Writers as Readers

When I read, I need silence. Granted, I can read without silence, but the experience won’t be nearly as memorable or as enjoyable. My mind works and thinks at a fast pace, so I cannot have any distractions when I read. And I will not suffer though bad writing when I read. If the writing is really unfortunate, then not even the silence can make the experience a good one. Perhaps that is really one of the things that I need to be comfortable in my reading – for the author to be a talented one. That may sound cruel, but it is the truth.

One of my best memories connected with reading has to be when my mother and I would read together at night. When I was young, my mother and I would lay in my bed and work on our own separate books without saying a word to one another. Yet, this experience brought us closer. I don’t even remember what it was I used to read, all I know is that there was a dragon involved. And if there was even a mention of a dragon in a story, nothing and nobody could tear me away.

My favorite book is, without a doubt, The Kite Runner. This is my favorite because of what it teaches about life. The message is vivid and beautiful. The story is heartbreaking, and I finished the book nearly exhausted because of the emotional impact it had on me. I think back to this book all the time, and my copy is one of my most prized possessions. Without it, I honestly think I would be a different person all together. It taught me that life isn’t always going to turn out the way we want it too, and that happens to be okay.

I do believe that a person who reads a lot might become a stronger writer. I don’t think a person can become talented by simply reading, but I think it can give a person fresh ideas and improves the quality of their writing. As Pablo Picasso said, “good artists copy, great artists steal.” Of course, I don’t completely believe this, but I think it is an interesting concept. How can we not pick up on things other writers have done? I think that anything we read that is memorable will come out in our writing later, it is our inspiration.

I would love to write a book someday. I don’t know if I have the talent for such a thing, but I would truly find it fantastic if it were to come to pass. I have already completed a couple of books myself, but nothing good enough to publish. I hope one day to write a book that is good enough. I don’t know about what yet, I’m still looking for that one idea that changes everything. If I was to be described in some way in the “About the Author” section, I would want to specify that I was nothing special – which is the honest truth.