Wednesday, April 18, 2012

If You Be A Writer...

Read!

Seriously, all writers must read. And not just novels, either. Do you remember those readers you'd get in school? YOU know, those books you'd have in second, third, and fourth grade? Yeah, those books, with the hundreds of short stories in them?

I remember when I had absolutely no books to read, I'd go into the school room and pull out all the readers I could find and devour those from cover to cover. When I was done with those I'd go into the living room and pull out Mom's storybook collections. She still has them. They are the Colliers Junior Classics readers, the "Young Folks Shelf Of Books." There are a bazillion stories in there that I bet very few people remember reading.

For instance, who knows the story about the Funny Thing that would eat children's dolls? "And very good are they - dolls," it would say with a smile. Come on, let's see those hands.
No one? Please, check it out! It's a great wee story, and I only remembered it because I was visiting my brother in Kansas and we were having some sort of nice food, and I said with a pseudo-quote, "And very good are they - (whatever-it-was-we-were-eating)," and no one knew what I was quoting! So then I started asking if they remembered stories such as Peter Churchmouse, or Poppy Seed Cakes featuring Andrewshek's Auntie Katushka? (Say that three times fast. :-) How about Evie and the Wonderful Kangaroo?

Apparently only my older sister and I were weird enough to read every reader in the house. But I am full of stories because of it.

So read your readers! Even now, I enjoy pulling down a reader, or Grimm's fairy tales, or just any short-story collection and reading it through.

Because they're full of ideas.

And you never know which story will inspire your imagination.

God bless!

Cat

8 comments:

  1. Yeah...I didn't read the readers. Lol. I was far too busy with Redwall!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, Redwall!

      I read those too. When I was done with them I moved ON to the readers. :)

      Delete
  2. Be honest with me, Cat, does reading ever feel like "Going to war" for you? It does for me. Lately, I feel like I have to force myself to read things I didn't write, but I can't manage it most days.

    I feel like no one gets how I feel. How can you, Cat, or anyone else who reads more books in a day or a week than I did last year, partly from jealousy, partly from feeling like I'll never reach this quality, or can be that brave, no matter how many times it was rewritten, period.

    I feel like the only writer who has this problem.

    It's taking all the resolve I have to finsh Shifter in audiobooks, I'd tear the paperback to shreds out of feeling for Nya so much.

    Cat, I know others on WR found it boring or not good enough, maybe that's because you are braver readers than I'll ever be.

    Sorry I sound mad, but please understand I say this because I care, so much about writing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually, I've been very lucky that I haven't found reading a struggle. Usually it's just my writing that feels like war, and when that happens other books help me forget my frustration. I can't even imagine not being able to take refuge in a book! How horrible for you, Taurean. :(

      And I know you care about writing. I've read some of your stories, remember. :)

      Delete
  3. Couldn't agree more. I love that part of my job is reading. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it nice that's your JOB? How sad for all those people who are too busy for that best part of the job. :)

      Delete
  4. As someone who loves reading almost everything I get my hands on, I especially could relate to this wonderful post. I remember my favorite times were being in bed sick with a cold--my mother doting all over me with hot tea and a huge volume of fairy tales in front of me! Getting better was never sweeter!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree. I ALWAYS loved the fairy tale readers. :)

      Delete

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