My Adventures in Extreme Reading – Part 1
Last week I proclaimed that I’m about to undertake a lofty, new goal… to read every writing book there is (an idea I borrowed from a comment Catherine Franz left on Amazon.com).
And every since making that decision I find myself tip-toeing around the writing section at the bookstore trying to decide what to read.
The only thing I’ve ever written outside of school is non-fiction. Every writing book I’ve read up until now has had a non-fiction slant. In the past 15 years I’ve read a grand total of 3 fiction books.
Can you see a “circle-circle-dot-dot” pattern here?!?
I don’t know how to write anything else except real-life stuff.
And now that I’ve begun exploring other writing genres, I’m seeing that there’s A LOT I could be doing to improve my writing.
Right now I’m knee deep in The Making of a Story
I especially like the Details, Details chapter for this very reason. I’m always saying to make a story emotional. LaPlante offers the hard core version of my advice. It really gave me an “a-ha!” moment.
But, there is a problem…
A goal of this magnitude requires a plan.
A plan for reading, and a plan for taking notes. And I haven’t fully constructed said plan.
So I’m thinking that first I’ll need to learn how to read faster. I want to be able to read a book and comprehend it in an hour or two.
That’s easy enough (I hope!), I’ll just learn how to speed read.
For that I recently ordered Breakthrough Rapid Reading
Over the next month I’ll be practicing the exercises.
I have a few note taking strategies in mind. But I’m going to experiment to see which option I’d like to take.
If anyone has some advice, please do share.
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I’m kind of on the same journey. My writing instructor encouraged me to read and write every genre. No matter how good you think you are at it. Good luck on your reading quest.
@ Sandra… I’m already seeing the benefit of learning how to write in different genres.
The other day I thought in poetry verses all day. It was crazy, but it sure did release some creative juices.
Alexis
I’m learning a method called PhotoReading. I haven’t managed this method yet, but I find it really helpful – I read much faster and gain a better understanding of the material.
Here’s the link:
http://www.learningstrategies.com/PhotoReading/DeluxeCourse.asp
I stumbled upon it from Steve Pavlina’s website:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/photoreading/
I am also increasingly seeing the benefit in having a plan, a way, principles about how to do things. For example – it’s not enough to just read a book or an article. Because I would just forget most of it in 24 hours. Instead I define what I want to gain from the material, read it and then create a mind map of it (with my own terminology). That way I get a much better understanding of the information.
Best luck to you!
Reinis
Funny, I’ve been going to an open mike and singing songs I’ve written (thought I didn’t write them recently). And I discovered lately that I’ve been thinking a lot in rhyme! I mean, I’ll think something and realize that it came out in two lines that rhyme. Honest to goodness.
Janet
Hey! I actually took a speed reading course. It was wonderful, definitely helped. But.. there is plethora books out there Evelyn Woods reading program I heard is real good. By the way, Alexis. You are freaking awesome:) Thanks for this wonderful Blog and your continuing reference manual updated weekly:)