Reading is an imperative activity for a writer. Tackle that unread pile! I’ve got three tips to share that will help you make more room in your week for reading. When you see my explanation for each, you’ll notice that all three tips meld into each other like one super-hack. I hope this will assist you in reaching your reading goals.
Okay, here are my big three:
- Reading as a reward
- Engagement as motivation
- Carry it with you (all of you)
There’s ample “advice” all over the internet if you search this topic. In this blog post, I’m providing you with only the top three things that work for me. If you’re able to emulate them—great! What I’m not doing is repeating generic advice. Let’s go deep. Read my explanation for each to see what I mean.
Reading as a reward – Okay, the first thing you’ll find if you search online on the topic of tackling your stack of unread books is the generic advice of scheduling it in. Well, duh! But if you arbitrarily pencil-in some reading blocks without also attaching them to an existing structure, then you’ll get nowhere. Not only that, but it will frustrate you. Look, don’t make it such a chore. You do want to read, right? So scaffold your weekly tasks to include a reward: reading time. It’s an outcome of completing your to-do list rather than being directly part of it. Not just a to-do, but a get to do. If you’re excited about reading, then you’ll be motivated. If you’re determined to read, then you’ll do it. This leads me to my next point.
Engagement as motivation – Choose books that engage you. For real—don’t set yourself up to fail. Just because something is labeled a “classic,” or “bestseller,” or, “popular choice,” doesn’t mean it’s for you. If you were the type who got through school by consulting Spark Notes instead of just reading the assigned book(s), then you’re not likely to pick up “War and Peace” anytime soon. It’s gonna sit in that pile for a long, long time. Why force yourself to dredge through a novel that’s just not gripping you? There are so many published titles to choose from. If you have zero trouble putting a book down when you’re part-way through, then… well… don’t bother picking it up again. Select a new one.
If the book truly engages your attention, you’ll know it. This will become your inspiration to read. And don’t try to keep track of how long you’ve been reading or how many pages you’re getting through per week. I blame elementary school teachers for inventing those ridiculous reading trackers and wall charts. Go to any Dollar Store and buy your own whole packet of gold stars, red dots, and smiley faces. Look, we know not every book is equal. You wouldn’t say 100 pages of John Steinbeck is on par with 100 pages of R.L. Stine. And anyways, what’s the point of reading if you only care about mileage? Are you reading it because you are absorbed in the book or because you’re seeking bragging rights? Well, in that case, go back to using Spark Notes then, smarty-pants.
Don’t give-in to such tomfoolery. If you’re constantly monitoring the thickness of pages remaining, then you’re probably not enjoying the story very much. A bit like staring at the ceiling during sex, perhaps? Stop being embarrassed about upmarket novels. Read them. Toss a classic in there once in a while. Start with a thinner one and work your way up (Oh, innuendo!). Seriously, though, I found H.B. Wells’ “The Time Machine” to be a riveting page-turner. Maybe you will too? It’s super tiny. Give it a go.
Carry it with you (all of you) – This is another one that appears at the top of search results. The truth is: if it’s there and in your face, then you’re more likely to crack it open. But, the fact that you’re sitting, say in public, with your nose in a book tends to also invite questions. Stop being prickly about getting interrupted. Yes, it’s gonna happen. Look at it this way: what you’ve got is a conversation opener at your fingertips. Talking about what you’re reading with someone else helps round-out your understanding of the book, which in turn increases your motivation to keep it up.
Okay, I know reading itself is not a social activity. At least not by design. Just join any book club for a few months and you’ll begin to notice that once the wine is poured or the tea cups are distributed among the circle, no one even mentions that month’s book title, let alone any of the details inside it. Been there, done that.
But carrying your current read-in-progress can make for a unique icebreaker. A spontaneous and meaningful one. Think how excited you got last time you saw someone cradling your all-time favourite book. Did you feel a bizarre connection with that stranger? Have you tried slipping the details of what you’re reading into conversation to see where it goes? You might spark a connection with someone, or it may be that you’ll get a revelation about an aspect of the book you hadn’t noticed until talking it out. It need not be a stranger. Maybe your family will surprise you. Whatever the case, carry the book with you not just in the physical sense—keep it on the forefront of your mind.
Stay tuned for my next blog post. Wanna get it in your email inbox? Subscribe to stay informed of my newest articles, story reviews, updates, and more. In the meantime, comment below. Tell me what’s in your unread stack of books. What have you read lately? Which new release are you looking forward to getting your hands on? Which classic(s) are getting dusty on your bookshelf? What was the last classic novel you read? Scroll down to begin the discussion.
Cover Image: Photo by Nothing Ahead on Pexels.com
Pauline Shen 