I am a very slow reader and a subvocalizer. That’s someone who has to say each word out aloud in their head. Until I met my husband, I thought that everyone subvocalized.

I’m not sure if it was the way I was taught to read when I was young, or whether it is the way my brain is wired. I tend to think it’s the latter. It didn’t stop me from loving books though and that’s why I am an author now. I did read but it always  took me a long time to get through a book.

Being a slow reader has its disadvantages. If you’re a student studying for an exam, it’s hard to get through all the required reading material. If you’re an author writing a novel, it’s a huge disadvantage because authors HAVE to read other people’s works. We learn from other writers about style and rhythm and use of language. And then there’s the research. I have had to do a heap of it for Little Paradise and the process has been slow and arduous. To a subvocalizer like me, with the exception of the dictionary, any book that is more than an inch thick is daunting.

To compensate for my disability, I listen to audio books as well as read.

If this problem was picked up in primary school, with a little help, slow readers would not carry this problem into their adulthood.