My guest today is a dear friend and a fantastic writer. I’ve been glued to the pages of more than one of her novels. Jan Sikes is a multi-award-winning author, who writes compelling and creative stories from the heart. Please help me welcome her to the Kill Zone.
Welcome, Jan!
Greetings, everyone. I am thrilled to be a guest in the Kill Zone today! Thank you, Sue, for inviting me.
My subject today serves as a reminder to feed the reader within each of us. We spend hours upon hours doing research, plotting, developing characters, and writing our stories. We write, rewrite, proofread, and edit day in and day out, sometimes around the clock and into the next day without a break. But are we remembering to feed ourselves, to give ourselves the nourishment we need to stay strong and alert at those tasks? And I’m not talking about food.
If you’ve gone more than a couple of weeks without reading for pleasure, pick up a book. Find a recent novel from a favorite author or try an unfamiliar author. Whichever you choose, allow yourself to get lost in the story, in the rhythms of good fiction.
Read a couple of mysteries without trying to figure out whodunit or how the author wove the plot threads together. Get lost in a love story and allow yourself to cry. Read a horror or suspense novel and give in to the goose bumps.
Writers and editors who only work at the craft but don’t enjoy reading, do not bring their best efforts to their work. When you’re not being fed a steady diet, you’re eventually not going to produce your best work.
Readers need to read.
That’s also true for writers and editors. It’s a fabulous way to slip into a fictional world for relief from stress and pressure and even from the monotony of repetition and habits in daily life. Life can be great with no need to escape. That doesn’t mean relaxing with a book, diving into the worlds of fascinating characters, can’t make it even better.
I’ve always been an avid reader and most always have a book open on my Kindle. But when I go too long without getting lost in someone else’s story, I get antsy and even a little grouchy. I need my story fix.
I require a steady diet of fiction. I need to imagine, to explore, pretend and fantasize. It is essential to feed myself everything that good stories dish up—emotional upheaval and uncertainty, conflict, danger, adventure, and definitely the satisfaction of a solid resolution that neatly ties up dozens of the story elements that have entertained me and held my attention for however many pages the book has.
If you’ve been working hard on a project—maybe even promising yourself that you’ll read something as soon as you get through with this next section or problem—allow yourself the time to read and immerse yourself in someone else’s imagination.
Don’t keep putting it off.
Feed yourself well-written books that prove nutritious, that give you the stamina to keep working. Feed yourself something sweet, or something evil—something that gets you excited about stories and what-ifs.
Ingest and digest food for the soul and mind and spirit. Reading equates to food for dreaming. Food that will give you strength for the long haul.
Reading gives your mind a break. It can revitalize your writing and allow you to smash through blocks and problem areas. Read to remind yourself of the joy in fiction. Read because it gives you pleasure. Let reading both relax and energize you.
Take a new book—tonight or tomorrow or this weekend—and jump into its world, stretching your imagination as you become the hero, sidekick or even the villain. Use the mental stimulation and otherworldliness of unfamiliar places to draw you deep. Let a story you didn’t have to create take over your thoughts so you can experience characters, their adventures, and their world from the inside, using your senses and emotions. Project yourself into an imaginative scenario that has zero connections to your writing process.
Fill yourself up with the good stuff so you can write and edit some good stuff of your own.
Jan Sikes is a multi-award-winning author, who writes compelling and creative stories from the heart.
She openly admits that she never set out in life to be an author, although she’s been an avid reader all her life. But she had a story to tell—Not just any story, but a true story to rival any fiction creation. She brought the entertaining true story to life through fictitious characters in an intricately woven tale that encompasses four books, accompanying music CDs, and a book of poetry and art.
And now, this author can’t put down the pen. She continues to write fiction in a variety of genres, and has published many award-winning short stories and novels. Learn more about Jan at: www.jansikes.com
A true testament of character, resilience, and the magic of never giving up.
“This is a hope-filled story that lifts spirits and elicits smiles. Though it is the second book of the series, it can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend it.” ~ Gwen Plano
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/booMQR
Great reminder. It’s easy for leisure reading to get lost in the crush of “to do’s” on your daily list. And then sometimes, when you DO get to read, it’s hard to turn off your inner writing analyzer.
There’s nothing better than picking up and reading a book that’s so good that it grabs you and draws you in so much that your inner analyzer is automatically turned off!
Couldn’t agree more, Brenda! I love getting sucked into someone else’s story world. And you’re right. Shutting off the inner editor feels impossible sometimes.
I completely agree, Brenda! Sometimes it gets hard to turn off the inner editor we all possess, but when a book grabs us the way you describe, everything around us falls away. Thank you so much for visiting and commenting!
You are so right. It’s hard to turn off the inner critique. But when a book is so good it causes us to get lost in it is just amazing! I love it.
Thanks for visiting TKZ, Jan.
You’re totally right about the need to read for pleasure but so many distractions and so little time make that difficult. These days plane travel isn’t much fun but it does provide an uninterrupted block of time to get lost in a novel.
Plane travel is the perfect place to read, Debbie. Unfortunately, that doesn’t come around often enough to feed the writer.
You make a good point, Debbie. We have so many daily pressures and distractions, sometimes it’s hard to turn it all off and get lost in a book. Also, reading is a solitary pleasure, so when you have family to consider, that’s another factor in the equation. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment!
I needed to hear this today, Jan. It’s so easy to let pleasure reading take a backseat. Thanks for joining us today!
Happy to help, Sue. Thank you so much for inviting me over to the Kill Zone today!
My pleasure, Jan. You’re always welcome here. 😊
I just got home from Left Coast Crime, and the reader panel panelists read over 100 books a year. I’ve found I don’t read as much as I used to, but I came home with a stack of new books to help remedy that.
Ha! I love that, Terry. I always come home from conferences with more books to read. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by!
I hear ya, Terry. I always come home from conferences with too many books.
Welcome, Jan, and thanks to Sue for inviting Jan.
I try to spend at least an hour reading for pleasure at the end of the day. Belonging to a bookclub is also a great way to read genres I may not read otherwise.
That used to be my schedule, as well, Kay. I thought of it as my reward for a good writing day. Thanks for the reminder. I need to get back on my schedule.
Oh, that is so true, Kay. Belonging to a book club is a great way to read mainstream books and it’s so much fun to get together and talk about them with everyone. Thank you for your kind welcome and comment!
Thanks for so much for your guest post today, Jan. I’m a life-long reader, writer, and worked in public libraries for many years and your post is a wonderful reminder of how important reading is for us and for our writing. Food for the imagination and for the soul. It’s too easy to let the pressures and distractions of the day keep us from regularly immersing ourselves in reading for pleasure.
When I go too long without reading a novel or a story, I feel a bit hollowed out, but when I make the time to read fiction regularly, it makes all the difference.
Sue, thanks so much for inviting Jan to guest post today!
“Hollowed out” is the perfect description, Dale, both for writing and reading. It nourishes our soul.
Have a fabulous week, my friend. 😊
Hi, Dale. What a wonderful job to have, working in public libraries. When I was in junior high school, I got to work in the school library for a semester and I loved it so much. And I totally agree with your statement about feeling a bit hollowed out when I go too long without opening a book. Thank you for your comment!
Good article, Jan. I especially like “Feed yourself well-written books that prove nutritious,”. I can feel my energy sour when I end up reading yet another DNF book. I need a good one to rejuvenate my spirits!
Me too, Jacqui! Life’s too short for boring books.
I am right there with you, Jacqui. And as you know from our chat, I just had that situation. But all is well and I’m moving onto the next one. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!
Good morning, Sue and Jan!
What a great post! Why? Because it reinforces my need to read without the guilt factor!
Often, in the past, I’ve felt guilty about time spent reading. I think it started when I was about 10 years old and would hide in my room with a book when my siblings were outside playing. One or both of my parents would chide me about not getting enough fresh air, or some such. (They were probably at least half right!)
But now?
The hours between about 2PM-4PM every day are my read-for-pleasure time, and I don’t feel the least bit guilty about it! 🙂
Have a great day!
Good for you, Deb! I often feel guilty about pleasure reading, too. Then I remember it’s a form of self-care.
I love that, Deb! Yes, I’d be willing to bet we’ve all been put on a guilt trip over reading. 🙂 It’s solitary entertainment and can make us appear antisocial. I’m glad you’ve moved past that feeling of guilt for allowing yourself time to read. You’re feeding your soul! Thank you so much for your lovely comment!
After you’ve read a book, please leave a review on Goodreads (where you can keep track of what you’ve read) and BookBub (handy to share to Twitter) to help promote the author, especially those indie authors! I love Jan’s Bargainer Series!
Excellent addition to Jan’s wonderful post. Thanks, Joy!
Most definitely, Joy! Leaving a review for an author is like sending them a bouquet of roses. Thanks so much for stopping by and for the recommendation for the Bargainer Series! Hugs!
Great post, Jan, and so important. I love to read for fun and relaxation, but I also read to learn. If I read a book that I absolutely love, it’s full of underlining and notes, and I take the time to reflect on what made it such a great story. Your advice works!
I do the same, Diana. My Kindle’s full of highlights and notes.
Exactly, Diana! I do the same. When I read a line that causes me to suck in a deep breath, I highlight it. We learn things to do and not to do by reading. Thank you SO much for visiting here!
Wonderful advice, Jan! I have about 10 books on my Kindle at all times. I read rather than watch TV. Reading genres out of my normal interest has given me so new insights and improved my writing. I think so many people get caught up in the daily pressures and grinds and forget how nurturing a good book can be. Thanks for sharing, Sue! ❤️
You nailed it, Joy. The daily grind makes us forget about self-care, and reading is one of the best ways to nourish our soul. <3
You are absolutely right, Joy. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind and not set aside time for reading. Only ten books on your Kindle? I’m envious. I have so many I’ll never live long enough to read them all. 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting here!