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
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?
Ha…I have a hard enough time reading the books I do know enough about to know I’ll like it! I do keep up with my Bible reading, though…this year will be the third time I’ve read through the Bible.
I just finished a book called “To the End of June” which was part memoir, part explanation/research. It definitely came from a diverse author I wouldn’t normally have read. Found it on the library shelves and took it home. Enjoyed it!
Glad you enjoyed it, Courtney! Thanks for sharing!
Good for you, Margaret! That’s the most important book you can read . . . 🙂
Yes, so good Katie! I totally agree. This is something I’d been thinking about and began to do this year. In the interest of widening my understanding of the himan experience and also to learn from different writing styles. I included the memoir “Kitchen Confidential” BY Anthony Bourdain, “I miss you when I blink” by Mary Laura Philpott, among others. Their worldview is very different from mine, for sure. But it is similar to many around me, giving me a window into how many around me see life. Their writing is absolutely riveting. I learnt so much just studying their sentence construction.
Thank you for sharing, great reminder 🙂
That’s wonderful, Paola! So encouraging to see your perspective and to learn of you taking practical steps in this direction. Thanks for sharing!