I'm "Just" Reading

Do you ever feel guilty when you get to relax with a book? I must admit I do sometimes. There are always other things I could be getting on which would be more obviously useful.

However, that is the point. Those other things will always be there. And all writers know you need to read widely and well to feed and nurture your own imagination.

So I will continue to "just" read as and when I can though the majority of my reading time is at bedtime. It is the perfect way to wind down before sleeping (though this may be why it is just as well I'm not a huge fan of horror. I don't want to be too scared to go to sleep!).

Flash fiction and short story collections are a great boon for people whose reading time is limited, given they make good books to dip into for those breaks in the day when you have a lovely ten minutes to relish a cup of something nice and get to "steal" some reading time to go with it. (So now you know what I do when I have a cuppa!).

I've never had time for those who look down on genre fiction as somehow being less worthy. Genre fiction - and reading for entertainment only - brings people into reading. Who knows what they will go on to read but it is vital that spark to read is ignited. Besides being able to entertain others with words you've written is something rather special.

The purpose of reading from a writer's viewpoint is to engage with the reader whether you're reading something serious or something light. Nobody says it has to be deadly dull and worthy. Let it be what it is - an entertaining read. It really is good enough (and more difficult to achieve than some people think).