Reading?!

So, I am slowly but surely re-establishing my old writing habits. It's an ongoing process - learning once again how to silence my doubts and internal editor, trying to maintain momentum by writing every day, focusing on one big story and seeing it through all the way to the end and, most importantly, actually concentrating on writing instead of getting sidetracked by the internet..

All these things take time. Right now, I've started small. I'm writing for ten minutes here, ten minutes there - the plan being to gradually increase the time I spend writing as I continue to build up my focus for projects. It seems to be working so far. I managed nearly twenty minutes today (not counting the time I spent writing this blog - and some time I will probably spend afterwards on the project). One step at a time, I say. It's rather like exercise. You have to do it consistently and, over time, you'll gradually get faster - stronger or, in my case, able to actually concentrate instead of run off to the Internet after ten seconds.

But that's not what I wanted to ramble about today. I wanted to talk about...reading. You see, when I was a teenager I read constantly. All the time. Whatever looked interesting - primarily fantasy and science fiction. I was drawn to book jackets and interesting covers, drawn to new stories, new frontiers, new ideas, characters and settings to process.

And then I sort of...stopped and I suspect that my lack of reading has at least something to do with the decline in my writing habits. Oh, sure, I still read. But it was always old favorites, very rarely anything new. Well, I arbitrarily decided a couple of days ago to charge up my tablet, buy an e-book and sit down and read it. I then followed that up with a couple of graphic novels (also purchased digitally, by the way.). I felt that, afterwards, the writing I did was of better quality than usual: the words came easier and the quality was a lot better - something I was actually fairly happy with.

But what's more? I enjoyed the stuff I was reading. Sure, it wasn't deep masterpieces or anything. But it doesn't need to be. I just have to like it. It just has to appeal to me. So I'm going to start reading again - consistently. It could be old stuff I've read before - but I mostly want to expand my horizons with new books. Fantasy, sci-fi and perhaps a smattering of non-fiction. No quotas on genre or anything like that.

Whatever appeals to me.

I will, of course, have to rely a lot on my local library and Overdrive (the e-book library app for those uninitiated) because books cost money which, unfortunately, I don't have a lot of. I will likely allow myself a purchase or two every payday. And ebooks, unfortunately. I'm generally okay with e-books but I much prefer physical copies. And with the local bookstore in my area going under...

Sad day.

But anyway! That's no way to end this blog entry. Things are looking up. I'm getting back into the swing of things, the new novel is shaping up well and I am enjoying my life.

Till next time!