Monday, February 01, 2010

Reading is the key to writing

So I am halfway through the uni year now and have just completed my most challenging assignment yet: a 1000 word critique of another student's work. Still very much thinking of myself as needing the guidance of other writers around me (and I don't think this will ever change), I felt incredibly under-qualified for this task. But now it's done and I realize that the things that stand out to me about other's writing are the things that I can take control of in my own. Reading is truly the key to better writing

This brings me on to one of my current projects: reading my way through the 1001 must reads before you die. Click here for a downloadable spreadsheet including everything you need to know. You can track where you are on the list and mark the books you already own. It even estimates how long you have to read the books and how many you need to read each year to succeed. The most important thing for me is not completing the list, but that it is encouraging me to read more widely and step out of my comfort zone. So far, I haven't been disappointed with a book. Take a look and see what you think.

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