Another tag snagged from the lovely blog A.M. Molvik’s Ramblings If you’ve ever wondered about what it’s like to be a writer (or what I do), this post is for you. 1. What type of writing do you do? Over the years I’ve written pretty much everything, from magazine articles to poetry to blog posts to novels. If I had to choose only one type, though, it would be novels. I have a lot of stories inside me, waiting to come to life. 2. My writing is a mix of literary fiction, gothic fiction, and fantasy, with hints of horror and magical realism. 3.
I started when I was about six and never really stopped (although there were a few long breaks). 4. Yes! 5. The first story I wrote (when I was around six) was a tale of woe about a flower that doomed anyone (in this case, Mary, Queen of Scots, although I have no idea how I knew about her) who picked it. 6. I don’t feel I have much of a choice. 7. You find time for the things that are important to you. 8. 9. 10. Silence. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 19. §. I always find it strange that people need to be convinced to read. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love books. For me, books have always been magic, gateways to other worlds, other lives. They’re adventures and dreams, knowledge and potential, all packed into conveniently portable packages.
Forget apps–no matter what you want or need at any given moment in life, there’s a book for it. How could anyone not instantly see the value in that? And yet… According to the Pew Research Center, 26% of American adults have admitted to not reading even part of a book in the last year (and I’m sure the numbers are similar in Canada). Clearly a lot of people don’t realize they’re missing out. If magic, knowledge, and adventure aren’t enough to get you interested, maybe I should also mention that: Yale researchers found that people who read books for 30 minutes a day live longer than those who read magazines or who don’t read at all. Need a short story to get you started? Cheers, Aspasía S. Why You Need to Read Books. I thought I’d post something fun today, so I snagged this from A.M. Molvik’s Ramblings. Would you… 1. Rather read only a series or standalone books? A series. 2. Female. 3. I’d rather shop online. 4. I’ll have to go with TV because that format offers the chance to fully explore a story. 5.
This is a tough one. 6. Author. . [2025 update: Just wanted to elaborate that I’ve also reviewed books, and reading is less fun when you have to do it. 7. If I can still re-read books I’ve already read, then I’ll take a new book every 6 months. 8. I’ve thought about doing both, but I still sometimes dream about owning a bookstore, so I’ll go with that. [2025 update: Still dreaming of that bookstore…] 9. Genre. 10. Physical books. Looking for your next read? What do you think–do you prefer series or standalone books? Cheers, Aspasía S. Love Lies Bleeding Bleeding Heart FREE* Blood Magic FREE* Tooth & Claw (Links take you to all available stores. (*Free everywhere other than Amazon.)
I have a theory that people who don’t read aren’t happy people. Or at least, they’re not as happy as they could be. It’s a highly unscientific theory, and maybe a little unfair, but think of some famous readers you know, then think of someone who famously doesn’t read, and decide for yourself whether I might have a point. Actually, it turns out that I’m not entirely wrong. Science is discovering that to be a happier, healthier, and overall better person you do need to read…fiction. Apparently (and unsurprisingly) reading fiction teaches empathy, provides a sense of belonging, and relieves stress.
Anyone who reads both non-fiction and fiction will recognize the difference in the two experiences. Read some fiction right now–download my FREE short story Blood Magic. Check out this new review of Blood Magic on Vamped.org. Find out more about why reading fiction is good for you. Post: All Memories Are Everything. There was an interesting article in the Atlantic about why we can’t remember most of what we read (or watch), something that, according to the article, has irritated people at least since Plato.
I thought it was just me that had an issue with recollection. I still can’t accurately quote passages (or even lines) from books I’ve read half a dozen times. Sometimes I have trouble remembering a specific fact (like a name or date) right after I finish reading about it. The article explains that this happens because we’ve traded “recall” memory for “recognition” memory; in other words, we don’t remember details because we know we can look them up in an external memory bank (a book, DVD, or website, for example).
While it can be frustrating not to be able to recall something you just read, I can see a few advantages to favouring recognition memory (with external memory banks) over recall. When stories are passed down verbally, there’s also the ongoing risk of “broken telephone.” Cheers,