A reading binge. I read five novels in the past week. Yeah, not getting a lot of sleep these days. So before I talk about why I'm acting crazy, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge that extremes like this are not healthy and I don't recommend you forfeit sleep to do all the reading and writing you want to do. I experienced a creative spike after some slow writing months and just went with it.
But I do want to point out a significant truth for writers that became more pronounced during my writing/reading binges:
You can't really be a writer if you don't read, too.
It takes a reader to write a really good book. While you read, you're picking up on subtext and the natural swing of a story arc, and maybe even consciously taking note of clever prose or innovative, raw dialogue you'd like to emulate. More than that, you're reaffirming in your own mind the importance of STORY. You're falling in love with fiction over and over again, which helps with the key problem facing most novelists: motivation.
So if you're feeling stressed as a writer, not meeting your word quota, or just need to remember why you write, head over to Afterglow Book Reviews and fall in love with some books that got five stars. I promise your writing will improve.
P.S.es
Two days, two amazing books! Read my Afterglow reviews of THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner and the brand new SUPERNATURALLY by Kiersten White
Get primed for our August 1st Mystery Agent contest at Operation Awesome! Lindsay's shared a bunch of helpful links for working your one-line pitch.
