Reading Is Fundamental and So Is Believing In Myself

“If you want to be a writer you must do two things above all others: read a lot, and write a lot.” - Stephen King

In an effort to align with the above quote, I charged myself to read and write more. I feel some self-satisfaction for finishing a few blog posts I started over a year ago and making some minor traction on my upcoming novel. I also read I, Medusa by Ayana Gray and re-read Dear Madam President by Jennifer Palmieri.

While I am quite fond of the quote accredited to Mr. Stephen King, I must admit I was apprehensive about following it—well, the reading part that is. As I shared in my last TV post, I thought reading another author’s work would influence me negatively. I was concerned about comparing their published words to uncelebrated ones. I also worried about being swayed to write what I read instead of capturing the unique thoughts residing in my mind. Well, I was partially mistaken. Admittedly, the words Ms. Gray wrote inspired and momentarily discouraged me.

Initially, I measured my writing style against Ms. Gray’s until I acknowledged that I’m not her, so I shouldn’t sound or write like her. The shift in my thought process ignited creativity in me. Her book piqued my interest and desire to learn more about the Greek mythical god, Poseidon, which influenced the first book on my list: Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

You may be wondering how Greek Mythology steered me toward the 1851 epic novel—well, Amazon’s search engine did it. As I was scrolling through books related to the Greek god of the sea, storms, earthquakes, and horses, I stumbled upon the classics I haven’t read and thought, I should read those. Despite Melville’s creation being first on my list, it isn’t what I am currently reading.

After finishing I, Medusa, I decided to start reading a story inspired by my favorite golden girls, so I picked up Death on the Lanai by Rachel Ekstrom Courage. And in an effort to to fulfill the “read a lot” portion of Mr. King’s quote, I’m also reading Black AF History by Michael Harriot, but I’m not stopping there.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Thurston is next on my list. I attempted to read it decades ago to no avail. Admittedly, I didn’t put a lot of effort into reading it, so I want to fix that by finishing it within the coming months. The third book of my quest is The Color Purple by Alice Walker. I am inspired to read this book for a few reasons. I thoroughly enjoyed the 1985 movie adaptation and the 2023 musical version, so I’d like to experience the words that helped develop the big screen creations. But another book and movie adaptation had the greatest impact on my decision to read it. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume, which is one of my favorite books from childhood is the main reason why The Color Purple is on my list.

When I learned about the movie “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret,” I was excited to see it and I decided to re-read the book before watching it and writing a post about it. Doing so ignited the thought to do the same for The Color Purple—stayed tuned, it’s coming.

The next book has a simpler explanation. Praises for The Judge by Viola Davis and James Patterson have flooded my timeline. Plus, I am a fan of Ms. Davis and I’m still tickled by Mr. Patterson’s cameo appearances on “Castle,” so why not read their book? I believe I have a good list of books to meet my “read a lot, and write a lot” task, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the last book and who inspired it.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I re-read Dear Madam President by Jennifer Palmieri. This book was a gift from a dear friend who encouraged me to shake off doubt and continue sharing my voice. Although Ms. Palmieri’s words reassured me the first time I read them, they hit differently and more impact-fully the second time. She also inspired the second part of the title of this post: “and so is believing in myself.”

I have a lot to say about the 180-paged book, but I won’t share it all now. However, I will say I am looking forward to reading What Happened by Hillary Clinton because of it and she included a quote from the late Evelyn Lieberman that inspired me tremendously this week:

“People take their cue from you. If you act like you belong in the room, people will believe you do. If you act like your opinion matters, others will, too.” (Palmieri, J. (2018), pg. 69. Dear Madam President. Grand Central Publishing.)

Although I am at the start of my journey, I must say Mr. King was right in his assessment. The limited amount of reading I’ve done over the past few weeks created the longest post on this blog. So, I can only imagine what I will have penned by this time next summer. Here’s to being a writer through more reading and more writing. - T.V.