What do you mean you don't like to read?

It always blows my mind to hear people say they don’t like to read. 

Maybe they think all reading is similar to how academic reading can feel sometimes. That all fiction books are starchy and 900 pages long. I suppose I can understand that, but I so desperately want to show them the light. 

I truly believe that there is a genre, a style, a book out there for everyone to enjoy. If not traditional novels, then comics or graphic novels. Something! 

It is a form of entertainment that is so different from any other. Reading is important beyond entertainment purposes. Something a former history professor of mine said comes to mind here: "If you don't read, then you can't think." Chew on that one for a moment.

I digress. 

I’m a writer, and I aspire to be a published author one day. 

As soon as I finish this novel, eh?

My interest in reading is what led me to writing, which is something I'm sure every aspiring author or published author would say. 

In many ways, my childhood and circumstances during that time helped me develop a healthy love and passion for reading and all that it stands for. My family was poor. We didn't have luxuries like cable television (only broadcast TV from an antennae). My initial exposure to video games (I adore video games) came from playing them at my cousin's house or on a rented console. I'm pretty sure we didn't have a computer or Internet access until I was in high school. 

Before you pity me, I think this may have been a good thing. It forced me and my sisters to rely on our imaginations to entertain ourselves, which for me developed into creating stories. I distinctly remember illustrating a book series about superheroes. One of them had the ability to shoot dandelion spores from her hands. I was inspired by the 90s anime Sailor Moon, I think.

Funnily enough, the novel I'm working on now is about superheroes, but no one shoots dandelion spores from their hands, I promise.

Our mom helped develop our love for reading. She’d read to us sometimes, we’d participate in the reading programs, and we’d even attempt writing and drawing our own stories . She’d humor us by reading them and asking us about the details of what we wrote.

My favorite thing? Checking out books at the library. A library card is like getting a key to a magical place filled with secrets. When I move to a new area, one of the first things I have to find out is the location of the nearest library and get a card as soon as possible.

There is a feeling of anticipation and wonder that comes before cracking open a book—especially one that you’re really excited about. Sometimes the book lives up to your expectations and sometimes it doesn’t—but either way. It’s a rush.

I love when the words stop being words and become a moving picture in your mind—more than that, you become an active participant in the story. I love how certain characters stick with you forever and certain lines become part of you. I love how even when you forget the title, forget the author, you still remember the essence of that book. Sometimes rereading a favorite childhood story is like seeing an old friend.

I love how two people can read the same material and get a different response. I love the escape that reading provides you. I love the emotional response that fictional entities can create in you. It is a unique, intimate activity.

So yes, I love to read. I get pleasure and joy from it—and it helps me get new ideas and confidence in my own writing. I want to share that joy with others—I guess that’s why I write.

Perhaps it is strange that an unpublished writer is blogging about writing. I'll admit, I’m not an expert on the subject and don’t presume to be. But I've been working at writing for most of my life, and I hope some of my insights help my fellow writers. 

This blog is going to heavily focus on writing my first novel and writing in general, reading, and other creative pursuits.

Stick around. If you like what you see, subscribe to my self-indulgent ramblings.