Reading, Writing, And A Little Bit of Easy Arithmetic

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt
“Reading is breathing in; writing is breathing out.” Pam Allyn (1963-), American literacy expert & author
Whatcha’ reading, writer friends?
As I write this post, I’m on a reading streak. I know it, because my Kindle is keeping me posted with fun little graphs on how much I’ve read. As of today, I’ve read 5 weeks in a row and 10 days in a row. And I’ve read 10 more days this month than I read in July. 
Now that’s my kind of math, my friends.
To be honest, I’ve struggled to read in recent years. My excuse? I’ve been too busy writing. When I wasn’t writing, I was editing other authors’ manuscripts. Reading for pleasure? 
Not happening.
All the while, I missed relaxing with a good book. Slipping away into a fictional story world where the imaginary characters became oh-so-real. And yes, I know reading makes me a better writer.
“Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you'll find out.”William Faulkner (1897-1962), American writer
This year, I decided things had to change.
I started off 2024 with one overall goal: to read more books. Pretty simple, right? Even if I just read one book a month, that would an improvement over the past few years. So far this year, I’ve read 48 books, a mix of both fiction and nonfiction. My best months were January and August, when I read 11 books. My goal continues to be to read more books than I had read in 2023. 
And I’m doing it.
Back to you, writer friends, and the question I asked at the beginning of this blog post:
Whatcha’ reading? 
Are you reading for pleasure? Reading books about our writing craft? A bit of both? Did you start off the year with a reading goal or some sort of plan? Do you think reading makes you a better writer? 
I’d love to know how you fit reading into your writing life. Do you, like me, struggle with reading? Let’s talk about it in the comments. What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to finding time to read?
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Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” She’s authored 15 novels and novellas, both contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Beth is a Christy Award winner, an ACFW Carol Award winner, and a  RITA® finalist. Her newest contemporary romance novel, Dedicated to the One I Love, released June 20, 2023. Her novel Things I Never Told You, book one in her Thatcher Sisters Series by Tyndale House Publishers, won the 2019 AWSA Golden Scroll Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Learn How to Write a Novel and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people. Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.