With it’s new found popularity, fantasy has now gained a number of fans. Now they are wondering how to read fantasy books, so they can start enjoying their favorite TV shows in their book form.
Then you have come to the right place.
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There are a few parts that go into the statement ‘getting into fantasy’. First, it could be that the person is wondering how they can get into fantasy in general. Meaning, how can they learn to start liking reading these books.
However, in this article, we will deal with the second type of getting into fantasy.
This type is learning how to get into reading, and finishing fantasy books in general. Learning the skill of reading fantasy. So its sort of like learning to eat rice and learning to appreciate the different types of rice versus learning how to eat rice, and learning how to hold the spoon to eat it.
We are learning how to hold the spoon. So, how can you learn how to read fantasy?
You can learn to read fantasy by first reading books of fantasy books you’ve watched first. Then, you can progress to reading books adjacent to that one. Finally, you could attempt to listen to an audiobook, which requires less energy from your end.
That should be enough to get you in the mood of reading fantasy. However, if you want more detailed instructions, you may read on.
1. Read The Books Of Shows You Have Watched
The first way to learn how to read fantasy is by first reading the fantasy book version of shows that you have already watched.
This is probably the best version because this allows you to not have to train your mental projection much. Instead, you can focus on learning how to follow words you read.
Reading fiction requires you to entire an almost meditative state.
You allow you mind to wonder, and you almost lose sense of your body. This gives that pleasant sensation of immersion in the story, which is the feeling that you want if you intend on enjoying the story. However, this part is the hardest part for beginners to do.
That’s why it helps to read something you have already seen before.
The meditative state is facilitated by you imagining what the character’s you are reading about look like. By imaging what all the things being described look like. This is why it is useful for you to use the TV shows to your advantage. You can happily watch a TV show that will show you a rough idea of the reading that you are doing.
So the first thing you should try is reading a TV show fantasy story you have already watched.
2. Choose Other Books You Like
The second step to start reading fantasy is reading a book that you are starting to enjoy.
Reading a fantasy book that you enjoy can be very helpful when it comes to entering the meditative reading stage.
After you finish reading one book, you will have had more than enough practice on how to enter that meditative state of reading. At this point, you probably cannot enter it at will. So you will still read with some more training wheels.
So, you should start reading another fantasy story that is similar to the one of the show you enjoy.
I have already covered how to find the best fantasy books to read that are tailored for you, so here I will explain why that will help you. This will help you because when you read a story that is most tailored for you, you actively want to enter that meditative state. So it helps you.
When you finish at least 2 books reading like this, I can boldly say you are a master of entering the meditative state. Thus, you can probably read a lot more books. So you are ready to move on to the next stage.
3. Read With Earphones On
The third thing you could do to get into reading fantasy is to start reading fantasy while listening to the audio book of the book you are reading.
What separates the best readers from beginners is how long one can stay in that state of constant reading, and meditation. This state can be trained using this technique.
I have a horrible confession to make. I have not read The Lord Of The Rings. I know, crucify me. But before you do, let me explain that now I have. I absolutely get what all the buzz was about. I enjoyed the story immensely. In fact, I don’t understand why everyone said it would be so hard to read, when in fact it was enjoyable. Or maybe it was the cheat code I used.
I read the book while listening to the audio book.
This allowed me to read the entire trilogy in under 5 days. That’s exactly the kind of results you can get with this technique. Looking at the time, and the length of the audio book, you can calculate how long it will take to finish the reading.
If you take long than the calculated time, than you should work on improving your patience, and your concentration.
4. Watch Reviews Of The Books You Have Read, And Engage In The Community
The fourth technique you could use to read fantasy is to start watching reviews of the books that you have read, engage in the community, answering the questions the bring up, and giving your own opinions.
In order to truly appreciate the stories you have read, it helps to engage in the fantasy community. They will help you feel the hype for the next book, and help you enjoy the previous book you have just read.
There are a lot of communities you can meet of fantasy online. The best are found on YouTube, so you should look there. These communities offer reviews, and they talk about books that you may have read before. When you see them talk about the books, you will find yourself wanting to add your own 2 cents. Also, you will learn what you didn’t previously know about your favorite book. Which will make you appreciate them more.
Finally, you will here what is the next exciting book that everyone is waiting for.
Hearing this will allow you to wait with the others, and start theorizing. When the book comes out, you will feel a great motivation to finish it as quickly as possible. it will be a million times more pleasurable. Your old theories will be confirmed, and new theories will start to form. So, you will eventually find you enter that meditative state subconsciously.
5. Eventually, You Will Want A Crack At The Big Boys
The fifth thing that you could do to start reading fantasy is cracking into the classics, and bigger books so that you can see if you enjoy those too.
When you start reading, and enjoying not just the classics, but the modern classics, then you can officially know that you have gotten into fantasy,
All of us have gone to school, and found ourselves forced to enjoy a book. We were told that the book was a classic, but we did not know what that meant. A classic book is a book that is enjoyable to multiple people at that time, and even when you are reading it, the book is still as enjoyable.
Upon hearing that, you may find it unbelievable that the books you read at school were classics.
Those were books you were forced to read. You did not enjoy a second of it, and as a result, you may find that you do not wish to read anymore of it. However, you probably dislike the book because you were forced to read it. Especially because you were forced to read it without having the skills.
So now, try to use your new skills to search for classic fantasy books, or modern day best writers. Eventually, you will find yourself in strange situations. Multiple times I’ve found that in class we were about to do a book that I’d already read.
That is a really cool feeling, trust me.
6. Enjoy The Habit You Developed Now
The sixth thing that you could to start reading fantasy is to turn your reading into a habit.
You can turn your reading into a new daily habit that you do, which you can then use to start reading fantasy specifically.
When you have finally mastered meditative reading, you are ready to move on to the next stage: Habitualize reading.
This is a topic that we have covered multiple times before in this blog but in essence, it is the idea of Atomic Habits, as shown in the book of the same name. You need to turn the process of reading into a habitually process that you subconsciously do every chance you get.
Eventually, you should be able to do it unthinkingly. Soon, you will find you crave reading. Next thing you know, you are looking for places to read your book just so you can have that sensation all over again.
What Writers Can Learn From How To Read Fantasy For Beginners
There is a meditative state that comes with writing too.
When speaking to writers, I take this for granted, but no doubt you guys already know this: the meditative reading elements. As we spoke about in a number of other blogs, reading is already a massive part of writer’s lives. As a consequence, they are usually familiar with this meditative reading state I speak of.
What most may not know is that there is a meditative writing state too.
Every time a writer begins their drafting phase, they often will enter a meditative state of sort. This is a state that you must actively search for if you wish to be a great writer. In this state you will find that you can write not just for hours, but you can actually concentrate for hours too.
Whenever I’ve entered this state, I have exited to find that hours have passed by and I am still just sitting there, writing. This is something that should happen to you too as a writer. And the reason why you will probably learn it best with this article is because it is a feeling that is similar to the one you feel when you are reading a book.
When you have finally found a way to join these 2 feelings, and you can read on your own free will, you will be that much closer to mastering mastery.
