What I read, and why
Posted in opinion, writing on March 10th, 2010 by scott – 5 Comments
If you want to improve as a writer, you not only need to write. You need to read. Writing and reading are two sides of the same coin. You need to do both to achieve your potential.
By reading, you’re exposing yourself to different voices and viewpoints. And you can pick up some new techniques. Not only that, you get a great opportunity to see what other writers are doing well and what they’re doing badly. Sometimes, you might just be blown away by what you read. So much so that you’ll try harder to improve.
Of course, there’s definitely nothing wrong with reading for pleasure. It can be relaxing to lose yourself in a book, no matter how good or bad.
While I take my own advice and read a lot, I’ve actually cut down on a lot of reading. I deliberately put myself on a low-information diet and, to be honest, I’m not missing out on much (if anything).
That said, I still read quite a bit. Here’s a sampling of the types of things that I read, and why.
Failure. It’s not a word many of us like to hear. Failure isn’t a four-letter word, but it’s treated like one. It supposedly has a stench. If nothing else, failure has a number of negative connotations — both perceptually and psychologically.
It doesn’t matter what your high school English teacher said. It doesn’t matter what your university composition instructor said. And it definitely doesn’t matter what Microsoft Word’s grammar checker tells you.
Last week, I had a short but interesting chat with someone at the corporate gig I’m currently working on. He was telling me about a commentator he heard on the radio who stated that ebook readers in their current form were doomed. Why? Because 1) the screens are grayscale, and 2) the content on the devices is static.
I’m not usually the sentimental type. But sometimes the urge to look back grips me and my mind turns to the past. Sometimes it’s to reflect on triumphs. Sometimes on mistakes. There’s always a lesson to be learned, or I can find a a solution or a new approach to a problem.