HOW TO READ A BOOK (For Writers)
Always read a book with a pen in your hand.
This affords you the opportunity to underline and codify the passages you like for easy reference later on:
!--amazing
*--remember this
:)--cute, clever, or funny
Of course, you can always use color-coded post-its to do the same thing:
But, a pen also enables you to jot down notes as you go along...
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...as well as keep a list of words whose definitions you need to look up some time later on:
Why bother??
Because every fresh metaphor, every snappy line of dialogue, every new word we encounter makes us better writers. What we learn through recovery, reflection, and repetition elevates our work. Reading makes us better writers, and writing makes us better readers.
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| www.nolagirlatheart.wordpress.com * And...if you think writing is boring, you could be doing that wrong, too.
jan
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I was brought up to never never never make a mark in a book.
ReplyDeleteMe, too, Delores. But those were textbooks and library books that someone was going to use after me...which is why I like to buy my own books and keep them forever.
Delete"Reading makes us better writers, and writing makes us better readers." Yes, yes, yes! I know without a shadow of a doubt that being an avid reader all my life is absolutely what has made me however good a writer I am today. I love reading so much I became an editor. I figured I might as well get paid for it. Ironically, since I spend so much time reading at work, I have less desire (or energy) to read for pleasure. I still enjoy getting into a good book, though not as often.
ReplyDeleteI'm still making up for lost time, Brenda. My career required so much study, I rarely read anything fictional. Now, I love writing fiction, even though it's a little harder for me.
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