Reading time: Less than 1 minute
This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss an article written by Melinda Osteen…
A headline like How To Think and Write Creatively was bound to get my attention. And while the ideas listed in this piece — which appeared on Nick Thacker’s WriteHacked.com website — weren’t hugely original, I like the way the writer, Melinda Osteen, packaged them.
I especially appreciated that she began her piece by suggesting that blocked writers read. Yes! Here is how Osteen put it:
Turn reading into a 30-minute daily routine! Don’t waste your time on bestsellers; choose timeless pieces of literature that will change your point of view. Although you understand how a perfect narrative should look like, your favorite books will remind you what writing is all about. The important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t lose yourself in a book for entire days; make it a daily habit that won’t get into the way of your job.
I read voraciously. It’s a daily habit I’ve nurtured since I was six years old. I was the child who read the back of the Corn Flakes box at breakfast and, if eating alone, still always have a book, a newspaper or my iPhone (carrier of the New York Times) for company.
Reading is probably the healthiest habit I have. It’s certainly the best one for improving my own writing.