Imagination Revisted, Part 2

There is then creative reading as well as creative writing. --Ralph Waldo Emerson

A trip to the library reminded me of an overlooked key in my last post about kickstarting a writer's imagination. So, without further ado, here is part 2--which, simply put, is:

READ

Yes, read. I say this not only to share a thought, but to imprint the importance of that on my own brain! After all, we have it from Stephen King who said, "If you don't have time to read, you don't have time to write."

And so, I present the titles of the books I brought home (and can't wait to get started on). There's no rhyme or reason to most of the selections. But as I studied the library's shelves, I chose authors I like, and authors I've never read before. I chose Newbery Medal authors and New York Times best sellers. Most are children's books, but some are YA. There's fantasy and historical fiction, recently published books and classics. Here then, in no particular order, is the list of books before me:

Alchemy and Meggy Swann, Karen Cushman

Twisted, Laurie Halse Anderson

The Slave Dancer, Paula Fox

               The Unfinished Angel, Sharon Creech                 

Coraline, Neil Graiman

Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt 

Iron Thunder, Avi

The Witches, Roald Dahl

Raleigh's Page, Alan Armstrong

Poppy, Avi

Poppy's Return, Avi

         
If I were to boil it down, what would I say then are my conclusions to igniting the imagination?

...Observe...Visualize...Dream...Read...Write...Have fun...

The joy of being a writer takes us many places--in books, in real life, in our imaginations.

Now the question is, have I overextended myself? Will I finish all these books in the next 21 days--the library's alloted time without having to renew them--and meet my writing goals? The challenge is on!

What's your latest read?

The greatest part of a writer's time is spent reading in order to write;
a man will turn over half a library in order to make one book. --Samuel Johnson