I had this crazy dream a couple of weeks ago. I was at what looked like an art studio waiting in line to sign-up for something. Eventually, I realize I’m considering signing up to be part of this author group. I would pay and they would help me connect with other authors and improve my writing. I received a book bag full of books for signing up and my book was one of the books (yeah, free publicity!). But it had the wrong cover on it. All I really remember was that is was red and had my book name and author name where another author name or movie title should have been. Maybe one of these??

Anyway, take from that what you will….but it gets weirder. I must be pretty ornery in my dreams (or maybe I am in real life and only see it in my dreams), but instead of paying my money and being on my way I start making demands.

“What am I going to get out of this?” I say to the poor man.

The guy sitting next to him comes to his defense. “I’m an author and the other author’s here have taught me a lot about my writing. See, people want to read a story as if they are looking through a window. They want to see and hear what’s happening and be entertained. My writing was too in-your-face, too much of an experience for the reader. You don’t want to make them uncomfortable. You want to entertain.”

My dream self stands there a little shell-shocked as it hits me: my writing is in-your-face. “Right, yeah. That’s bad,” I mumble (or something like that). Then I wake up.

My subconscious is obviously telling me to lighten up. And I get it. For the most part, I’m a window reader. I want to read an entertaining story without getting too emotionally invested. (I have enough craziness in my life, I just want relaxation). But, every once in a while I’ll pick up a book that slays me. That connects with me emotionally, twists my heart in knots, tears me apart…and I love it. This is my new term…window read. The opposite would be what…room read? Inside read? Emotional read? I’m still working on it. Any suggestions?

So…what kind of reader are you? Do you want to be entertained like a window reader? Or do you like to step inside, experience the book in the room with your characters and be involved? Or, like me, do you like both?