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Reader’s Block

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girl reading book outside and sitting on a large stone
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

We all know what writer’s block is. You’ve got your pen in hand, paper in front of you, just waiting for ideas to cover it…and then nothing. It’s like a red brick wall has taken residence in your brain and is blocking all thought from coming forward. You know it’s there, pushing at those bricks; they just can’t get through. It’s one of the most frustrating feelings.

Well, I’d like to bring up the writer’s block’s lesser-known sibling, reader’s block. This is when a known bookworm simply can’t find satisfaction in any book. Has anyone else ever had this happen? You’ve tried everything; recommendations from friends, magazines, booklists, rereading books you loved, reading books you know you would usually love. What’s worse, books, usually your bosom friend, have become the enemy. It’s as if they’ve betrayed you. Instead of keeping words from flowing out, that red brick wall is now keeping words from flowing in. And what do you do about it? What can you do about it?

Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer to that. I myself am going through a reader’s block period. The last time this happened I just had to wait for it to pass. Does anyone else have any suggestions? Have you gone through this, and found the magical cure? This time, I’m asking you for the answer. Help! SOS! This bookworm’s books have turned against her.

Do you have any suggestions on how to combat reader’s block? Have you ever had reader’s block?

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By on September 24th, 2013

About Rebecca Lane

Rebecca Lane grew up in the hot desert landscape of Tucson, Arizona where she decided early on she wanted to write, if only to mentally escape her blistering surroundings. She has always been enamored of the arts and literature. As a child she often wrote short stories, and rewrote the endings of novels that she simply could not abide. She received her Undergraduate degree from Sarah Lawrence College in New York, where she was lucky enough to also spend a year studying at Oxford University. While she began her journey dreaming of the day she would sing opera in a large Manhattan theater, she found in the end she could not stand waitressing and simply could not give up books and her hopes of someday writing them. She is currently working as a freelance writer/editor and earning her Masters in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

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2 thoughts on “Reader’s Block”

  1. I used to love books and I couldn’t go without reading something everyday. Ever since I made language a career path I’ve gotten the reader’s block. I’m already reading so much, from criticism to psychology and philosophy that there’s no longer time for any pleasure reading and I just watch shows or movies to unwind. Now I don’t know if you’re going through a similar situation, but I think the best way is to start reading short stories. Maupassant, Joyce, basically just stuff you haven’t read before. Once you rediscover your love of reading you can return to novels and the like. Hope this helps 🙂

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