I am a writer. I discovered words touch the inner part of my soul. Because words from all areas communicate to me, I want to touch and communicate through words as well.
This exploration to inner and outer lands started when I was very young. I was the type of child who had a book in front of her nose most of the time. Because I had rheumatic fever at age 13, a good portion of my youth was limited to sedentary activities. Lucky for all I enjoyed reading books.
This post is not a total break from my series on fear. Fear comes in all shapes and sizes. You may be afraid to start a book because it looks too long. You may be afraid to break out of your comfort zone of genres ? Are you afraid you do not really have enough time to read.. (Kids, housework, a job, your own writing… life)
WHY READ A BOOK ANYWAY?
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To better your ability to communicate, the more you read, the more tools in you will have in your toolbox.
- How did previous authors write ?
- Study current or past techniques explored to express and better communicate your own creativity.
- Reading biographies help recognize you are not alone in experiencing the pain you feel. What emotional /spiritual choices were made to handle stress or discouragement? Is it something you want to emulate or not?
As a mother needs to take time to relax and play with her child with no agenda, it is good for a creative writer, to read something for relaxation. Business in all forms can get crazy, but to relax with a gentle fiction can allow your brain to go to another place and rest.
No agenda. God throws the seeds of wildflowers on the side of the road. The beauty of the purple lupine, wild daisy and Indian paintbrush have no specific value, other than to bring joy to the eyes of the drivers. It is amazing how your heart can grow with the words you take in. It is also fun to color books with nothing to benefit from what is created other than watching colors bloom on a page.
In January from blog to blog, book titles started coming in all shapes and colors. It does not matter what creative bent you are from, they all expressed, “README!” Bookstores are continuously lined with all the newly published works.
The following are a few points which might help reach your goal to actually finish those wonderful writings.
▪Don’t start a new read when going to bed. At least don’t use this time for intense reading. Wait until you can fully take in the author’s words. Not when you are fighting to keep your eyes open.
▪ .If your phone is a problem, turn it off while you are reading. Give the book your attention.
▪ On your days off, schedule some time to read. This is a gift you can give yourself. Relax, Learn, See a Deeper You. Expand. Bless yourself.
▪ If a book doesn’t grab you, don’t feel you need to keep reading it. Give it at least maybe 50 pages for a good try. After that, it might be time to go onto the next one calling your name. Don’t feel bad. Hand the book to a friend or donate it to a share library.
▪ Choosing a bigger book or a classic? This may be take more work to get into. If you are finally tackling The Lord of the Rings (after seeing the movie?) here is a great time to go to a coffee shop, order your favorite latte and settle in for awhile. Don’t try quick start and stop reads to see the book is worth your time. This one will take more than 50 pages.
- Try keeping a list of your books. After finishing the book, write down your opinion? Would you loan it to a friend? Did it have a positive or negative effect on you? No effect at all?
- Audio books are ways to enjoy that literary classic or other gems while doing activities. Even though it is not actually reading, it allows you to finish many books you thought you did not have time for.
- Hopefully this last point brings a challenge. Check books not in your normal genre. Diversity in authors, cultures and genre might take you out of your comfort zone. Chose a book of Shakespearean poems. Possibly the books you always go to are nonfiction. An historical fiction could take you on a wonderful adventure you would never before considered.
If fiction is the route you normally enjoy, picking a nonfiction or two could open a door to areas you never knew existed. It could bring a dynamic change to your life.
God will speak to you through books. Are you willing to go past a fear in your reading? Will you allow God to take you to places He wants to speak to you? Go on an adventure.
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Be
Free
To
Worship
As
You
Were
Created.
Ideas were taken from this article written by Connie Ogle:
http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/books/article124511389.