Blogging Insights- Reading

Dr Tanya had posed a question on Blogging Insights #34.

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QUESTION

Do you think that reading is an important prerequisite for writing well? If so, what kind of reading material inspires or affects your writing?

I believe so. Reading introduces us to worlds beyond our imagination, of places and people known and unknown. It adds to our existing knowledge, expands our empathy and broadens our horizon. The words, emotions and situations that we craft painstakingly for our protagonists, antagonists and smaller characters, are somehow reflective of our reading palate. Of-course, we may venture beyond our writing comforts. But at the end of the day, when writer’s block makes us tear our hair out, our favourite genres and our comfort-books provide the much needed motivation and inspiration.

I’d developed a reading habit since childhood and mostly enjoy fictions of many genres- classics, mysteries & adventures, fantasies, mythologies (Indian & Historical), Romances among others. Presently, I’m reading a lot of writings by Indian writers; many of my writings reflect Indian themes. Romance, mythology and fantasy remain my favourite. But I avoid reading (and watching) any work on horror or dark (& disturbing) fantasy; they affect my sanity too much :p