My writing process *is also* my reading process. I cannot write without thinking about existing texts, which involves *reading*. When I read, questions pop in my head, or I daydream, eyes-glazed, about the implications of the text. Making that *eyes glazed* moment more useful has been one of the best [[habits]] I have developed. Conversely, my reading process *is also* my writing process, as constantly revisiting my existing reading via highlights and initial notes, then turning that into my own words means I revisit the book many many times over compared to not following this process. I [[write to clarify and understand]] what I have read.
1. Read anything, anywhere with a pencil[^1]
2. Read multiple things in one sitting[^2]
3. Process the notes into [[Readwise]] and let [[spaced repetition]] bring them back to my attention[^3]
4. When I have finished the book or article, I review the highlights and notes and summarise each chapter in my own words in a [[literature note]]. I make clumsy attempts to answer any questions that I asked or that come up.[^4]
5. Each new thing I read inevitably reminds me of other things. So I create connections between my notes in [[Obsidian]]
6. My own words are usually a synthesis of ideas in the text colliding with existing knowledge and frameworks. I make [[atomic notes]] of these thoughts, usually the first draft is another rewriting[^5] of the [[literature note|literature notes]] from several different sources.
7. The maturity of the note usually reveals gaps, the next time I spot an article or book that might fill the gap, I lean towards reading that.
By seeing reading and writing as a single process, I am feeling the benefits of a positive [[Feedback loops|feedback loop]]. I can feel the knowledge [[compounding effects|compound]] and I can see it too by externalising the thoughts into [[What these notes are|these notes]].
#### Addendum: Music and Reading
I tend to put [[§ Reference#Music|music]] on when reading. Usually ambient, electronic or very low key music, not quite the ‘chill mush’ served up by spotify algorithms. I find having a soundscape helps me anchor the memory of discovering ideas and thoughts. If I revisit the music with a different book, I find the music cues memories from other books which sometimes link. I still associate Orwells [[1984]] with System of a Down’s Toxicity[^6], as I had it on repeat whilst discovering that book. It definitely made my visual image of the book contemporary and adjacent to Bush-era PR bullshit.
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##### References
[[How To Take Smart Notes (2017)]]
[[Timeful Texts — numinous.productions|Timeful Texts]]
[^1]: A real pen, highlighter, or apple pencil on iPad, or using highlighter functionality for articles ([[instapaper]], [[hypothesis]]). Highlight anything interesting, write questions or notes in margins. Unlike processes described [[How To Take Smart Notes (2017)|How to Take Smart Notes]], I do not summarise at this point
[^2]: This means multiple articles in a sitting, looking for a link between what was just read and whatever might be in my open tabs, read-it-later queue or might have been referenced in the just-read article. It also means always having more than one book on the go, reading from each regularly. I use the end of a chapter and my mood as an excuse to switch books. I think there is an upper limit to how many feels reasonable to have on the go at a time, probably 7-10 books is where I start to neglect some for weeks. Letting go of concentrating on one book linearly until its complete, prevents me getting tired and bored and giving up. It means i can match reading to my mood instead of not being the mood for *the* book I have.
[^3]: Readwise semi-automatically takes these highlights and associated notes and puts them into a spaced repetition system to resurface these notes for me. Usually I start seeing highlights from the beginning of books I am still reading, this is valuable. If you are reading this and are about to take a look at readwise, you may as well do me a favour and [use this referral link](https://readwise.io/i/tim486)
[^4]: This is another spaced repetition, and lets me revisit the most important bits of the book. This might be days or weeks, but hopefully not months after i read it, that gap in time is vital, as it lets me ‘try on’ the ideas in the book (see [[Timeful Texts — numinous.productions|Timeful Texts]]). By the time I come to write up the summary, I have some useful perspective from the work.
[^5]: The second or third rewriting by this point. combined with repeated exposure from readwise daily highlights, I am pretty well exposed to the text over time.
[^6]: I didn’t have many CDs so this matched the vibe