Why Books are Better for Your Brain

By Saralyn Richard

 

Since the beginning of television, debates have been held over the benefits of reading over TV watching or vice versa. Some of the tried-and-true arguments include:

·         Reading allows you to form pictures in your brain, which involves more creativity and imagination than having them spoon-fed.

·         Reading time is all quality time, with no time wasted on commercials.

·         Books are portable and less expensive to use.

·         Books delve into thought-provoking issues more thoroughly than TV shows.

·         Reading is a quieter, more peaceful activity.

·         You can read on your own schedule.

·         You don’t have to worry about whether you subscribe to the right channel.

All great points, but here are a few more that come from educational (and brain-based) research:

·         Reading, unlike watching or listening to media, allows the brain to stop, think, process, and imagine the narrative in front of you.

·         Reading creates connections in the brain that promote language, cognitive, social, and emotional development.

·         Reading rewires the brain and creates new white matter.

·         Reading puts the reader in the shoes of the character in the book, figuratively and biologically. It creates empathy.

·         Reading increases attention spans and encourages sequential thinking.

·         Reading increases vocabulary.

·         Reading rewires your brain, so that you can imagine alternative paths, remember details, picture detailed scenes, and think through complex problems.

In short, reading makes you more knowledgeable AND more functional. In other words, if television is a bag of potato chips and a soft drink, reading is a warm and tasty meal and a delicious smoothie.

My years in education have proven to me over and over again how important it is to be a good reader. Literacy is the basis for all learning (even mathematics and music, which are other forms of reading). The more you practice reading, the better able you will be to comprehend, analyze, compare and contrast, synthesize, and evaluate. No one I know of has ever made those same claims for watching television.

I’m not advocating the abolishment of TVs or television programming. But I do recommend making reading a priority when carving out your leisure time. Whatever you choose to read, you’ll have excellent entertainment, and your brain will thank you.

Saralyn Richard’s award-winning humor- and romance-tinged mysteries and children's book pull back the curtain on people in settings as diverse as elite country manor houses and disadvantaged urban high schools. Saralyn’s most recent release is Bad Blood Sisters. A member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America, Saralyn teaches creative writing and literature at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and continues to write mysteries. Her favorite thing about being an author is interacting with readers like you. Visit Saralyn here, on her Amazon page here, or on Facebook here.

Learning to Write from TV Commercials

Learning to Write from TV Commercials by Debra H. Goldstein

Lately, I’ve vegged in front of the TV. It isn’t the shows that attract my attention, but the commercials. They are a perfect lesson in storytelling for a writer to observe. Why? Because they must tell their tale in thirty to sixty seconds in a way that we remember. They achieve this through tight scripts, careful casting of actors, and specific product placement.

Like short stories, commercials limit themselves to a single or simple story arc with a final twist. Let me give you some examples. Some of the longer commercials, which are shown on stations that run golden oldie procedurals, run more than a minute. Two, which target different groups, show children or veterans with challenges and how the advertised hospital system or non-profit improves lives through the aid being given. These commercials depend upon characterization and the emotional strength of their stories to attract supporters to make donations when the ad concludes with a plea for money.

Many commercials are set in a kitchen. A husband, boyfriend, or child asks a wife, girlfriend, or mother about a specific food product or if they have more of an item. The woman provides a taste of the food or directs the individual to where the product is. The man or child is satisfied by the taste or being drowned in the product. The stories in these commercials are not as important as selling the name of the product or service. Consequently, there is product placement of a bag of the frozen food or a dish made with the advertised food. My favorite, which advertises a buying club, has roll after roll of paper towel dropping on a man. After the wife explains that without paying much, this service allows one to get quality and quantity, the twist is a child asking if next time they can order cookies. One laughs at the joke, and remembers the buying club.

Other commercials, like books in a series, build upon memories from previous commercials. The Budweiser Clydesdales were introduced in 1933 when prohibition ended. At that time, they pulled a Budweiser beer wagon. Today, they advertise beer for Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company, the parent company that subsequently bought the Budweiser brand. People wait for each year’s new Super Bowl ad in the same way readers wait for the next book in a series by a favorite author.

Commercials hold our attention by using scripts that address topics from purely realistic or sentimental viewpoints or by mixing what people know with moments of fantasy. If the commercial is successful, the viewer remembers the product as opposed to only the story line. If the writer succeeds, the reader subconsciously thinks about ideas the writer planted while enjoying the plotline. 
What commercial makes the biggest impact on you? Why?