BRANDON KELLER.NET

I really hate to admit this, but it’s been on my mind for a long time when it comes to being a writer. It’s something I have read time and again while studying writing and listening to the writers I admire. The general consensus is that to be a writer, you must be an avid reader. This seems to be the single thread of truth that every writer I have ever heard talk on the subject agrees on. And that is what terrifies me about my attempt at writing a novel.

I am not an avid reader.

I love the idea of devouring book after book and reading multiple 300-plus page novels each month. I am constantly ordering books because there are so many that I genuinely do want to read. I have two books arriving over the next two days because of my addiction to books. My bookshelf is overflowing with dozens of books I want to read but haven’t cracked their bindings yet. And for the record, I prefer hardcover over paperback. Hardcover books are the purest form of magic in the world. I’ll die on that hill.

The problem is that I’m a terribly slow reader. Painfully slow. I’ve tried all the tips and tricks, but nothing seems to improve my speed. I also think I may have undiagnosed ADD/ADHD because if a story doesn’t grab me right away, I get bored quickly. The last book I couldn’t put down was “The Sun Also Rises” by Hemingway, which I read for the first time earlier this year.

Funny thing is, it wasn’t so much the story being a fast-paced thriller that caught my attention. It was the pacing. The imagery he created with his words. I was enamored of it and felt such peace while reading it that I have it on my list to read again.

While going through my stacks of books, I realized I haven’t purchased many fiction books lately. Most of them are faith-based, educational, or political. Very few stories are like the ones I enjoy reading for pleasure and aspire to write someday. I think that’s a problem, and so I am working on rectifying that now.

So, in addition to setting aside time to write every day, I have started to set aside time to read as well. I’ll be honest. Becoming a writer is turning out to be a lot more work than I anticipated. I find myself making trade-offs to do this work, and that is something I was not willing to do before, probably out of pure laziness. So there is hope, right?

I’m laughing at myself because, yet again, I have had decades to read more and practice writing, but never did. So much wasted time playing video games and watching television and movies, saying to myself and anyone who might care to listen, “I could have written that!” all while not.

Fifty years wasted. I’d better get to work.

-B