Monday, May 16, 2011

Monday Musings: Read, read, read



This was going to be a "Friday Fabulosity," but with Blogger grounded in her room last Friday for unpardonable behavior, it's a Monday Musing instead. (Once again, this is from The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists.)

This is by S.J. Rozan the Shamus, Edgar, Nero, Anthony, and Macavity Award-winning novelist of critically acclaimed novels such as Absent Friends, In This Rain. A Bitter Feast, and China Trade:
"read read read read read read read read read read read. If it means less TV, less family time, fewer movies, whatever it means. READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ."
I read on another writer's (forthwith named C3PO) blog recently about not reading anything while writing. Apparently, C3PO believes that other voices will interfere with C3PO's own voice. My thought was, "Man, C3PO, since I write all the time, if I followed your advice I'd never read a thing!" Yes, sometimes I find myself writing like Lee Child, Stephen King, and Jane Austen combined (that was a joke; wouldn't that be a blast?!) but then I remember my own voice and start sounding like little old me again.

So, fellow writers, what do you do to carve out that precious reading time? Turn off the TV? Let the laundry pile to the ceiling? Neglect the kids?

9 comments:

  1. Yep. When I started writing a year and a half ago, I stopped watching television completely. And I may or may not still have suitcases on my floor from last month's trip to Indiana. I spend almost as much time reading as I do writing, and I spent just about all my free time doing one of those two things.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lee Child, Stephen King, and Jane Austen combined .......

    Now THAT might put me off reading!

    ReplyDelete
  3. OH boy, I plead guilty on this one...lately I have read only what I have been required to read.
    But in normal times...I read in the late afternoon...after gardening in the early morning,after a bit of weights, after checking the blogworld,after posting and after writing. When my world seems to quiet down...I settle in with the cats and read...on the sofa in good light...
    I can't believe you read Stephen King...such a thing

    ReplyDelete
  4. I haven't had TV in nearly five years! I let them hook it up a couple of weeks ago when I moved into my new apartment -- three days later I had them disconnect it! It's even worse than before!!! Great post for the day, Michael, hope your week is off to a great start!

    Sylvia

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is a new layout, right? I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the new look of your blog. :)

    I read more now that I have my Kindle, because it is lightweight and not bulky, so it fits nicely in my purse. I turn it on whenever I'm stuck in line somewhere, sitting at the doctor's office, etc. It is convenient to carry, so I always have a book with me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love to read and squeeze in time whenever I can. As a working mom of four, that usually means a chapter at breakfast, one at school pickup, one at soccer practice, waiting for the grill to heat up, etc.

    I love reading before bed but usually end up rereading the same page 10 times before I give up and go to sleep.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Suzie F: reading the same page ten times before bed made me laugh. That's me to a tee!

    Thanks, everyone, for your comments. I appreciate you all.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I read whilst our dogs stare at me...food? water? play?...it never ends!!! lol.

    Actually it is more like the laundry piled high, the dust bunnies running amuk.

    If you ever do write that Austen, King, Child book? I'll be the first in line, man!!

    ReplyDelete

If comments be the food of love, comment on. Give me excess of them... (With apologies to The Bard)