How my Reading Practice fuels my Writing Practice

Developing a Rhythm and Practice of Writing - Part 14

Reading is the fuel to my writing practice. Just like I have a rhythm for my writing, I have a rhythm for my reading. 

Reading is breathing in. Writing is breathing out. It’s how I live, learn and grow. 

Here is my reading practice and how I process what I read:

1. Choosing what to read: I have a running list of books recommended by mentors, friends and authors. I focus on reading books more than articles or blogs because my intention is to take a deep dive into a topic. Some long form articles are good as long as it has depth to it.
   
   
2. You don’t have to finish reading a book: This has been one of the best pieces of advice I received regarding building a reading practice. For some reason, people carry guilt or shame for not finishing a book. It may be because they invested money in buying the book. For that reason, with most books, I start by listening to the audiobook first. I use Audible. If the book doesn’t hold my attention or curiosity - that’s where I will stop.
   
   
3. I buy the physical book: When the audiobook resonates with me, I will buy the book. I understand that it’s buying the book twice but it saves me from wasting my time and most importantly my attention. I love the feel of a physical book. I love writing in my books, highlighting, folding the pages, logging the date I started reading and finished, etc… I can’t do that with the e-book.
   
   
4. I process the book by taking notes: As I read the book, I will utilize a note-taking tool (like Notion or Roam) to document the notes, review and reflect on the notes, and then refine and share my summaries in the form of “Book Notes”.
   
   
5. I reread my favorite books. There are a handful of my favorite books I reread. I usually find additional insights or deepen the ones I already discovered. One book I read annually is “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. It never gets old for me. It’s probably because I see a lot of myself in the protagonist - Santiago. 

One word of caution: Balance your reading and writing practices. Reading can be the fuel to your writing but it can also be a barrier - a coping mechanism to not writing.

This entry is for Month-long writing challenge for our The Beautiful Future Members. Every weekday, we write and share with one another to build and strengthen our practice of writing.