Reading a book, in general, can enhance a person’s overall wellbeing. That said, reading more complicated types of books like fiction can develop a person’s mental state even further.

Fiction can sometimes involve complex plots, themes, settings, and characters that are out of the ordinary. For example, the use of magic and spells, wizards, mythical creatures, space adventures, time machines, or magical fairies can ignite a person’s senses in an entirely new level. Unlike reading a romance novel, scenes from fiction books are usually difficult to predict. This is where a reader’s imagination will come into play.

On top of that, there are other surprising reasons why reading fiction can contribute to a person’s overall development. Here are seven of them!

1. Improves creativity

As mentioned, romance or action novels can be too predictable. The boy usually gets the girl, or the protagonist usually dies to save others in the end. However, with fiction, you will never know what’s coming your way. And as an enthusiastic reader myself, you’re always left guessing the next scene or the turn of events. In short, reading fiction can enhance one’s imagination and creativity.

2. Makes you open-minded

In society, we stigmatize others who do not do what the majority dictates. Stereotyping is normal as we are living in a world where most people are close-minded enough to ignore other people’s plights. Fiction will make you open your mind to new possibilities because of continuous bizarre and new characters and plots.

3. Boosts memory

Reading, in general, is good for memory retention. That said, if reading less complicated book genres can help you retain your memory, how much more when reading complicated ones? Reading fiction books will help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in the long run. Plus, reading can also prevent mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a stage where cognitive decline begins.

4. Promotes empathy

It’s always better to start reading at a young age. This practice not only hones your ability to comprehend obscure plots and messages like in fiction books, but it also teaches younger boys and girls to be more empathetic of other people. For instance, teen fiction books for girls can teach them to understand the people in the real world better because they can relate to the characters, which in turn, gives them an enlightened perspective.

5. Develops relationships

Venturing into the unknown is sometimes not a good thing. It can even be scary for some people who are used to living in their comfort zones. More often than not, this is how we deal with other people. We sometimes have these preconceived notions on people and how they act that we put up a barrier against them. Reading fiction can make you venture into the unknown and can spark your emotions, allowing you to extend it to your real relationships and improving them in the process.

6. Relieves stress

A lot of bookworms find comfort in reading fiction books. Not only does this allow them to sleep better at night, but it also disconnects them from the current stressful situations they’re experiencing even for a moment.

7. Broadens vocabulary

Undeniably, the average readers have more vocabularies in their arsenal. I have learned from experience that the more books you read, the more difficult words you can familiarize. And fiction books are no exception. They contain more complex words and more cryptic sentences. This opens up new opportunities to broaden your knowledge by learning or doing further research.