Reading 2.0

Reading 2.0

By R. L. Burkhead

Not that long ago, I heard an interview with Bill Gates (yes, that Bill Gates) in which he talked about his yearly reading holiday.  As part of his job, he said he goes to a remote location--alone--with a reading list and a few dozen books; and he reads.

He may not be reading about how to handle the second person (Jay McInerney's Bright Lights, Big City) or how to manipulate chronology to tell a story in an interesting way (Time's Arrow, by Martin Amis), but he reads as part of his job.  And it's worked out well for him.

So, too, is the case for us creative writers and poets.

Before we start reading as writers and poets, we need to know what to read. Common sense helps a lot. Poets read poetry. Fiction writers read novels and short stories. And of course, everyone reads everything anyway, despite the genre.

To help with your reading choices, why not try a reading journal?

What is it? I suspect that answer could vary depending upon the person providing the response.  For me, it's a way to track what I've read and what I want to read, especially those books I want to read "one day" when I have time to read for pleasure.  And, it's a place where I can make notes about what I learned from a particular book as a writer.

If you find value in this idea and you wish to construct something similar, follow these simple steps:

   1. Ask someone to buy you a journal. You're an aspiring (possibly struggling) writer or poet.  You need your money for ink, paper, envelopes, stamps, and liquor.  So ask!  If it's your birthday or your anniversary, you're set!  If not, then have the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, or Santa Clause bring you one.

   2. Get that (free) journal and a pencil, walk along your bookshelves, and write down what you've read.  And if this list is small, you are forbidden to beat yourself up.  There must always be a beginning.  So, relax and get your list together.

   3. Next, expose yourself to the best works available.  Get quality stuff on your reading radar. How? Each writer will have a different way to accomplish this goal.  Me, I gathered all of those lists of the best books of the century.  I printed them off, taped them in my journal, and highlighted the books I had read, as well as skimmed through the many that I had yet to read.  Open your Web browser and google: "Top books of 20th century."  A zillion lists will appear.  Use the ones that speak to you and ignore the others.

   4. Continue to add to your list. Trust me: this is one reading list that you will never complete.  That's the way it works.  There are too many great writers, too many great books. Each day, I discover new books (or books new to me), and I write those titles on my arm or send an email to myself at home.  I let them build up throughout the week and then add them to the journal when possible.

   5. Document your reading experience with each book.  I write a journal entry when I start a book.  I include the date and why I am reading it (if there's a reason).  And then I write another entry when I finish, a short paragraph on what I learned as a writer.

   6. Finally, take action to inspire yourself to read and pick something from your reading journal.  You may want to start by reading two short books: How to Read and Why, by Harold Bloom and Why Read? by Mark Edmundson. If not, do something else to inspire yourself to read.

In the late 1990s, I gave myself the gift of a full year of guilt-free reading: no writing, no journaling, nothing.  I read.  But I didn't have this journal back then. Sure, I read plenty of books, but the experience was hit and miss.  As you read, devise a method up front to read with purpose, with focus. You'll be rewarded in many ways, especially on the page.

R. L. Burkhead is the founder of the Writer's Loft.