Interestingly enough, saccades and fixations almost make reading sound like a kind of video game: the saccades mark items you wish to collect, and then the fixations are the pauses where those items are collected and added to your inventory.
I was a voracious reader as a child and teen. Still a good reader in my 20's and 30's. But, I started spending so much time reading on the computer, and there were fewer and fewer books that I WANTED to read, that reading daily or weekly or monthly...fell away. I fight myself with time - I could be...writing my own stuff, cleaning, training dogs, doing art, cooking....instead of "wasting time" reading. (Yes, I know, that's why it's in quotes!) And there are still very few books that I find interesting. (Maybe it's bad blurbs?) even if I read a chapter. (Maybe it's from reading slush for so long?) And maybe it's because I have so much trouble with my sight and reading makes it worse. And I DESPISE audio books, so that's not an answer for me. I know that I DO need to read more, even if it's going back to old books that I loved the first time around, just to lubricate the brain gears again. I used to be a speed reader (with full comprehension), but that has slipped away, as well.
Ah, thanks for the poking reminder (is that a burr under my saddle?) that reading is important, too.
Try reading non-fiction, if you struggle with fiction. I find reading outside the genres I write more enjoyable, and often go back to old friends in book form when I am sick and tired, to give myself some comfort.
My big challenge is not letting reading interfere with my writing. I usually have so many reference books and websites piled up for my consumption in support of stories here and there that getting to fiction has been hard.
Interestingly enough, saccades and fixations almost make reading sound like a kind of video game: the saccades mark items you wish to collect, and then the fixations are the pauses where those items are collected and added to your inventory.
That is a fun way to think about it. I like it!
I was a voracious reader as a child and teen. Still a good reader in my 20's and 30's. But, I started spending so much time reading on the computer, and there were fewer and fewer books that I WANTED to read, that reading daily or weekly or monthly...fell away. I fight myself with time - I could be...writing my own stuff, cleaning, training dogs, doing art, cooking....instead of "wasting time" reading. (Yes, I know, that's why it's in quotes!) And there are still very few books that I find interesting. (Maybe it's bad blurbs?) even if I read a chapter. (Maybe it's from reading slush for so long?) And maybe it's because I have so much trouble with my sight and reading makes it worse. And I DESPISE audio books, so that's not an answer for me. I know that I DO need to read more, even if it's going back to old books that I loved the first time around, just to lubricate the brain gears again. I used to be a speed reader (with full comprehension), but that has slipped away, as well.
Ah, thanks for the poking reminder (is that a burr under my saddle?) that reading is important, too.
Try reading non-fiction, if you struggle with fiction. I find reading outside the genres I write more enjoyable, and often go back to old friends in book form when I am sick and tired, to give myself some comfort.
I'll give that a shot!
My big challenge is not letting reading interfere with my writing. I usually have so many reference books and websites piled up for my consumption in support of stories here and there that getting to fiction has been hard.