I have to finish at least one or two books out of three over the weekend: Madame Bovary, Ligo Na U Lapit Na Me, and Bata, Bata Paano Ka Ginawa? which were all borrowed and due to be returned in two weeks. Just so you know, I’ve been hitting the bookshelves once again for the sake of pleasure and knowledge. A few months ago I was swept away with the wonders of technology so it was no surprise when it came to my senses I’ve been trailing behind in the number of books I’ve read overtime. Sir Doy was absolutely right when he discussed the correlation between reading and writing during our first meeting in INTFILM last week. His exact words are still imprinted on my mind to this day, “Reading is a sine qua non of writing.”Colloquially speaking, you cannot write well without developing a habit for reading. What is the secret to good writing? That’s right folks, reading in all shapes and sizes and not just the ones you come across your news feed. This turned out to be the turning point to put my head back in the game especially now I am in the literary committee of Green and White. I cannot say no for I’ve been holding a pen in my hand long before I learned how to spell a word as complex as “onomatopeia”. Speaking of GNW, I do not regret my membership there as it is giving me a lot of chances to hone my craft while at the same pace building healthy friendships with my co-staffers.
Back to the main topic - part of the reason why I am slowly returning to being a religious reader again is my competitive spirit. If I keep on replacing paper with pixels, chances are I will get leapfrogged by someone previously tagged as someone lesser than me. Like everyone else, I do not want to be part of this statement, “She used to be this good but her skill is now declining; right now X is better than her.” My solution from this consolation is to read and write more. When I speak of reading, I refer to anything not classified under superfluous entertainment news.
A food for thought: do you need the usage of professional-level words to be acclaimed as a writer or the comprehension of your thoughts matters more?
