Reading Is Good For My Creativity: 010
Reading Habits
Recent History Of Reading
About three-four years ago I was easily reading a couple of hundred books a year, but then my life took a nasty turn and I lost my enthusiasm for a lot of things, including picking up a book. It’s only recently in the last eighteen months my appetite for reading has returned, and I have to say, i’ve truly missed it. Few things in life offer me more comfort, especially as I get older.
Reading and writing have often been intricately linked for me. When i’m writing plenty, i’m reading often. When i’m typing my best work, i’m devouring books. It has always been that way, even back in my scriptwriting day. I’d write for a few hours, and then read a couple of screenplays. It was how I worked for years, and it felt like one of the reasons I was always improving at my craft.
Then, when I made the change from scriptwriter to being author the same happened with books. The more I wrote, the more I read, and the better I believe I became as a writer and storyteller.
My Relationship With Books
Books inspire me, as well as relax me. I can disappear into their world with ease and often don’t find myself distracted when i’m buried in a book the same way I might other things in my life. I’ve alway read (baring this last gap) but have found myself wanting to read more than ever now the need to pick up a book most days has returned.
Maybe it’s purely the escapist side of reading I’ve missed most, but I also think it’s linked to my desire to be writing more as well. Like I mentioned, I’ve always connected the two.
I’ve started alternating between reading and writing throughout the day rather than them being separate things (Even more so than when I wrote and read screenplays) Often, I’ll read for a while, then type for a bit, before returning to the book, and then finish the day editing a chapter. The two disciplines are becoming more intwined than ever, so it’s a good thing i’m enjoying both.
This routine seems to have given me more confidence as an author, and has encouraged me to take more chances within my work as I read some of the greats and take in different genres.
The Absence Of Books
It’s difficult losing a passion or hobby in life. It sounds a little silly saying that, but story telling really has been my whole world. Predominantly, its always been through cinema, and largely still is, but books have been a part of that too from the sci-fi and adventure/fantasy books I read as a child, to the YA novels and horror as I grew older, and now a mixture of all genres.
Losing the desire to read a few years back really hurt. It felt like something important had been taken from me. A creative part of me was missing. I would go as far as to say it left a void in my soul but I don’t quite want to be that dramatic… whether it’s true or not. So, i’m relieved to be able to pick up a book and read again. I truly need it in my life, more than I realised.
Of course I could have continued to read. It was my decision to mostly stop when things turned to shit, but something prevented me from the simple act. The enjoyment had been sucked from it. I felt like I couldn’t escape into those worlds anymore, at the time when I wanted to the most. I couldn’t lose myself in fantastical settings, intriguing characters, and wild stories, so… what was the point? (Although I did read a few autobiographies)
The same could be said for movies. I think during that period I watched less films than at any other years of my life. The days of a thousand plus films a year might be long gone, but I at least used to comfortably watch a few of hundred. However, during that period I barely watched a couple a month. Fortunately I’m back to watching a few more now.
Grateful To Be Reading Again
I think at times we believe our hobbies are almost time wasting. We could be doing something more productive rather than reading, watching, listening to music, painting, playing a game. It’s only when they’re taken away from us (which they never should be) that we truly recognise their real value and importance to our sanity.
For most our hobbies are simply something to relax us, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I one-hundred percent encourage it. But for me, losing my hobbies felt like I’d lost a lot of my creativity too. I need the stimulate of entertainment to inspire me, bring out the best in me, and quite frankly, get me out of bed in the morning.
I’ve never thought it was a consequence that my best work always coincides with me reading and watching more. It’s like it opens up a different part of my brain (I don’t know the science, just the result) so it’s one of the many reasons i’m really happy to be reading everyday again. I need books in my life. I need that vicarious escape and adventure. But most of all, I’m not ashamed to say, I need that inspiration and encouragement books offer me.
I have so many of my own stories to tell, and reading other people’s work helps motivate me to write them.
Alice On The Air
I’ve almost completed the third draft of my upcoming Novella Alice on the Air. I’m starting to become really pleased with how everything is fitting together. The story and characters feel like they’re working in harmony (Or disharmony but that’s what I’m going for) So while I always get a little anxious no one else will care or read my work, I’m happy with the story myself.
I’m starting to work on the synopsis now and will give the manuscript a quick fourth draft as there’s a few things I’ve changed and need to double-check.
But, I imagine I’ll be sending the manuscript to the editor before the end of the month. I might delay the release by a couple of week as I’m always at the start of September but we’ll see. For now the important thing is finishing Alice on the Air and getting it edited and formatted. Then I can worry about the most difficult part, getting people to read it.
I haven’t decided what I’m going to write afterwards. I have a few novels in mind but I’m also considering working on a few more shorts first. I have a lot of different things several drafts in that need finishing and now might be time to tidy them all up. I’m also not quite sure what genre I want to write next either.
Been Watching A Lot Of Late
I’ve watched a ton of films since my last ‘life’ update. I won’t go through all the old rewatches but there are some new ones I’d highly recommend: Colony, Blades of the Guardians and The Furious are all fantastic films.
Colony is another South Korean film that tackles the Zombie Subgenre in a creative and clever manner, and feels like the best Resident Evil film made in a long time. Blades of Guardians has insane action and a brilliant pace about it. Feels like an old school Hong Kong Movie (My happy place) but is also very modern in a lot of its techniques.
Lastly Furious is savage. It’s a wild story told with great action and grit. It’s pitched somewhere in-between The Vengeance Trilogy and The Raid.
Other new movies I watched were: The Mandalorian and Grogu, which offered absolutely nothing. It was just two hours of white noise and CGI blandness (although I did like the few practical effects they used)
Spiderman Brand New Day had some amazing performances but felt a little unfocused at times. I really enjoyed all the Spiderman parts but didn’t need any of the MCU parts. I know it can’t be helped at this point, but also, it should be helped. Spiderman doesn’t need A Hulk in his movies.
Lastly Supergirl was a cool Space Opera which didn’t deserve the beating it took. I’m not putting it up for any awards but I thought it was fun throughout and had a good pace to it. Supergirl was an interesting character and all the bad guys had a little something about them. Tonally it was all over the place but I never mind that when I’m being entertained.
Reading wise I’ve started Cloud Atlas now that I’ve finished rereading the Darren Shan Saga. I’m too early in the book to have much of an opinion but it am already intrigued. I never got round to watching the film despite always meaning too so I don’t really know what’s next. I like that each period has a different writing style though, that’s very interesting.
This Coming Week
I don’t really have any other plans outside of working on Alice on the Air this coming week so I imagine I’ll redraft a few more chapters either at Costa’s or home. I have quite a lot of scheduled posts now for my Subgenre Work on the website and Substack but I might start a new one of them as well. Supernatural westerns is the next planned one as I’ve read and watched the work for it.
Lastly incase you missed it I posted a new Short Story yesterday called Popsicle, I’d love it if you gave it a read. Really happy with this one.
