People love reading books for a variety of reasons. They like to be entertained, they enjoy reading about different cultures and they like to learn new bits of information. However, people also read to connect with the characters. They want to feel as though someone, the character(s), understand them. How can you connect yourself to the character?
Choosing the Book
First of all, you need to choose a book in a suitable genre. If you are feeling sad and lonely and want to read about others going through the same situation, a comedy is likely not the direction in which to go. However, if you want something to perk you up, then these books are just the solution.
Find Deep Characters
Another part of choosing an appropriate novel is finding one in which the characters have substance. A poorly drawn character is not going to do anything for you. In order to truly connect with the characters, you need to care about them. You can ensure proper character development by selecting a reputable author or reading a book off a recommendation from a well-read friend. When you're just browsing through the bookstore, flip through the first couple of pages in the book. You'll likely be able to get a sense for the general writing style and how detailed the author is going to be in descriptions.
Don't Force It
As you are reading the novel, you might find a character with whom you wish to connect. For whatever reason, that particular character is very attractive to you. You keep trying to force a connection, but there just seems to be nothing in common between you and this character. Instead of trying to make yourself connect, be open to the other characters in the novel. You may just find that the emotional bond for which you were looking was right in front of you the entire time. You don't have to bond with only one character; you may feel as though you are actually a composite of a few of them.
Reflection Time
Whether you always read novels with a pen in hand or you give yourself a bit of time to meditate in between chapters, you want to be sure that you stop to think about the characters in order to truly connect with them. Why do you feel a pull toward this character? Is this character who you are or who you want to be? Does this character inspire you to do something about your own situation? All of these questions and more are important. When you think deeply about them, you can learn so much about your own being.
It's no stretch to say that people often feel as intense connection with the characters about whom they read. The characters might be based off of real life figures, or they may just have an enormous presence in the novel. Whoever they are, they can really have a huge effect on the way the reader views life and him or herself.
Choosing the Book
First of all, you need to choose a book in a suitable genre. If you are feeling sad and lonely and want to read about others going through the same situation, a comedy is likely not the direction in which to go. However, if you want something to perk you up, then these books are just the solution.
Find Deep Characters
Another part of choosing an appropriate novel is finding one in which the characters have substance. A poorly drawn character is not going to do anything for you. In order to truly connect with the characters, you need to care about them. You can ensure proper character development by selecting a reputable author or reading a book off a recommendation from a well-read friend. When you're just browsing through the bookstore, flip through the first couple of pages in the book. You'll likely be able to get a sense for the general writing style and how detailed the author is going to be in descriptions.
Don't Force It
As you are reading the novel, you might find a character with whom you wish to connect. For whatever reason, that particular character is very attractive to you. You keep trying to force a connection, but there just seems to be nothing in common between you and this character. Instead of trying to make yourself connect, be open to the other characters in the novel. You may just find that the emotional bond for which you were looking was right in front of you the entire time. You don't have to bond with only one character; you may feel as though you are actually a composite of a few of them.
Reflection Time
Whether you always read novels with a pen in hand or you give yourself a bit of time to meditate in between chapters, you want to be sure that you stop to think about the characters in order to truly connect with them. Why do you feel a pull toward this character? Is this character who you are or who you want to be? Does this character inspire you to do something about your own situation? All of these questions and more are important. When you think deeply about them, you can learn so much about your own being.
It's no stretch to say that people often feel as intense connection with the characters about whom they read. The characters might be based off of real life figures, or they may just have an enormous presence in the novel. Whoever they are, they can really have a huge effect on the way the reader views life and him or herself.
Kyle Jensen writes about being an author, literature & personal finance at www.creditscore.net.
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