"Read, read, read, read, read...... to be a writer it's a must." ~Marianne H.Nielsen
The above is a fact we've heard in many different forms as writers. It's often the first piece of advice given by well known, published writers. And I have discovered it is the most valuable piece of information, even though it's taken me a while to understand how important it is!
I have always read, but I can honestly say that I have not devoured books as I have since taking Anastasia's Suen's online non-fiction course and Laura Salas' online poetry course. In the past two months I have read several hundred books. I currently have stacks of books on my office floor amounting to about seventy-five. The library loves me! My youngest son is also thrilled with these stacks as he enjoys reading non-fiction. He comes into my office and goes through my books, reading and looking at all the photos. It's like my office floor is his own personal library!
What I want to share is that through all this reading I have done, I discovered how I want to present and write my non-fiction, and also my poetry. It somehow built confidence in me because I know I can do what other writers have done. It will take a lot more reading and writing of course, but I know I will get to where it is I want to be, and the more I read, I believe, the faster I'll get there.
So, now I understand the amount of reading that's required to be a writer. Reading is as full time a job as writing is. So get down to your library with a bag in hand and fill it up!
Come and check out the Non-fiction round-up at Anastasia Suen's blog.
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