Signs are everywhere! I went to the library today and both books that I put on reserve for research on my short story, were there eventhough I hadn't been contacted yet by the library. Then I went over to the new books area and I found Catherine Asaro's new book (a writer I met less than a year ago) and as I kept looking I found another book from Rosemary Laurey, a former member of my writing group. I finally decided to stop looking when I found a third book, this time non-fiction, on Teen life in Africa, which is related to the topic in my short story. I figured if I kept looking I would only find more books that were interesting so I had to leave immediately if I wanted to get any writing done over the next week.
So now I have like a billion books to read, but that is ok. Because what else is there to do in the summer but read. Well that and summer blockbuster movies. Which I must admit, I have a huge weakness for. I love the cheesy action flick. I can't wait for Spider Man 2. I love the movies that create all the hoopla. There is always two or three movies that everyone knows will be a hit. And even if it isn't the hoopla before hand, the hype...It makes it all worth it.
But anyway, summers are meant for reading. As a child I used to spend the day curled up on the couch lost in a book from the moment I woke up, until the moment my mom got home from work, and yelled at me for not doing chores. I would carry a paperback with me everywhere, in the car, at the mall, to restaurants. I wanted to read at all times, and I had to make sure that I could read whenever I had a spare moment. When I hit 12 I started reading adult novels, because I went through young adult books so quickly. I kind of wish I was a teen now, because the YA market has exploded, or at least it seems like it has. I must admit that I have been known to breeze through a YA novel when I need a little light reading. Some of them are really quite good. And unfortunately, between working full-time and writing all other times, my time allotment for reading that doesn't directly benefit those two categories is slim to none.
Someone once told me that if you don't read, then you might as well not even talk to me, because we don't have anything in common. I disagree with this statement. Do I have time to pick up a copy of war and peace, or reread Moby Dick to analyze whether or not my opinions on it have changed since reading it as a teen? No. But that doesn't mean that books aren't a part of my life. In fact they are an important part of who I am, seeing as I am a writer. And seeing how I want to open a bookstore, well yes books are a part of my life. But that doesn't mean I have read everything under the sun. I want to, but there's just not enough time. And even if there was, part of being a writer, is living. You can't write about what you don't know, what you haven't lived, or seen or heard of. I think that is part of the reason I didn't major in English at College. Sure there was a creative writing program at the university, it might even be good, or better than I imagine. But you can't write about writing. Or you can, but it would be rather dull, and probably a lame impression of something that has already been done. But new ideas, fresh inspiration, that comes from life, and learning.
So now that I have gone way off track with this entry I will stop and read some Pablo Neruda. I love him. Although I am not really that sure about this book though. Well see.
Oh, by the way, I did actually submit my first chapter of my novel to my writing group. I suppose that is progress. I spent most of Tuesday revising it. And every step was painful, and I only anticipate that it will get worse before it gets better, but oh well. Sometimes life hurts too. I watched Big Fish, yesterday. Good movie. And the main character, he says that "the most painful things, usually turn out to be the most rewarding when your finished." I agree. Getting their may hurt, but it only makes the finish line that much sweeter. Let's just hope eventually the process gets easier. I don't want to be going through this same pain in twenty years. New Pain! New Pain!
