Reading to Feed Your Writing: How to Overcome a Slump

If you’re a writer, you know that reading is just as important as writing. In fact, sometimes reading can even help overcome a writing slump. When you’re feeling stuck and can’t seem to get the words on the page, reading can give you the boost you need to start writing again.

This cohort has tested my grit to push through writer’s block. Routines help. One other action that helps is reading highlights from books you’ve read. I’ve read some good ones lately.

The mark of a great book is that it makes you have new experiences and look at things in a different way. A book can be harshly realistic, or eye-openingly strange, or even just really funny. As long as it’s doing something new, it’s giving you material to write about.

I use Readwise to review highlights. Most of the reading I do is through Kindle. This makes it very easy to consolidate my highlights. It also allows me to see popular highlights.

Reading other people’s thoughts on a book can be helpful to get different perspectives. I go to Goodreads for this.

There are many ways to use books to feed your writing. But too much of a good thing can end up being counterproductive.

If you’re in a writing slump like me, read more books. Review your notes from books you’ve read. But then commit! Commit to a topic to write about. Otherwise you’ll scroll endlessly through your material and you won’t get anywhere. Like me.

Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog