading skills and get better at it, but you also get more exposure to written works.
Reading lists and goals are another great way to force yourself to read more. There’s an awesome web site called Good Reads where you can connect with authors and other readers, make reading lists by adding books you find interesting to your “to read” list, track your reading progress, make annual reading goals, and write reviews of books you read as well as rate them with a 5-star rating system. You can also follow your favorite authors and keep up with what they’re doing and blogging about.
Best of all, you can sign in with Facebook, so tediously creating a new account isn’t necessary.
How do you motivate yourself to read? Just like with anything else, you can only get better at it if you do it often… and why not? Reading is like watching TV without all of the negative side-effects. Next thing you know, you’ll be wanting to go to college and apply for various scholarships.
My next book? I’m not sure yet. But I’m currently reading a handful of books including a romance novel, a collection of short horror stories, an educational book on eBook formatting, On Writing by Stephen King, and have started a handful more for review purposes. I look forward to finishing all of them!
Lately, though, I like to make my own inspiration. One of the best ways for me to become inspired is to listen to music. I listen to music – without lyrics – almost every day while I work, enjoying the otherwise quiet house as I sit at my desk, typing away, the only sounds are my music and the tap-tap-tapping of the keyboard as my fingers fly across the keys.
I decided that it would be well worth it. Of course, I had to test it out… charge it, see what the reading is like, and hope to love it so I continue to enjoy my job. It’s also important to remember that, if you want to write anything decent, you have to read, too. That’s one of the ways to get better at writing is to read. That being said…
So what are some of the best books on writing? Obviously the best teachers on a craft are those who have had some success in said craft, so let’s take a look at the book On Writing by 
until college… that’s a little scary!
There are two lessons that I found absolutely important in these books. The first was to consciously notice things that you normally wouldn’t. For example, the way the carpet feels on your bare feet… what a leaf looks like after it’s begun turning colors but before it falls to the ground… the bubbly texture of your cell phone buttons, the way freshly sliced cucumbers smell and make that satisfying crunch in your mouth. My son has an entire head of blonde curls and somehow wound up with a single, straight, dark hair on his head.
