#2 Reading and Writing

 Reading and writing are of the most essential needs in communication, same as with writing. Reading develops our vocabulary and improves are critical thinking skills. It also broadens our knowledge about things around us. Have you ever asked yourself, what kind of reader am I?

In my elementary days, never did I draw interest with reading. I find it uninteresting and boring. I only read textbooks to memorize some key points in compliance to my subjects. I had a hard time loving it because of the absence of motivation from my family, friends and especially from myself. As the years passed by, I graduated and reached high school. My point of view about reading has change and it affected my writing skills. Digital Fortress, a novel by Dan Brown, was the first novel I’ve ever read. At first I think of it as compliance for our home reading report but then as I turn the pages, all my perception about how boring reading is have totally evaporated and vanished in my vocabulary. I come to realization and regretted the years I spent my leisure times for irrelevant activities. But then, it’s not yet the end. So, I have put in my mind that I will read and read till the day my heart stops beating and I breathe the last air I can.

As a reader, I can consider myself in the middle. There are times when I act as a good reader but some qualities of being a poor one can’t be easily remove from my system. Before reading, I activate prior knowledge, choose appropriate strategy, set a purpose and understand my task yet on some reading materials; I start reading without knowing why. While reading I focus attention, anticipate and predict, use dictionary to understand the word I just encounter and reread if I don’t get the main idea of the author. Sometimes though, I just read to get done and realize that I don’t fully understand the material and that is why I have to reread for me to enhance my vocabulary. After reading, I usually summarize the story and important details and evaluate the writing strategy of the author. Novels by Dan Brown and Sidney Sheldon keeps me get excited and hooked up until the very last page. Amazingly page turner authors that motivate me from reading more reading materials to see to it if the facts they have written are well supported and sometimes to defy some information that bothers me.

 As a writer, reading is very essential. It adds knowledge and enables me to think of writing strategies used by famous author to improve my skills. I also keep a diary and journal with me every day. It enables me to evaluate my writing skills especially when it comes to grammar. I’m also making a novel inspired by my favorite authors, J. K. Rowling, Nicholas Sparks, those mentioned before and many more.  

Eventhough I’m not a good one, I’m striving to be. No one masters a skills one first try. That’s why I am motivated to keep moving forward. How about you?