I’m reading about the philosopher Simone du Beauvoir who struggled at the beginning of her career to get her thoughts in order. “One day, somewhere around the time of the 1948 Berlin trip, Beauvoir was sitting with pen in hand, staring at a sheet of paper. Alberto Giacometti said to her, ‘How wild you look!’ She replied, ‘It’s because I want to write and I don’t know what.’ With the sagacity that came from its being someone else’s problem, he said, ‘Write anything.’ She did, and it worked” (Bakewell 208).
This story got me thinking about steamy romances. Why? All writers learn that when they’re stuck, the best thing to do is follow Beauvoir’s lead and write anything. Doing so gets the pen moving and the real ideas churning. When I first started this blog, I figured I would run out of ideas on reading after a few weeks. It’s been a year and a half and the ideas keep coming.
When you don’t know what to read, the same advice applies. I would tell you to read anything. Pick up a cranky western novel, a steamy romance, or a cheap detective novel. Open the cover and read. You’ll prime your reading engine, and you’ll discover what you like and dislike.
When I was thirteen years old, I had a friend who loved romantic fiction. She gave me one of her novels and I read it. I’m here to report that it wasn’t for me, but that’s great to know! Reading is a process of self-discovery. Over the years, I’ve tried most fictional genres and many non-fiction concepts. I no longer feel “stuck” knowing what to read next. I know what interests me and what doesn’t.
Just a thought.
Until tomorrow, read slowly – take notes – apply the ideas.
-Eddy
Works Cited:
Bakewell, Sarah. At The Existentialist Cafe. Other Press, 2016.
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