If You Want To Write, Read.

It is so much easier to live placidly and complacently. Of course, to live placidly and complacently is not to live at all…  ~Jack London

In every field, there are great and small masters who have come before. They leave a rich oral and written roadmap by which we learn and grow. These masters had a forward vision. They saw things deeper, broader and farther into the future than the rest of us. They are usually active in the events and social groups of their time, so their friends and activities are fascinating (if not always wholesome.)

And so, we should read.  We should read about the lives and habits of great writers. How they found their calling, how they managed to write, what advice they offer. Pick an author who makes you sit up with interest. Read their work, then an autobiography, and a biography, about them. See a movie about their life.  Probably that person is like you in important ways, and yet farther ahead on the road that you now travel. The perfect guide.   

Writers must read. Other writers open a window upon humanity. Briefly, we see the way they saw. We say, “Wow that’s ME too!” Or, “I so never thought of that.” We gain new ways to talk about our inner experiences. We learn a new vocabulary for talking with others.

Have you ever heard someone say, “That’s so Kafka?” Or, “I’m in a Catch-22.” How about, “Sounds like the ghost of Christmas Past.” We use the language of literature to communicate. Like any language, the more fluent you are, the better you can talk with others. You also make a big pool of images and shared references to draw from as you write. Big brother. Stella! To be or not to be…Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde, an ugly duckling.  

Like famous quotations from great movies, master works of writing show up in everyday conversation and writing. It’s fun, and exciting, to know how to talk about them.

When we read we can also study. Look for instance at the first page of any great book. What you can learn about writing from a single masterful page is incredible.

Do not let anyone make you “interpret” great works. No, soak them in, your own way. Promise yourself a whole season to bask in them. Or, find a wonderful book club. Use your city library, the Internet, E-books, go through your own shelves for books unread, trade with friends. Read because a writer draws you in, fascinates you, or expresses things you think and feel. Read because you feel excited to read. Not because you “should.” You want to feed, not kill, your curiosity.  

Read also the current day writers, who are your mentors and peers. When you go to the bookstore, what kinds of books line the shelves? Is there an emerging new writing? Stretch outside your favorite genres. Look for the contributions other cultures, races, ages, and genders make to the writing world. See who is bursting on the scene.

Read the masters who call to you. Read current writers and current events. Read comic books, brochures, tabloids, newspapers, magazines, e-books and blogs! Read non-fiction in your field. Read religious and spiritual masters. Read aloud to your children and your partner. Listen to books on tape. Watch movies about books and writers. Create or join a reading Challenge. Read! Read! Read!

It is true that there is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills…

                                                                                                ~Cry, The Beloved Country

Reading: the second thing you must do, if you want to write.

Let yourself Bloom,

© Kimberly Wordbird Bate

photo by Norby