I am devouring words with an insatiable appetite. I let them simmer for a while in my head, culling and then absorbing what I can to create a reservoir for when I sit down before my keyboard. I always had and still have a passion for written words. How they sing, dance, cheer, sadden or bring laughter, in skillful writers’ hands when they manipulate them into artistic creations! I get goose bumps sometimes when certain paragraphs or sentences speak to me, touch me, and invoke emotions that must be released or face an inner explosion.
This writing journey is as much about what I read as what I write. There seems to be an infinite amount of online written materials to help a writer along. One thing that the writing community is good at is putting words, many of them, on any medium. As I work on my short stories and novel (the latter on temporary hiatus while I focus on the former), I have helped myself to much of the advice dished out online for free. Of course, I have to use my own critical thinking to assess what I assimilate or reject.
Then there are those words that I pay for…and I do so willingly for quality work. I am a member of the Writer’s Digest VIP Program. Robert Lee Brewer and Brian A. Klems send out interesting and helpful newsletters. I can do without some of the promotional emails, but I understand the need for them, and yes, sometimes I’m hooked. I also have a paid membership at Writing.Com. Again, lots of writing advice and activities. I’ve bought numerous books - eBooks are easy to purchase and don’t add to my iPad’s weight. They are very reasonably priced and most have given me what I went looking for. I’ve already blogged about some of my more recent purchases.
Have my reading improved my writing skills? I believe they are certainly motivating me to write more, and the more I practice what I learn, the better I should get…at least, directionally that’s how it’s supposed to work.Labels: Writing