Carol Worthey

How to Sail the Waters of Your Imagination

Reading Tip #1

Open a great book and you have stepped aboard a ship! You do not know on page one if the ship be sturdy or rickety, bound for glory or damnation, but you sense right away that you on your way to shores unknown, destiny meeting serendipity and surprise, the plot and character development testing all your skills of prediction.

As the story develops, feel the salt wind on your cheeks, the ropes straining in your hands, wild waves beckoning you to a wide horizon or to that secret vista of your soul you have longed for forever. You are off the map! But the promise of coming home with treasure keeps you turning pages.

You see, good stories ARE like ships. Onboard you can sail the world and beyond... if you know how to navigate the waters of your very own imagination.

What are the real dangers here? It's the words that will fling you overboard if you don't watch out, but if you know what the words mean (and don't just guess at the context), the words will form a compass, you have found the north star, you are pointed in the right direction. You can experience the adventure and still return home... with your knapsack full of treasure and fond memories.

So treat yourself to a good dictionary and keep it by your side when you read, so that you can look up any word (however simple or complex — sometimes it's the "little" words that get you) and know what this sentence, this chapter, this writer means.

^* This last quote is an excerpt from my illustrated children's book Blueberry Escapades

© 2023 Carol Worthey