中文 and 文学

One of the reason I created this blog is becasue of the chances to write, especially Chinese - My culture, my root.
I used to write well in chinese and had some articles published on magazines and newspapers during my primary and early high school time. I don't know how I did that. The situation became worse and worse since I came here. I can't even recall when was the last time I wrote a proper chinese letter, and the last book I read, neither in chinese or english.

In fact, writer (chinese) was always my first ambition when I filled in my school profile, until I joined school band in 1990. A quick switch from words to notes, from reading to listening, from literature to music... I suddenly ignore reading, writing, and perhaps don't understand things deeper and think wider as I did.

My dude told me music and literature have to be developed evenly to achieve a higher level of artistic awareness and sensiblility. At first, I thought "stop talking crap..." I like to read actually, I've been reading menu of softwares, reference books, guides, history books, a lot of film scoring books, some composer bios... These are mechanical stuffs! I need them but they are not everything!

He is very true, in fact! I realized the importance of reading literature and writing when I had started working on the symphony I'm currently writing. If you don't read and write, you certainly don't think deeply.

For years, I've been composing with the format, taste, sound, etc that I'm familiar with, or learning from existing material or composer. I'm trapped! I need input that not from music, input from reading, living, writing... and eventually I think more, I dream more, and get me into the real fantasy of my own world.

"Start from reading" he said, "not reference and guide books"
I do, and I enjoy it.
Thanks

PS: suddenly recall my teacher's quote: 及时努力. Hardwork gotta be prompt, and don't wait.