Every time I pick up a new book to read, I feel like I’m walking a tightrope. Reading sends me balancing on a highwire filled with intrigue, suspense, adventure, romance, and a new heightened experience. How do I judge if the book, whether fiction or nonfiction, fulfills my expectations?

Take a deep breath. What do you need to learn about tightrope walking that applies to reading?

1. Tightrope walkers require strenuous training. Readers develop language skills through practice. Both need mental preparation and focus.
2. Tightrope walkers check the ropes, weather, and surroundings. A reader examines author, genre, reviews, book cover, and back cover blurb.
3. Tightrope walkers practice balance, and a distraction means a fall. Readers concentrate on the storyline, characters, and plot. A distraction could destroy vital information about the story.
4. Tightrope walkers understand and practice pacing themselves. Readers seek their unique rhythm of neither rushing through the story or lagging.
5. Tightrope walkers face challenges that could result in a fall or injury. The weather and wind are factors that could sway the rope. Readers engage in passages that challenge their vocabulary, sometimes encountering difficult passages that need to be reread and studied.
6. Tightrope walkers have a natural fear of falling/failure. Readers need to overcome the fear of not understanding or being able to finish a book.
7. Tightrope walkers must set goals by taking a few steps at a time. Readers set goals on how much is read. Both need to celebrate small and big victories.
8. Tightrope walkers incorporate safety nets and spotters. Readers join book clubs and share reviews.
9. Tightrope walkers enjoy the journey and the thrill of the destination. Readers experience the story through the eyes of the character and journey to the thrill of the last page.
10. Tightrope walkers take pride in their accomplishments. Readers take pride in finishing a book and telling others about the story.

Give me a powerful story, and I’ll walk the tightrope of an adventure. DiAnn Mills #Brrc #Reading #Readinglife Share on X

Reading, like tightrope walking, requires balance, concentration, determination, and strong motivation. Are you ready to walk a thin line into a new book adventure?

Meet DiAnn Mills

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, the Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.