You all know I LOVE YA, right? I think I've made that clear. But, I also want to be sure I stress the importance of leaving our comfort zone on occasion. If you aren't ready with writing yet, or even if you intend to do just that, you have to read out of genre too.
You never know what you'll learn or experience until you do. You may find a way to incorporate something into your own favorite genre in a new way. You may just plain 'ole enjoy yourself!
I have a couple of adult reads that I squeezed in lately and have planned soon. Also, as you may have noticed on my blog this week, I spotlighted a new NA (New Adult) book cover for A LITTLE TOO FAR, that I'm REALLY interested in. :D
It's not just age differences though. For example, one of my favorite recent reads was BRUISED by Sarah Skilton. Her writing is incredible. Every sentence and comparison is original and fresh. That kind of read inspires me!
How about you? Do you find it difficult to open a book outside your comfort zone? Or are you all over the place? And how does that compare with what you write? Are you more open to writing outside your genre if you read outside it too?
First of all, the winner of the first chapter critique (as chosen by Randomizer.org) is C. Lee McKenzie!!
I've been busy lately. Life has gotten crazy and I've been practicing my mad juggling skills between kids, volunteer work, and writing. Oh and I'm pregnant, which I didn't announce publicly until now, but what the hey! Three times is the charm. :D
What's my point? Through everything, I've been bound and determined to keep at it. To keep writing because it means - YOU ALL MEAN - so much to me. I can't imagine my life without it now. But something was missing. When I did find a precious few minutes, and I forced myself to work, I was still having a lot more trouble than usual expressing myself the way I'm used to.
I figured it out, folks. So I have to share it with all of you. The problem was that I had let something important go in favor of writing time. READING time. I've been in book withdrawal and I hate it! Reading is just as important to writers as writing. Let me repeat that because it's so important.
READING IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO WRITERS AS WRITING.
The more I feed that part of my brain with delicious, nutritious books, the better I'm able to write with confidence. Do I copy authors I love? No. Certainly not consciously. But I let them INSPIRE me. I try to note what I love and find what's missing in my work so that I can round it out. Example? I just finished Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. OMG I devoured it. If you don't read her work, go fix that RIGHT NOW. I have four more books bought and ready to be gobbled up as well. And it's pumping up my writing brain. I can't explain how it works exactly, I can only tell you that it does.
You need to read anyway. You need to know your genre and others. But if you don't get joy from reading you're probably in the wrong profession. So do me a favor and join me, will you? Go read a good book. Give up TV time or something else. But squeeze it in.
I posted today on Enchanted Inkpot about what makes a fantasy classic. I'd love it if you visit me there too!
I've read many times on the blogosphere about writers who read like they're studying a text book. Interpreting for structure and character - even dissecting it word by word, searching for adverbs and such. There's nothing wrong with doing this. In fact, it's probably the smart thing to do if you want to learn craft by studying those who've made it where you want to be.
But.
Yeah, you knew that was coming, right? The big fat but. But that's not the way the books were meant to be read. See the thing is, I'm an avid reader. Always have been. There's little I enjoy more than curling up with a good book and devouring it from cover to cover, often in a day or two. I love that feeling of being so wrapped up in a wonderful story that I only want to see what happens. As a writer, don't you wish for readers that feel like that?
I'm stubborn. I just feel like stopping to pick the novel apart would kill the magic. Not that I don't notice certain things while I'm reading. The more I learn, the more I recognize in some part of my brain. But I don't want to lose that guilty pleasure just because I've decided to pursue my writing.
Some of you will argue that we can read the book more than once. Sure! I agree. But to be honest there are precious few that I actually do this with. One's that I feel have something REALLY special. Books like The Hunger Games for example. Or Harry Potter (all of them). But that one on my nightstand? The honest truth is as much as I enjoy it, probably not.
What do you think? Are there certain books you study as a writer and others that you just soak up as a reader? Do you read things more than once in different ways? Or do you prefer to study all your books from the moment you open the cover? I'd love to hear your view!
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It's not just age differences though. For example, one of my favorite recent reads was BRUISED by Sarah Skilton. Her writing is incredible. Every sentence and comparison is original and fresh. That kind of read inspires me! 
