This summer my focus has changed to new and exciting adventures. I haven't been to exotic places or taken on thrilling endeavors. Though I do dream of having adrenaline rushing trips. You know the type like in the Indiana Jones movies.
Yet, I wonder if it would be to much excitement for me in reality. After all, Willie Scott did say, "I'm going home to Missouri, where they never ever feed you snake before ripping your heart out and lowering you into hot pits. This is not my idea of a swell time!"
So I'll let the adrenaline rushing adventures just be a dream.
However, my adventure is much milder and less risky. My partner, Shona Neff, and I started a blog site and services to benefit new writers and speakers who feel called by God to get started in what can be sometimes (or oftentimes) overwhelming world of writing and speaking. Our site is located at StepUPWritingandSpeaking.com. We have various posts up for readers to glean lots of insights.
Today, I have an article posted called, "Why Nonfiction Writers Should Read Fiction." Here's a peek:
To continue reading, click on over. And when you do, be sure to join our Facebook and Twitter page for updates.
"I don’t have time to read fiction."Oh, that common statement crossed my lips many times. My attitude was that if I was going to take time out of my busy day to sit down with a book, I wanted to read something that would impact my life. How to improve my marriage, my kids, my walk with God. I wanted answers to life questions. I didn’t want to stop and enjoy a book.
But then God literally placed a book in my hands. While attending a weekly Bible study, my name was drawn to win a prize. I collected my prize and went home. I tore through the gift wrap to reveal a book--a fiction book.
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
I prepared lunch. Started some laundry. I decided to sit down for a few minutes and investigate this book. I planned to read about ten minutes and then move on with the to-do list. I thought after a few pages of the introduction, I would be finished exploring and could turn my focus back to the important issues of the day.
Once I started reading, I could not pull myself away from the story grabbing me from the pages.
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1 gracious comments:
Shonda,
I have found it very helpful to read a wide range of genre. Redeeming Love is a Christian Classic - it has been a while since I read it so I should read it again.
As my children are in high school I have found it interesting to read much of their fiction books. Most of them I should have read in high school but I honestly don't think I read any book in high school.
Matter of fact, I struggled in reading. I remember many times trying to read a book but struggling so much with pronunciation of words that I never understand anything I read, and I died ten times over whenever we were asked to read aloud because I couldn't even get through one sentence without skipping, mispronouncing and stumbling of words.
Once I got in college something amazing happen, for some odd reason, I think I no longer felt the competition of my older sisters who had all the teachers prior to me and thus I was compared to their genius, I would read every word of any assignment.
Now I am a such an eager reader I have to force myself to put books down, but I digress from the original topic.
As a writer, I find it very beneficial to read all types of books. It is very important as a Christian writer to read non-Christian books and magazines to be able to understand the current trends and thinking of the unreached audience for Christ.
I want to know what are other people concerned about, what are the hot topics, what solutions are popular today... reading fiction helps me learn the current language of most people. I am able to see what is important, and what worldview many hold. It is also an excellent way to learn how to describe something with imagery.
Thank you for this article, and I love the colors of your blog!
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