Reading is Writing

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one." — George R.R. Martin

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

I’m in a critique group with four other local writers. Our multi-gender group writes in a variety of genres and we’re all voracious readers. This month, we started our in-person conversation by sharing the books we were reading. I tend to read romance, women’s fiction, historical fiction, psychological thrillers and mystery. I sprinkle in a non-fiction book every now and then.

It was interesting to share what we were all reading and the differing opinions about the same books. One member shared a recent bestseller that he loved. Others in the group had DNF (did not finish) the book. We had differing opinions about a famous North Carolina author and a book set in the south that was made into a blockbuster movie. Ann Patchett answers, “It wasn’t written for me.” if questioned about a book she did not like or did not finish. I love this line. There are many, many books that aren’t written for me. I don’t read horror or science fiction. I don’t re-read the classics. I don’t read self-help books. (Although I’m sure some think I should!)

Why do writers read so much? William Faulkner once said, “Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it.” — William Faulkner

It is certainly true that I read differently now that I write. Beats and plot points jump off the page. Sometimes I stick with a book I’m not really enjoying because I’m intrigued by the structure of the novel. It’s hard to get lost in a story these days. I suppose this is good and bad in different ways.

I have always been a slow reader. On average, I read one fiction book a week. Non-fiction takes me longer. I aim to read 65 books a year, but I’m off my pace this year due to the number of non-fiction books I’ve read for my local book group. I don’t factor in ARC reads, beta reads, my critique group reads, writing group reads, or my own manuscript reads when I count books read. I tell myself it’s not a race, but I feel a twinge of jealousy when people read more than I do. Lucky them. They’ve experienced more adventures than I have.

My current read is A Faire Affair by Rose Prendeville. Rose is a go-to read for me. I love her historical romances set in Scotland in the 1700s and her contemporary romances are full of clever banter and inclusive, sweet story lines. Her covers are the best.

Reading is like breathing in, and writing is like breathing out. - Pam Allyn

I’m writing a new manuscript and have reached the midpoint at 35,000 words. When the first rough draft is complete, I plan to go back to my previous manuscript and revise. My recent publication, Northern Blues, is now available on Kindle Unlimited for those who subscribe.

I will participate in the Romance Book Blast on July 28th.

Northern Blues will be free for everyone on July 28th!

There are tons of free books available in every romance genre through this promotion.

I hope you’re staying cool and reading in your spare time.

Cheers,

Amy