Creative Reading Makes Creative Writing

Rapid reading, not the same as speed-reading, requires alertness, focus, and grasp. Don't try this when you're sleepy, or with subjects that bore you. This is serious perusal, not scanning. Breathe deep, cancel out distractions, and digest the information.

This gives the reader a general survey of a subject. You won't recall everything, but you'll gain a broad understanding of the matter. You'll do this when you want to discuss an unfamiliar subject with a professor, publisher, or even a date - someone you want to impress.

This is accomplished with practice. Once you master disciplinary reading, rapid reading gets easier. Start by taking in small doses. Work your way up to popular treatises in whatever subject fascinates you, or the person you want to amaze with your vast store of knowledge.

Reading by topics is necessary for writers who need to consult many books for select information, i.e., for research. You don't want to read through these books; you just want to seek out the significant material for your project.

This is where rapid reading comes in handy. Gather a pile of books on your topic. Go through and peruse the prefaces, conclusions, catalogues, bibliographies, captions, and anything in a special font. For biographies you'll want to read the dialogues in other works about or by your protagonist. Each publication will have its "stand-out" sections, and it won't take you long to figure out where to look for them.

Lastly, reading broader and deeper than the situation demands is how you gain true understanding of a subject. Those who need to write regularly on a particular topic should do this type of reading.

When you know something in and out, even if you only write about one particular aspect of the subject, it will be presented with a depth and color that cannot come from reading "hand-to-mouth". If you want to write about the Gettysburg Address, you'll find your presentation is more comprehensive and colorful if you also study the life of Lincoln, the Civil War, dress codes of the era, etc.

When you read frequently and creatively, your writing will show it with clarity, accuracy, and brilliance. Your speech will be artful and entertaining. People won't fall asleep if you keep them awake with vibrance and wonder.

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