Back in March 2023, I posted on the benefits of reading fiction, and then earlier this year, I wrote about historical fiction as a tool of empathy. You might be able to guess that there’s no doubt in my mind: Fiction is powerful!
Novels invite us to imagine ourselves as the characters which in turn builds our capacity to see perspectives that aren’t ours and feel compassion for people who aren’t like us. Stories engage us emotionally and teach us life lessons. Through stories we confront and explore issues relevant to our everyday lives.
Some other thoughts gathered from various articles:
- not only does fiction activate the language processing parts of our brain, it can also activate the sensory cortex of the brain with words that reflect smell, touch and taste
- similarly, words describing motion can stimulate the motor cortex which coordinates the body’s movements
- reading offers the opportunity to understand other people’s thoughts and feelings; case in point: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi which allows the reader to imagine and share the thoughts of a successful person at the end of his life.
- through fiction, we can explore human social and emotional life; we can then translate the interactions among fictional characters into real-life social encounters and intentions
- through reading fiction, we can more readily see the world from another person’s perspective
- as we read, we analyze critical plots, characters, and themes which activates the prefrontal cortex and strengthens analytical skills. Have you tried to solve a mystery before the ending is revealed?
- according to Rosemary Marshall in Reading fiction: the benefits are numerous, “When reading immerses you via your imagination, it induces a state of deep focus, transiently releasing the mind from bustling or teeming thoughts and thus providing an active form of relaxation.“
- reading provides “gems of wisdom and inspiration directly transferable to our own lives” as we place ourselves vicariously into the lives of characters in the novels we read; gain insight into other people’s thoughts, feelings, and motives
- reading can transform judgment into understanding
- reading can activate our own powerful emotions
Amanda at Bookish Brews says that “reading fiction has made me an immensely better person. I believe in myself more, I empathize with others more, and most importantly, I know who I am.” She also states that “the biggest benefit of reading fiction is that it makes you smarter! I cannot tell you how many things I’ve learned from reading fiction.”
Perspective, empathy, compassion, life lessons, knowledge, analytical skills and so much more! Powerful stuff.
FOR MORE ON READING & WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION FOLLOW A WRITER OF HISTORY. There’s a SUBSCRIBE function on the right hand side of the page.
M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel THAT WAS THEN is a contemporary thriller. Mary’s other novels, THE ADMIRAL’S WIFE, PARIS IN RUINS, TIME AND REGRET, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on Facebook or on her website www.mktod.com.
