(199 words, 46-second read)
Prolific reader is not something I would have been called in high school. I was never good at it, and I had no desire to get better. I thought. I just wasn’t a reader.
Yes, but: Of course, this was a nonsensical excuse. I could read. What I needed was a plan to be a reader.
There are lots of plans, but this is the one that I used:
- Pick a book you might be interested in. I found Five Years to Freedom by James Rowe in the ship’s library. It looked interesting…and it was.
- Commit to reading for 10 minutes every day for three weeks.
- Bump it up to 15 minutes every day for two weeks.
- Bump it up in five-minute increments every two weeks until you get to an hour per pay.
In no time, your mind will be conditioned to read. A reader you’ll be.
- I know. It’s hard.
Why it matters: To become a likable writer, you need a lot of exposure to good writing…and bad.
It helped me. I hope this helps you.
Side Note: The irony is not lost that a 199-word post talks about the importance of deep reading for long periods.
Fun Fact: The first draft of this post was 207 words.