Why A Teen Should Read More Than Just Text Messages, Twitter Updates & Facebook Statuses

Reading isn’t a very popular “hobby” in our youth culture. In fact, it's considered “uncool” among most teens. Reading doesn't have a very good reputation anymore, unless it involves texting, Facebooking, or some other social media. Why would you want to read, anyway? Here are four common excuses a teen may use for not having the desire to read:

1. I’m not much of a reader. I’d rather watch the movie instead. Reading doesn’t have to be so much of a task. It really isn’t. Perhaps you should start by watching the movie, then buying the book and comparing the two.
2. I just don’t have the patience to read. If you’re one of those ADD people who can’t sit in the same spot for longer than five minutes – unless you’re on the computer or watching TV, of course – then maybe you’d like to buy a book on tape and listen to you as you’re working out or cleaning your room.
3. I just don’t have time between school, sports, chores, my job, etc. This excuse is understandable. However, it’s also ridiculous. You do have time to read. You just have to find it. Carry a book in your purse with you throughout the day. Read chapters (or just a few sentences) here and there, whenever you have any free time on the way home from school or right before you going to bed at night. Maybe replace your evening Facebook time with reading. Or just read on the weekends when your time is more flexible.
4. I don’t like reading because the books school assigns us to read are so boring. This is an excuse that I can agree with. I used to also be sort of a non-reader in middle school, only because the books that we were forced to read didn't exactly grab my attention because of the flowery writing styles and pace of the story. Therefore, I never had the patience to read, much less actually know what was going on. Realize, though, that these kind of books are from different eras. Those kind of books aren't the only books in the bookstores. Writing styles have changed. Not to mention, young adult fiction is not half as dreadful. YA fiction is just like watching a chick flick in most cases - except it's in print. On paper. In your hands rather than on the television screen. And instead of killing brain cells it actually increases them.

Now that you don’t have anymore excuses not to read, back to the question. Why should a teen read more than text messages, Twitter updates, and Facebook statuses?

• Reading provides a sense of escape from the real world and is an invitation into a fiction world. Of course, this may not always be healthy – but we all need a little escape at times.
• You can learn a lot of knowledge and wisdom from reading Christian fiction.
• By reading, you may learn how to deal with a certain situation in your life when those issues are presented in the novels. This is mostly why I love Christian fiction, because you learn how to handle situations in a Christian view.
• Reading gives you the ability to pause and think. You can pause a movie, of course. But who pauses a movie just to reflect on what just happened?
• Reading helps you to see from all different point of views. Books have various perspectives – the underdog. The popular cheerleader. The emo kid. Instead of seeing people and judging them based on the surface, books give you the ability to dig deeper into their lives and give you a sense of understanding and sympathy towards them rather than judgment. I love having a window into characters lives - characters with all different personalities who have gone through situations I've never been through.
• Unlike watching a movie, reading allows you to get inside a character's head. Hear their thoughts and feel what they feel. People become more connected to the characters on pages than they do to characters on screens.
• Reading helps improve writing, whether or not you're considering pursuing writing as a career. Many schools don't teach writing as much as they should, and it's something that we'll continue having to do throughout our lives. Writing texts to your friends doesn't help improve your writing – if anything it worsens your writing. Read more, so that you can learn the correct way to write.
• You’ll feel better about reading a book instead of watching a movie. At least I do. Watching a movie is effortless. All you have to do is sit down on the couch, pop in a DVD and bring out the popcorn – only to fall asleep by the end of it. When you're reading, you're not only enjoying a story, but you're also helping your reading comprehension skills which will help you in your school work and on tests.
• Stories you read stay with you for a long time. You have more time to fall in love with the characters and the setting. You get to stay longer instead of having to be rushed through the story and eventually forget what the whole thing was about.
• You can bring a book and read anywhere. You can’t exactly do that with a movie, unless you’re planning on carrying around a television with you as well.
• And the most obvious - reading helps to stretch the imagination, which is always a good thing.
  

Yes, reading can be even more enjoyable than watching a movie: cuddling up with a book in hand and hot coffee to sip. In silence. Only you and your imagination, and the words on the page.

The next time you’re tempted to buy a chick flick, I dare you to go to a bookstore instead. Read a novel rather than watch a movie. Find the type of genre that seems more appealing to you, which will probably be YA fiction if you're a teen. You’ll become so lost in the book that you’ll forget that you’re actually reading instead of watching a movie. You won’t even realize that you’re sitting in your quiet bedroom.

That’s the magic of reading. It can take you to some other place, all because of words. Not film. Not actors. But words.

~~~

Are you a teen reader, or a teen non-reader? Why or why not?

What are some other advantages someone could gain from reading a book rather than watching a movie?

Do you think YA fiction is becoming less and less popular since it seems there aren't many teenagers who read anymore?

Write a Story, Not Words

You're probably wondering what this title means, considering the post I recently wrote about choosing your words carefully. But let me explain.

I'm not an author. But I've read many books and have been able to distinguish the difference between the flat, okay stories from the Nicholas-Sparks-type-novels. As I mentioned, choosing your words with careful consideration is important for an author. The words we write can either destroy or heal. But they can also be the same thing that slows down your novel. Yes, your writing may be perfect, you may even have real, well-rounded characters. But what about your overall story - your plot, the message that you want to send through your writing?

Some people get so focused on perfecting their writing skills. After every chapter they write, they go back over and read what they've written, making sure there are no grammar mistakes and that their words flow to create the next scene. Yes, this is very important for an author. But this shouldn't be your main goal.

Earlier today I was watching a concert that was on my DVR of Taylor Swift singing with Def Leppard. She always has put on a great concert, but while I was watching, I was wondering how she became so popular. Her vocals aren't that perfect. A good range is usually what people say that make a great singer, but honestly, she doesn't have that much of a range. She's so famous, and I always find myself listening to her music. Why? Because she has a major talent in writing lyrics in a way that reaches out to other teenagers. She's a great role-model. She even designs amazing stages for her tours. Adults highly respect her because of her maturity. Fans are drawn to her because of the songs she sings, and for how real and humble she is in the midst of her fame. There's more to singing than amazing vocals and range. There's also more to writing than perfect grammar and sentence-fluency.

While you write or plan your novel, what is your focus? Do you ever wonder why your novel hasn't gotten accepted by a publisher or agent, yet you feel your writing is almost flawless? Although that is obviously a very important part of writing a novel, that shouldn't be our only focus. There have been many authors succeed although their writing could use some improvement. For example, Stephenie Meyer's popularTwilight series. Why are so many teenagers attracted toTwilight? The answer is simple. The storyline she created about a vampire falling in love with an innocent girl is apparently beautiful.

So how can you turn your writing into a treasured story? Here are a few tips I've learned that can transform a dull plot into a Nicholas-Sparks-type-novel that your readers will love:

1) 3-dimensional characters.

Create realistic characters with flaws. Readers are drawn to characters that bring humor, and ones that they can relate to. Not perfect, stick-figure, no personality characters. Fiction is a genre in which the author creates a story that could probably happen, so make characters that probably could exist.

2) An appealing setting.

Choose a setting that will interact with your story and characters. Include imagery and senses so the readers can feel as if they are really there, but don't go on and on about the appearance of snow-covered mountains. Doing this can slow down the pace of your story.

3) Symbolism.

This is one that authors tend to leave out, but I think symbolism is a powerful way to attract readers and help them remember your stories. This can also be a great way to prove a point without having to come out directly and say it.

4) Real problems, real conflict.

Creating situations that people go through can reach a reader in a personal way. Choose carefully when deciding on your character's conflicts.

5) A journey.

Not only should your protagonist take your reader on the many rides he/she goes on throughout the novel, but the character should take him/her on a spiritual journey as well. Your protagonist should be a different person than he/she was at the beginning of the story, so take your reader on that journey also.

6) Positivity.

When creating a novel that deals with real problems, it can be hard to weave in a little positivity. But don't make the focal point your characters' problems. Your goal should be to uplift the reader by helping them through what they're going through, not making them feel more depressed. You can also use this through dialogue.

7) Create a story that is different but the same.

Another thing I've noticed that attracts fans to Taylor Swift is the fact that she's different. She's a teenage country-pop artist and is completely not influenced by Hollywood's glitz and glam. Read well-liked books and think about what attracts the readers to them, but don't completely write a story just like it. Twist your story so that it's different in a way that will draw people to it, but the same kind of novel that readers adore.

~~~

So while planning your novel, consider the type of plot that will attract your audience. Instead of only paying attention to the way that you write, pay attention to the message you want to impact your readers with. Books can heal. Books can bring hope. Books can bring encouragement - but they can also bring boredom if your plot is not appealing enough.

Stop reading your previous chapters to make sure your grammar is perfect. You have a story to tell, not just words. So write it.

The Gift of Words

"By our words we can either build up lives or tear them down. It's your choice."

-Stormie Omartian

Have you ever thought about how much power words have? In the Bible God compares the tongue with a two-edged sword. What we say can either be a blessing or a curse, even if it's just written words. God has given writers the gift to use this power to minister. Through creating a simple fiction world, writing can touch and heal your readers! Think about it. The Bible was written and is communicated through words. God spoke the earth into being. Now, we have to use this powerful gift he has given us for his glory. Our ultimate goal shouldn't be having our book on the Best Seller list. Sure that would be a great advantage to being an author, but instead we should write with a clear purpose of showing God's love to others. Write carefully, because what you say now can be the exact words that mark the turning point in someone's life. And always thank God for this amazing gift of words!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.

- Nathaniel Hawthorne

"One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper pattern at the right moment."

- Hart Crane

"Readers, after all, are making the world with you. You give them the materials, but it's the readers who build that world in their own minds."

- Ursula Le Guin

"For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die."

- Anne Lamott

"The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium."

- Norbet Platt

"Ink on paper is as beautiful to me as flowers on the mountains; God composes, why shouldn't we?"

- Audra Foveo-Alba