Proof reading a friend’s 15,000 word dissertation took me hours yesterday and reminded me that there’s a huge difference between skimming and reading.
I had to really concentrate and remember references and stylistic details to make sure that the work flowed cohesively, didn’t contradict itself and looked good enough to read! As it deals with a topic I know nothing about I had to be particularly vigilant to make sure I actually understood what I was reading, rather than just accepting each sentence at face value.
When I returned to my ‘reading’ book in the evening, Julian Fellowes’ Past Imperfect I was conscious that I actually skip bits that don’t completely grip me. I’m going to pay attention this week to those skips and try to minimise them to ensure a more complete reading experience.
I’m also reading The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, for book group, and loving it. I’m certain I haven’t skimmed over any of this because the descriptions are just so beautiful that I would feel cheated I think.
This week I’ve also come across a concept called Flash Fiction which intrigues me because I have notebooks jam packed with ideas for stories, scenarios or events that I simply couldn’t work out how to develop into a full novel. The answer might well be that I don’t need to. This afternoon, as a treat if I get all my work done on time (!), I’m going to spend some time working one of these ideas into a flash (if that’s the right term for these works?).
So happy reading all, remind me to tell you next time about my trip to the library and chick lit 🙂
alkitaba 