Today is Day 5 in our series, 31 Days of Writing Tips. Each post in this series has been written in five minutes flat in conjunction with the challenge, 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes.

To read more posts in this series, visit the Table of Contents page here.

Today’s writing prompt is: OTHER

 

other

 

I often get stuck reading the same types of books — most often from writers who look the same as me, think the same as me, and write the same as me.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I have to be very intentional and purposeful about breaking out of the mold to read work from other genres, or authors from races or cultures different from my own.

Last year as I planned my reading list for 2018, I had a goal to read a more diverse variety of work, and I felt that my life was only enriched because of it. I was able to get a glimpse into what life has been like for other individuals and see—if only in part—how they view the world from their perspective and experience.

RELATED POST: Books I Read in 2018

I challenge you to do the same if you’re not doing so already.

Make a list of books that you wouldn’t “normally” read.

Maybe right now you only read fiction. If that’s the case, perhaps it’s time to explore some memoir, poetry, or essay collections. Maybe you only read male authors, or female authors. Perhaps you could ask for recommendations of books that others have enjoyed, or find a recommended books list from your local library or bookstore.

The main challenge here is to read widely—don’t keep reading books that all say the same thing in the same way from the same life perspective. Branch out a little . . . I promise you won’t regret it.

If you have read more widely, how was your life (writing life or in general) enriched because of it?

Which books pleasantly surprised you that you didn’t expect to enjoy? 

 

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