Finding Time To Read

You've probably heard the advice that to be a good writer, you have to read, but if you're a writer with a day job, you're already a bit pressed for time. If you've got the double-whammy of being a parent, as some of you do, time is incredibly short.

I listen to books while going for a walk during lunch. I subscribe to Audible, but I also get audio books from my local library or from LibriVox. Never heard of LibriVox? LibriVox provides free downloadable audiobooks read by volunteers from around the world.

The books are public domain, which means, usually, that they're very old. But there are some gems if you want something unusual. For example, search by category and enter mythology or history. Or, if you like looking back at the roots of the horror genre, search for Edgar Allan Poe or Arthur Machen. (Machen was a Welsh mystic and writer who wrote in the supernatural, horror, and fantasy genres. Apparently Stephen King called Machen's The Great God Pan "Maybe the best [horror story] in the English language" (quoted from http://stephenking.com/stephens_messages.html).

If you're outside the US, though, pay attention to this disclaimer on the LibriVox site:

LibriVox recordings are Public Domain in the USA. If you are not in the USA, please verify the copyright status of these works in your own country before downloading, otherwise you may be violating copyright laws.

Another option is to read before you go to bed. For me, that doesn't usually work out well. If I'm tired, it's only a paragraph or two before I'm out. If I'm not tired, a good book will keep me awake way too long. Still, sometimes I hit that sweet spot between the two and get in a half hour or more of good reading time.

I was listening to the Writing Excuses podcast the other day and learned of another way to get in more reading time. Mary Robinette Kowal uses her lunch time to read since you can't type much while you've got a fork in your hand.

So there's a thought for you: Bring your lunch to work. Read while you eat. And after you finish? Take that quick walk around the parking lot and "read" some more!

Review: The Stephen King Library Desk Calendar 2013

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Stephen King Library Desk Calendar 2013

Published by Bookspan, 2012
Art Director: Tricia A. McGoey
Designed by Joseph Zwielich
128 pages, spiral bound

You'd think that with all the electronic calendars, To Do lists, and other personal management software that there is no need for a physical desk calendar. That's exactly what I thought when I opened the gorgeous Stephen King 2013 Desk Calendar.

But then I got busy, and no matter how many lists and reminders I had electronically, at the end of the day, I knew what I had to do above all else and needed somewhere to write that down, somewhere where I wouldn't be distracted by lower-priority items. And that, dear friends, is where a physical desk calendar comes in handy.

But even if your schedule isn't as crazy as mine, you might appreciate the calendar just for the beauty of it. In rich dark greens and orange, the prismatic cover catches and compels you. The thick spiral binding says, “Use me. I won’t break” – and I don’t think it will.

Or, if not for the beauty, how about the interesting tidbits? For example, January 2 is the date that Stephen and Tabitha were married. Oddly enough, it's the wedding anniversary of two couples from his books: Annie Wilkes and Ralph Dugan (from Misery) and Lois Chase and Ralph Roberts (from Insomnia).

Articles and excerpts decorate each folio, making for interesting reading throughout the week.
Definitely an item of beauty and purpose for any Stephen King fan.

Available from the Stephen King Library.

Book Review: Writing, by Stephen King

On Writing by Stephen King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It's very rare that I have the time to read a book twice. It's also rare that I buy both a paper copy and an audio copy. It's rarer still that I do both.

With On Writing I did do both: Bought and read the paper copy, then bought the audio book so I could "read" it again.

The joy of the audiobook is that King reads it himself, and you get to hear the excitement and raw emotion behind the words. Oh, it's not that the master of horror couldn't get across those emotions by words alone, but to hear them, to feel his emotion in his voice, that is a treasure.

His advice, as both a writer and a teacher of writing, is excellent. His stories, especially ones from childhood, are priceless.

Recommended. Highly recommended.



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