Read Vs. Write

I have heard a zillion times the advice that if you want to be a good writer, you have to read a lot. Various published authors have published their lists of recommended books (here's Philip Pullman's, and Nicholas Sparks', and here is a whole list of author's lists). I find most of these lists to be pretentious, saying not just "see how much better taste I have than you?" but also "see how, because I am a successful author and you are not, I have all the time in the world to track down and read obscure books?"

I don't need to be reminded of what a precious commodity my time is, and of the fact that every time I sit down with a sudoku instead of picking up Okot p'Bitek's White Teeth, I'm squandering what little time I have.

My advice for writing is not necessarily "write what you know," but "write something that you would like to read." Before you started writing, you probably read a lot. I know I did. And there's some stuff that I really like (military history, cheesy fantasy, non-fiction humor) and a lot of stuff I can't stand (romance, finely sliced histories of a single commodity or object, "chick lit"). Keep reading what you like, and don't let someone else tell you what you "should" read.

I'm off. I have many, many back copies of the Enquirer to get through. Deal with it.