This is a tough question, because I love them both.
I love reading because...
it takes me to another place or world to explore
it introduces me to new personalities and problems that I haven't thought of
it hooks me with the problem or tension of a story and I absolutely have to know how it turns out
I always look forward to grabbing a good book, finding a quiet spot and just reading. It's one of my favourite things to do.
I love writing because...
it's amazing to be able to create a whole other world to escape into
it's a challenge and a puzzle to fit the words and scenes together into a story
it's so rewarding to finish a novel when you've worked so hard at it
it's fun to play with words and how they sound
I sometimes go for a few days or even a week or two without writing, but then I miss it and want to come back to it. My life isn't as rich or interesting without writing.
What do you love about reading or writing?
I can't live without either. I have to read a novel before I go to bed or else I can't sleep. And if I don't write (or edit) my novel, I suffer from withdrawal symptoms.
ReplyDeleteStina, I can't go to sleep without reading, either!
DeleteI love both reading and writing, and probably in equal portions.
ReplyDeleteRandom tangent that your post got me thinking about ... when I became a certified English teacher ten years ago, my opinion was that reading and writing were intrinsically tied together. In other words, doing a reading unit on, say, "Romeo and Juliet" then a writing unit on persuasive essays seemed choppy and disconnected.
I decided to do things like have students write a persuasive essay (in the form of a letter) from a character in "Romeo and Juliet" to one of the title characters giving three good reasons with evidence from the text as to why their relationship was not a good idea. The kids loved it ... made both reading and writing more relevant and more interesting.
I've fine-tuned quite a bit in ten years, but my basic approach to teaching English is the same. Tying the two together is the best way.
Thanks for getting me thinking about this :-)
I cannot choose one over the other. Reading helps me write better and writing helps me live better.
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