“Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.”
Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Ever since I was a kid, I have had difficulty reading and have been a slow reader. Because of this, it was always hard for me to enjoy books and complete reading assignments for school. I usually ended up asking classmates about what happened in the books or used SparkNotes to get an idea of what the books were about. It wasn’t until my freshman year of college that I found out I had dyslexia.
Over the past few years, I have pushed myself to read more and read faster, and though I still have difficulty from time to time, I enjoy reading more now than ever. And being a graduate student going for a degree in writing, I want to explore different genres, experience new stories, and appreciate the art of literature.
Reading Goals (and Research)
Being an ambitious writer means I must also be an avid reader. I have a long to-be-read list (TBR), and it is my one wish to get through some of those books this year. Of course, I am always adding more books to the list as I discover new titles and authors, but some of the ones on the top of the list are the books lingering on my bookshelf [that have done nothing but gathered dust for the past several years (Oops!)].
One of my goals for 2021 (and beyond) is to read more books. Reading is research and research makes me a better writer. It is always important to conduct research; whether you are writing the next Harry Potter-like fantasy world or you are writing historical nonfiction, research is key to creating a great story.
Goal for 2021 = 100 books
My reading goal is set pretty high, but if I can accomplish half of that, I would be proud of myself! I don’t necessarily expect to read up to 100 books, but if I do, that would be more than I’ve ever read before!
After reading each book, I will write about my experience with the text on my Read to Write page. It won’t necessarily be a book review, but I will write a short summary as well as discuss what the book has to offer for perspective readers. The main goal for the posts will be to explore how the texts I read will help me become a better writer.
To keep myself motivated and held accountable, I will post my progress on my Goodreads.
Research
As I read through my list, I will also write about the books on my Research page. My goal for these posts is to break down how these books will help me construct my work(s) in progress. Not every book will necessarily be read for research, but every book a writer reads gives them a better glimpse at their craft.
In my posts, I will also leave links to purchase the book, to the author (if applicable), and so on. The purpose is to make it easier for you to access the information you need if you want to know more about the materials or author. Also, sharing is caring!
Through these posts, I hope to discover myself as a writer, as well as give you, my audience, a view of my thought process, my experience as a reader, and hopefully motivate and/or inspire other writers. 🙂
Georgia Iris Salvaryn 