Yes, I write a lot and write about writing a lot. But one essential ingredient to becoming even a good writer is that you must read a lot. If you don’t have time to read, you certainly don’t have time to write. And if you do write, it probably won’t be very good.
I tried setting myself a time to read right before bed because I had to sleep each night so it’d be easy to have that set aside so long as I kept a book next to my bed, right. Wrong. I would be tired and either fall asleep without ever reading a page or I would only have the energy to read a short chapter before having my head rest on a pillow and I’d be falling asleep with a book on my chest. The real problem with this being that I would wake up with the cover and pages all bent and messed up from me moving around in my sleep. So, setting time to read right before bed didn’t really work all that well for me but I’ll still do it occasionally.
What worked for me was reading just as I woke up. With coffee in hand, I’d have the book I was reading propped open and I sit at my desk. I read for about thirty minutes to an hour, depending on how much time I have. After reading for however long, I’d then begin writing as reading set the tone for it. Sometimes, the order would be switched and I’d write first then read, but as long as I do both. Doing them first thing in the morning helped me ensure I’d complete them, kept me in a routine, and I would feel accomplished for the rest of the day, setting the tone.
When do you read and write? Do you do it at different times or do you have a set time throughout the day?
Drew Schroeder 