Blog #2: GETTING INTO REVIEWS

One cannot be a writer without first becoming a good reader. That is the reason I began doing reviews, to give myself the motivation I need to read consistently, to hold myself accountable, if you will. It is important to make reading part of my daily life. Stories are always fun to discover, but I must admit that sometimes I procrastinate a lot. So, I decided that sharing my opinion of these stories would be a step in the right direction. This is my second week reading with the purpose of providing content on this account, and it feels nice. The habit is definitely taking shape and I find myself enjoying my time more and more.

Knowing my limitations has been quite instructive. I never had to push myself before when it came to reading for pleasure. I read a few pages today, then a hundred the next day, and so on. Now I am consistently reading about a hundred pages a day, which for some might not be impressive, but for someone who gets distracted as easily as I do, reaching that page count is an achievement. Knowing when to take a break, how to refresh my mind and then continue to read or write my reviews (which, by the way, are quite longer in draft form, but Instagram has about a 2,000-character limit so I edit them to make them shorter), gives me a sense of relief.

Another benefit is that I am learning the craft, how to show the reader the thoughts and feelings of the characters. The way different authors find their own way of achieving this is neat. I’m astonished at how many words they use that I have never seen before! I think about how I can implement parts of their styles into mine, and how I would tell the story if I were writing it.

It triggers the imagination and can provide inspiration for you to think of your own stories. Maybe you can take a scene and swap the characters with your own. What would they do? How would they resolve the problem? I know I do that every time I sit down with a book. It’s probably one of the reasons I’m such a slow reader. Sometimes I think of ideas and need to get up and write them down, since it’s too good to let it fly away into forgetfulness. It is one of my favorite parts, because if I had not sat down and read, I might have never come up with those good ideas.

Finally, the most important part is to find others like me. People who love storytelling in all its forms. That is why I don’t limit myself to just novels, I love manga and comic books. They are part of the book world in my opinion. All readers are welcome here! I want to get to know more people, how to connect and expand my love for stories.

I think it’s beautiful when you meet someone that has read a book you love and click with them because you are able to share experiences even when you otherwise are complete strangers. Good friendships can start and develop into lifelong bonds. You can share theories, fanfictions, and opinions that stretch into hours long conversations. Seriously, books are amazing! So please, share with me what your favorite books are, tell me what you want me to read next. Your point of view, everything related to stories, I want to read it here.

A.M. Sánchez