As I've been laying around sick these last few days, unable to stare at my computer screen for more than a few minutes thanks to the sinus pressure, it finally hit me. I haven't been reading!
I've been spending so much time revising and thinking about revising and nitpicking sentences that I haven't read just for fun. And I need it. That's when I feel the most inspired, when I'm surrounded by exciting, interesting, absorbing stories. So yesterday, when actual reading was an impossibility, I started listening to an audiobook, and already I feel revived.
(Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, read by Jennifer Ehle who is awesome at the multitude of voices and British accents in the book.)
So what about you? Do you read when you write? I can't read fiction that is similar in topic to what I'm writing but I like to read things that are similar in tone.
I think this is part of my problem too. I've only read two books so far in 2011. I've just been so overwhelmed in my personal life and it's stifling my creativity. Sometimes we just need to sit back and read. Hope you feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteI've read a ton of books (for me) in 2011, and I think you're right about the link to creativity. I've been flying through revisions and have been making time to read some every day. It's not always YA--right now I'm reading Signora Da Vinci and love it. That was why part of my goal was to read more this year, because I felt stuck a lot last year and I didn't read nearly as much.
ReplyDeleteFeel better soon, Valerie!
I'm the same at the moment. I've been so caught up in revision that I've not read for a while. I've got some awesome books in my TBR pile so it's time to rectify. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteI definitely read when I write. It helps keep the creativitiy flowing. Like you though, I don't read the same type of novel to keep from letting my voice slip. If I'm not reading something though my mind is more prone to get writer's block.
ReplyDelete~Heather of CSC