One of the questions I am often asked is, “Do you read?” The answer to that is complicated. I recently made a video discussing whether or not listening to audiobooks is considered reading, and I concluded that I don’t believe it is. This poses a problem for me when people ask if I read, because a significant part of my identity is as a reader.
The question of whether I read is a tricky one. As I mentioned, I don’t consider listening to audiobooks as reading, yet that’s primarily what I do. Moreover, the majority of the audiobooks I listen to are nonfiction. When I say I listen to nonfiction audiobooks, I mean I listen to a significant amount of them. Almost all of my free time is spent listening to audiobooks, particularly those on business, psychology, and self-improvement.
However, when people ask if I read, they’re often asking a different question: “Do you read what you write? Do you read fantasy?” The answer to that is sometimes. It’s challenging when you’re in a creative field to consume the same thing you create. One reason is the fear of inadvertently copying what others are doing. Once you’re far enough into your creative process, it can be detrimental to introduce too many ideas from other minds.
When you’re starting out, it’s beneficial to copy everything you can and then tweak it to make it your own. I have an entire video on this topic, titled “Stealing Like an Artist,” although “Stealing Like a Writer” might be a more accurate title. However, the further along you get in your creative journey, the more you’ll realize that introducing other people’s work into your mind, especially while you’re in the midst of creating yourself, can be detrimental to the creative process.
I often go long periods without reading any other fiction. I’m constantly reading my own work because I’m writing it. I write at such a blistering pace that I don’t have time to read other people’s work. That’s why I try to set aside time every few months to just read. During those periods, I read as much as I possibly can, usually two to three books a day.
I love reading. It’s what led me to writing. There were particular ideas or tropes that I desperately wanted to see in the books I was reading, and when I couldn’t find them, I decided to try writing them myself. The rest, as they say, is history.
However, the further I’ve progressed in my career and creative process, the more I’ve realized that I need periods of isolation to stay true to what I want to create. That’s not to say that I don’t need to “refill the well,” so to speak. I do. I need to ensure that I’m consuming enough of other people’s content to keep my writing fresh.
I’ve found that the most effective way for me to do this is through a process called batching, where you group similar tasks together. I spend a couple of months writing as much as I can, then a couple of weeks reading as much as I can. This cycle continues, with the downside being that I often miss out on reading the latest popular books due to lack of time.
Another issue I have is that once I start reading a book, I can’t stop until it’s finished. This can be disruptive to my creative process, especially if the book is good enough to hold my attention.
I’m curious about your reading habits. Do you read as you write? Do you find it helpful for refilling the well, or is it a disruption to your creative process? Let me know in the comments below, and I’ll catch you next time.
YouTube Video Link: https://youtu.be/43Ot5oNYwv4
Thanks for reading and watching.
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