Remember to Read

by G.Parker

There have been so many good posts on our blog about courses and staying on task that something else occurred to me.

Remember to read.

Reading is another source of fuel for the writer.  Many times, we are inspired by what we read -- either because we know we can write way better than what we have in our hands, or because we want to write as well as what we'd just read.


There are several novels that hit me both ways.  I'm afraid I'm not a fan of mindless romances, even though I write romance.  I like books that have heart and sould to them.  One of my favorite authors is Anne McCaffrey.  There are a couple of LDS authors that I love to read too, but I don't want to start any trouble by listing them...grin.  


When I was at Barnes and Noble before Christmas, there was an older couple shopping.  I was helping with gift wrap and they had two bags of books.  They were telling us how the husband went through several each month.  They buy them (usually on sale), read them, and then pass them down to their children.  They never read the same book twice. 


I want my books to be different.  I have several books that are stacked by my bed, and when I want something I know is a comfortable read, I'll grab one of them.  I usually read them at least once a year, sometimes two.  I remember reading one book over and over in elementary school until the librarian said I couldn't check it out anymore.  It broke my heart.  


I want my books to be that kind of story.  I want the reader to like it so much they come back to it again and again, enjoying the characters and situations and feeling a great peace at the end.


I find, though, that I have little time to read anymore.  I used to see contests on blogs that encouraged reading, and I thought - who needs that?  Now I can see the point.  I got several books this year for Christmas, but I only started on one and still haven't been able to finish it.  It's really frustrating.  I didn't even get to the stack of Christmas books I usually read every year, either.


So in your goals and desires for the new year, remember reading is important to the fuel of writing.  What books do you plan on reading this year?