I like to read... occasionally

This month, we’ve been talking about the human side of being a writer—by which I mean, talking about the not-so-glamorous parts of writing. And let’s face it, there’s not a lot of glamor involved in writing. Mostly, we just sit on the couch and do our thing.

Last week, we talked about not wanting to write and not wanting to edit, and how to overcome that feeling and be okay with feeling it in general. This week, I have two more such topics.

You know, while I’m a writer, while I’m an editor, while I’m someone who’s always been fond of reading…

Sometimes, I don’t like to read.

Actually, the last book I read, I really didn’t like reading. If you’ve been paying attention, watching my Goodreads and hanging out at Divine Reads, then you probably know I’ve been reading the Witcher novels. Well. I’ve been trying to read the Witcher novels. The last book was a struggle for me to get through, for very many reasons.

Primarily? I didn’t want to.

And you know what? (you guessed it) That’s okay.

As writers, we work with words. We’re always writing, and editing, and therefore reading what we’re writing and editing. It’s perfectly normal to get tired of reading, to want to do something (anything) else. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, there’s something right with it.

If you can read, write, and edit all the time without ever burning out or getting tired of it, you’re my hero. I don’t know how you do it.

Most of us need a break. That’s just the way life is. And it’s perfectly fine to take a break. If you still want to be reading, maybe try audiobooks. I know, I know, that’s cheating—but at least you’re still listening to a book and thinking about story, without having to make your eyes read more words off a page.

Sometimes, it’s our eyes that say it’s time for a rest. When that happens, definitely listen to them. Your eyes know best.

But really, make sure you take some time for other things. Take a break. See people. Do things outside your house. Cook a meal. Watch a show. Do something in your free time that has nothing to do with writing, instead of reading a book.

There are days when that’s just what you need to do, and on those days, you need to listen.

Not everything is about work, and whether you think of it that way or not, that’s exactly what writing is when you do it for a living. It’s work.

[love]

{Rani Divine}

p.s. Ahhhhh only a week until Mynidd releases! Have you preordered your copy yet? Order by Thursday and it’s guaranteed to ship Friday (which means you might even get it early)! Click Here to order now!