Reading makes people happy!

According to research done at the University of Maryland, reading makes people happy. This question appeared in a poll published in Parade magazine yesterday. 5. Question: If you're sad, which of the following is most likely to cheer you up?
[a] Watching reruns of your favorite sitcom
[b] Reading a novel
[c] Tuning in to the news
Answer: [b]. People who read often are happier than those who watch more TV, according to researchers at the University of Maryland––even if the plot of their paperback is depressing.

Wow, so even reading a depressing book can cheer you up!

It is interesting to me that what people don't want in their personal real life is exactly what makes for good fiction: CONFLICT! We love to read about other people's misery. It seems that people want a diversion from thinking about their own problems, and what better way than to read about someone else's?

There is a bit of irony in this for me. As a writer, I want to encourage people to think about their own lives. I want them to form an emotional bond with my characters, so that as my characters encounter problems and overcome them, my readers will be inspired to do the same. In other words, I want them to look at themselves! But the very reason they read fiction in the first place is as a diversion (so they won't have to think about their own lives).

Ahh, the challenges of being a writer....

At least the research shows that readers are happier.

I think I already knew that.

Have a great August. I know I will. I'm moving back to Kenya this month. More about that adventure later....

Harry