Ask any writer the best things you can do to improve your writing – and reading is likely to be in their top three. It’s what I always say, when asked. Read widely. Read with intense focus. Read for fun. Read forensically. Read within and outwith your genre.
So why have I been reading so little?
Over the past year, I’ve been struggling to hold down a writing routine. Which in itself probably isn’t surprising – since January, I’ve suffered a major bereavement, got married, and had a book come out. And alongside that, kind of on the back-burner, we’ve been house-hunting. So not exactly what you’d call a quiet year. And not exactly conducive to maintaining a routine in my writing.
But I also think it’s more than that. After all, it isn’t that I haven’t had the hours available to write. I have – plenty of them, in fact, even if they have had to be snatched between ordering bouquets and scrolling through Rightmove.
What I’ve found difficult is the motivation.
Every time I sit down to write, I struggle to get my head in the zone. I can bash out words, but I don’t have a clear sense of where they’re going. I can’t hold the big picture of a novel in my head, and when I try to write poetry, the words just dissipate like a dandelion clock. Even Substack posts are sometimes difficult.
Some of this is probably emotional. After all, if you have a big stressful and/or emotional change in your life, it’s to be expected that your head will be a bit all-over-the-place afterwards. But I also think it’s connected to a lack of reading.
My problem: I tend to see reading as a treat – something to do after all my jobs are done – rather than as an integral part of my creative practice.
Obviously, I know that it’s important to maintaining a healthy writing habit – in the same way that regular exercise is important for maintaining a healthy body. (Spoiler: I haven’t been doing that much this year, either.) But after a whole childhood of being told I was allowed to read my book once I’d finished my work in class, it’s hard to shift away from that reading-as-treat mindset.
So this September, I’m going to try to change that outlook. I’m going to put reading first.
I’m going to try to read a book a day.
This month, I’ve seen a lot of people in my social feeds attempting the Sealey Challenge – which is to read a book or pamphlet of poetry a day throughout August. I’ve even been tagged in a couple of them, by people reading White Ghosts, which has been lovely to see.
I’m planning to focus on prose, rather than poetry, but the overall idea is the same. A book a day, every day of September. A new outlook for a new school year.
I’ve chosen short books – ranging from 80 to 200 pages – and a mixture of novellas, creative non-fiction and genre-bending lyric essay collections. I haven’t quite chosen all 30 books yet, as I want to leave a bit of space for recommendations, or for books I stumble across in bookshops during the coming month.
But this is the selection I have so far:
Which brings me to the three questions I want to ask:
Which book should I read first?
Are there any slim books which aren’t on this list, but which really ought to be?
And do you fancy joining me in this September reading challenge??
Let me know in the comments below!
I have absolutely no suggestions but will look forward to hearing which titles you recommend over the next month! I've got my reasons why I can't commit to a book a day, but must admit that it's been an age since I've sat and got through a whole book in one sitting. I need to do that more.
Wow mate, good luck, that’s a lot. I did the Sealy challenge a couple of times and found it really satisfying so hopefully you’ll have a great experience with this. September is evaluating and funding application month for me. In October I plan to press forward with projects started but not yet completed. Time moves so quickly! Big love to you both ❤️❤️🤗🤗