#reader's block

Hey Nonny *HUGS*

Honestly? For me I either switch fandoms or go back to old favourite fics. That's it. That's why I read SO many alternate fandom fics the past couple years, simply because reading Sherlock fics, for me, felt like a chore for awhile since I have to keep meticulous track of what's in a story and how it will be filed on my blog rather than enjoy the content of the story first-time-around. It seems to have gotten better now that I took a bit of a semi-hiatus from NEW Johnlock fics, but honestly, for me, swapping fandoms OR re-reading an old fic takes away that obligation / job of fic filing, for ME.

For you, it just might be fandom fatigue, so going back to some old stuff you KNOW you enjoyed, or fics for fandoms that you really like but never thought about reading more about is exciting. NOW I'm NOT implying that the current fandom you're reading in just suddenly got bad, NO, not at all!! I LOVE and adore all our fandom authors. But sometimes immersing yourself in a different setting HELPS.

For instance, the past two years I've been alternating between Johnlock and MCU/Sci-Fi/Fantasy fandoms, with different characters and relationships with their own dynamic that's ALMOST-BUT-NOT-QUITE Johnlockian. For ME, reading a new Johnlock fic IS a job, BECAUSE I have to file it at the end, and it's easier for me to tag-as-I-go. Then I swap over to a Red Dwarf fic with a whole different universe.

AS I SAID, it's completely different for me, and I HAVE to take the break between new fics so I don't get burnt out again. Sometimes I'll re-read a recently read fic and really enjoy it, able to take it all in. But yeah, in all my years doing this, my advice is this if you're having reading burnout or reader's block:

Take a break, eat, and do some other mind-engaging stuff instead, like puzzles. I love doing Fill-In Puzzles.

Swap fandoms, maybe go back to one you enjoyed as a kid, or are lurking on the outskirts in. After, try reading the fandom you primarily stick to again, and if it's not hitting you yet, go back to another fandom. YOU ARE NOT FORCED TO STAY IN ONE FANDOM. I had a hard time accepting this, LOL. I felt like I was betraying my Lovelies by reading other fandoms, but now it only helps me reset my brain for a new fic :)

Try reading a published work! Go to your local library and just see what they have, and check out a book. Sometimes there's a LOT of joy in just... reading from a physical book.

Re-read a fic you know you love. I do this a lot, and ALWAYS have, as "palate cleansers" between stories. For me, if I read too many new fics in a row, I get the plot lines confused, so re-reading a fic helps my brain sub-consciously process the last story I read. You'd be surprised how much this helps.

If you're not enjoying a fic, stop reading it, and read an old fave. Fiction is subjective, and not everyone is going to enjoy the same things. I used to force my way through fics I knew I wasn't even going to bookmark, and one day I just finally said "why? this story is upsetting me". Again, "cleanse the palate" with an old fave to reset the brain, and start again with something else.

And finally, it's OKAY if you just simply lost interest in reading. Your brain needs resetting sometimes, and just... if it takes days, months or years to get back into it, it's OKAY. I know what it's like to REALLY want to read something, but not being physically able to do it. Take a week off of reading, and get back into it. In my case I just listen to music instead since most of my reading is done either in bed or on the bus, so yeah, just a total zone-out for a week is all you may need.

I have 6 unfinished books and I can’t seem to get through any of them. I just loose interest and I don’t have the attention span...

Don’t know what to do anymore. Reading used to be one of my favourite hobbies and now that’s fucked.

ok ik it sounds dumb but I had a serious reader’s block like I couldn’t even finish a page and I read somewhere that the only way to beat reader’s block is to finish a book and ofc I though “how am I going to finish a book if I have reader’s block?” so I thought it was silly.

turns out it is not

I decided to follow the advice because I bought some new books that I REALLY wanted to read, so I started with the shortest one and lasted ONE MONTH READING IT! but the feeling I got when i arrived to the last chapter.

It was... magical, in a way. I wanted to know how it finished, I wanted to keep reading.

After a month of reading just 10 chapters, I read the remaining 20 in one sit.

And now, I deleted apps from my phone that distracted me from reading like Twitter and Instagram and installed reading apps, I feel that adrenaline I used to feel when I was younger, when I used to finish the entire Harry Potter series in a week. The adrenaline of knowing a story, of knowing that in your hands you have the beginning and end of a world, of someone’s adventure, of someone’s happiness.

It was the most amazing feeling ever and now, after that short book, I’ve read five more. I had to read my grandma’s old Danielle Steel novel’s because I wanted to keep reading and digging into these worlds.

The best method I know of for mitigating reader’s block is to cast one’s net wider. Literary ennui may be simply be a matter of reading too narrowly. Consider the books you’ve recently read and ask yourself if they have any common elements. Maybe set up a spreadsheet? That’s what I do. If you’re not the sort of person who enjoys that sort of thing, muse on your recent reading in a vague way and ask yourself if there is something they share. Are all the authors of the same gender? Do they come from the same narrow cultural background? Have you been sticking to a certain sub-genre? If so, why not take chance on a book outside your comfort zone?