You Write What You Read

This is me, writing about writing.

First of all, I am going to preface this by confessing that I am in no way qualified to say any of it. I'm not published. Here is something that is possible: I never will be.

I'm not going to mitigate that by telling you I've been writing most of my life, or how much I love it. I've had teeth all my life; doesn't make me a dentist. My nephew loves sitting in the driver's seat; he's three years old. Passion plus longevity does not necessarily equal talent or quality. Not always, anyway.

This is something I have found to be true for me, and I bet it's true for you as well.

Look at it through a lens of logic: you can only get out what you put in, right?

Years ago, someone I looked up to very much piddled on my hobby of reading. To be fair, I used to read an unreasonable amount. I don't know how I actually got through that many books. I was the most voracious of bookwyrms. At nine years old, I'd burn through novels which were the better part of a thousand pages long in a few days... and then look for more.

This person managed to convey that reading was for boring people. Interesting, successful, busy people who have fascinating lives don't have time to read.

They convinced me that writing is somehow superior to reading. In other words, creating is oh so much better than consuming. This made sense to me at the time. It's better to give than to take, right? I started to see my reading as a bad habit. A flaw! Can you believe it?

I did not understand at the time that one is a precursor to the other. I should have done. It was obvious. Like King says:

If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.

The exhale is important and powerful. But it is also impossible, unless preceded by the inhale.

Is there a writer anywhere doesn't read? Let me re-phrase: is there a good writer who doesn't read?

If you mostly read vocal stories, guess what you will write? What about if you mostly read angry social media posts when you're doom-scrolling mid-shit? Guess what you'll write?

If you mostly read non-fiction... letters... text messages... you see where I'm going with this.

We don't write in a vacuum, and we shouldn't try. We should indulge. The "hobby" of reading is part of the work. Read as much as possible, and then read some more.

What if "writer's block" is "the reading pause"? The built-in break you need to take so that you can read more. Refill your tank, your ink bottle. Breathe in. There's ebb and there's flow. There's got to be both. A gentle pulse, a natural rhythm. It shouldn't be, "aww shit I can't write," it should be, "cool, I get to read another five chapters of_____".

Speaking of reading... Curate with care what goes into your eyeballs. I don't mean only seek out things you agree with. Absolutely do not do that. Season the sea of things you love with things that jar you. Challenge you. Make you feel uncomfortable or angry. Seek a variety of voices. Not just people who look like you or say the same things as you.

But in terms of themes, genres, topics, styles, talent, quality, language... curate, darling. Curate.

And another thing: lean into things that hurt. Be brave. Don't shy away from it. Breathe into it. Be alert. Notice. It's all juice.

What last made you cry, or rage? Use it. You don't want to write in monochrome, do you? What hurts you or disturbs you? You need it exactly as much as what brings you joy and peace, if not more. You need that discomfort, in a way that others do not.

You want a broad pallette to draw on. Many colours. Many flavours.

Anger can be a beautiful tool to write with. I love to write angry. Your mileage may vary. I write fast when I am furious. The words pour. Later, sober, I read it back, and it requires few changes.

The very best writers are angry. Two of my favourites, Dworkin and Pratchett - both angry people. Also wise. Self-aware. They used that fury.

When I encounter something that pisses me off, I light up like a Christmas tree. Yes! I start spitting words I forgot I knew. I am going to sprint with grit and enthusiasm towards my destiny of being a crotchety old git.

So tell me: what are you reading right now? Is it filling the tank?