Reading: Music to the Eyes
Although I will admit to knowing writers who do not read, I do not recommend it in practice. If you are a musician, you must practice your instrument, if you are a runner, you must exercise your body, and if you are a writer, you must read. It seems like a no-brainer that if you want to be an exceptional wordsmith, you must know what that means. You must see success in order to know what works and to learn proper skills, you must learn from the professionals. I have noticed that quite a few of the writers I know are teachers. One thing about teachers that you may not know is that we have no time for ourselves. When we are "off," we are planning, writing lesson plans, creating syllabi, and making copies. Educators, as a profession, have very little personal time. When do we have time to read, you may wonder? Well, that is a very good question.
One thing that I am very diligent about is my workout routine. While I was finishing my master's degree, I was still working full-time teaching high school, English. I stopped working out completely, and I gained a lot of weight. After I graduated, I began to take my personal health more seriously and lost 30 pounds. Exercise takes up a lot of time, so I got a little advice on what to do to be able to utilize my time wisely. I saw a friend of mine's post on Facebook about the new books she has read. I asked her where she finds the time. She told me that she reads while she is on her treadmill. Interesting... I thought to myself. I downloaded a new book onto my Kindle and took it to the gym. I discovered that I can put my Kindle or even my phone on my cardio machine of choice and run, run, run! I have finally become a Kindle Unlimited subscriber because I knock out so many books in a month. It really helps me with the cost. I love to read, and I love to write, and I am grateful for the writers out there who spend quality time on their craft. I highly recommend that if you are a writer, you find a way to fit reading into your schedule. Don't be that bird who doesn't sing in the trees. Play music with your fingertips, and write quality material so that others can be blessed by your songs.
