Posted on by Sindhu Vinod Narayan

5 unique ways to tackle reader’s block

Quite often while reading a book, we suddenly go blank. Kaboom…. Completely blank that you cannot proceed beyond that point. There is that lack of concentration or that loss of focus that does not let you read thereafter. I was not aware of how you would describe that. As a naïve human, I would just say I went blank or I had no mood to continue. Thereafter I came to know that the term used to describe such a condition is reader’s block. So far, I’ve read only about writer’s block and experienced it at times too.
So now that you experience this emotion or whatever you call it by the term reader’s block, how do you tackle it? The topic mentions to list 5 unique ways, I do have some more and I wish to share them here to help fellow readers.

DROP THE BOOK AND GET YOURSELF A REFRESHING DRINK

Yes, you heard me right. Drop of the book exactly where you are. Leave the place immediately and get yourself a drink. It could be a cappuccino, green tea, lime juice, hot chocolate or even a glass of water. A quick refresh is sure to give you a change of mind.

KEEP YOURSELF OCCUPIED

You can keep yourself occupied, when you are away from the book. Say catch up on some old friends. Call them and talk, complete some pending chores.

GO FOR A POWER NAP

Yep. It’s great to have a power nap and then get up feeling fresh. I’m sure that would give you a lot of new thoughts and energy to continue reading that book.

DO NOT STRESS OUT

When you have a reader’s block, do not stress out on deadlines. You might have to submit a review or even come up with content for a blog post. Do not do that in a hurry or when you do not have the focus. That is not going to give you fruitful results.

BINGE WATCHING

Ahh. Now there is an even better way. Now that you do not have to read why not finish watching the series that you always wanted to, but did not have time for. Some series are shorter that you can finish watching them by the time the reader’s block gets out of you.

SWITCH TO OTHER GENRES

You might have encountered reader’s block at times, because the plot is moving too slow or it goes to the uninteresting phase. So your next step should be simply switching the genre. Take up reading a different genre or short stories or even read out a book for your kid.

DO SOMETHING RELATED TO BOOKS

What if you are not reading, you can do something relating to books. Set up blog schedules or posts. Take pictures, come on you are a bookstagrammer you will have to take cool pictures. Read some articles relating to reading or try reading posts of other bloggers if you are participating in a blog train. Just like we are doing now.

SOCIAL MEDIA

You could catch up on some latest buzz, or read articles or browse pictures or statuses posted online. Check out memes that will give you a good laugh.Let me tell you that is really good to take your mind off. But precautionary is have the right kind of people in your circle, so that it gives you some positive vibes. Not viewing updates of someone who portrays life to be better than yours and you end up feeling like a piece of shit. I’m definitely not recommending following such kind of people.

OUTDOORS

Get a breath of fresh air. Go for a walk. Jog or take a stroll. Go for a ride on your bike or ride in your car. Call your coffee buddy. There is definitely no person who would say no to a coffee.

These are some of what I follow to tackle reader’s block. I hope it would be of some help for people who face similar blocks.

This article is written as a part of #Thebookblogtrain conducted by Vidhya Thakkar and Siddhi Palande powered by Penguin India and Redwolf should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. Hosts are not responsible for any infringement caused.”

41 Replies to “5 unique ways to tackle reader’s block”

  6. Reader’s block can be frustrating and deserves to be taken (just a little) seriously. Yes, reading is more passive than writing, but it still takes mental activity. Reading requires concentration and a willingness to get through difficult exposition/narration (hopefully with a payoff). Readers who aren’t into classic lit should choose a short book. The Great Gatsby is great for reader’s block. Les Miserables might be a disaster. Thankfully, I don’t have reader’s block right now. Not having reader’s block is a great time to write about having reader’s block.

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