Writers and Non-Readers

You ever try to explain writing to someone who does not enjoy reading?
My parents tell stories about when I was little. I memorized a book when I was five, and my grandmother thought I could read. When I was six, I would go to the library everyday of the summer and borrow five books. I would read all day. The next day I would go back and get five more.

As a writer I am a big reader. When we go traveling, the used bookstores always catch my attention (even though I am an avid ebook reader now). So, it is always interesting to me when I have good friends or family members who are not readers.

As a writer, it is always interesting to converse with non- readers. They cannot fathom enjoying reading hundreds of pages let alone writing them all! This was further highlighted for me when I asked a friend to come up with some interview questions for an author's interview I was doing. My non-reader friend's contribution was, "How do you write all those pages?" (I am in no way trying to offend non-readers. How could I unless you tell them about this, because they won't read it.)

As I am in the process of self-publishing a book in print, my mind goes to who of my friends and family will buy my book. My brother and father are not big readers, I have several friends who are not big readers. I think about all the descriptions, adventures, and imagination that goes with reading. I love stopping at a place in a book, and wondering what will happen once I start reading again. I love how I can picture a character, and someone reading the same book will read it and picture them differently.

I love reading my writing over and over. It amuses me. I crack myself up. The characters are fun and witty, and intersting to build a relationship with. These are all things non-readers are missing out on. It makes me a bit sad. I guess they will just have to wait until I decide to expand to audio.
(Isn't my dog with my lap top the cutest picture for this? I am sure if she could, she would enjoy my books too.)