This week, I’m going to talk about my reading addiction. As I’ve mentioned before, with 2012 being the National Year of Reading in Australia, it’s a great incentive to encourage more to take it up. I’ve been encouraged to discover new authors, read books from authors I’ve wanted to try for some time and re-read old favourites until they begin to fall apart in my hands. Being on Goodreads, I’ve taken up the challenge of reading fifty books this year alone. Maybe a tad ambitious as I’m starting to get behind, but like any true addict, I just can’t help myself!
Now as a writer, we are told to read, study our genres and learn what’s out there. It’s one of the ways we can help perfect our craft. However, if you’re anything like me, one tends to out-weigh the other and therein lays the problem.
In her book, The Writer’s Workout, Christina Katz says to write more than you read. Like everything else, balance is the key; be choosy about what you read. That really hit home for me, because the trouble is there are so many books out there. Admittedly not all of them are great and I prefer not to waste my time trudging through a book that doesn’t ‘do it’ for me. As writers, it is best to know what genre/s we like and stick with them in order for us to write them well ourselves. Writing our own stories should be our main priority if we want to make it in this business. Perhaps reading should be seen as one of our rewards for a job well done.
I need to ease off on my reading addiction in order to make writing my No.1 priority. Maybe then I can also reward myself with my other addiction – chocolate!
Are you addicted to reading? Do you read more than you write? Have you read any good books this year? Are you on Goodreads? How many books do you read a year? What is your favourite genre/s?
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