Five Things Saving My Writing Life Right Now

Brought to you by Kendra Adachi

I’m a fan and consistent follower of Kendra Adachi’s. I enjoy her books and listen to her podcast, The Lazy Genius. The podcast is not reading or writing specific. I promise, I’m getting to the point.

A series within Kendra’s podcast is an episode title: What’s Saving my Life Right Now. In these episodes she takes time to reflect on what is working in her life at that moment, whether it be a regular choice she’s making, like sleeping in later, or an object, like comfortable socks. Throughout this process, she is also encouraging her listeners to reflect on what’s saving their lives, because we are all different people with different lives. It can get a bit kumbaya with Kendra’s podcast and I dig it. Her work has helped me re-evaluate and stay grounded through pregnancy, postpartum, and then going back to work.

This series of emails has been inspired by Kendra’s “What’s Saving my Life Right Now,” but a reader’s version. Reading is a habit and a skill. We are not hardwired to be readers like we are hardwired for other skills. While babies and toddlers soak up language like a sponge, young children are taught to read through a developed curriculum at school. Maryanne Wolf, a prominent cognitive neuroscientist known for her research on the reading brain, language, and dyslexia, has written about this idea. In her words: “human beings were never born to read. The acquisition of literacy is one of the most important epigenetic achievements of Homo sapiens. To our knowledge, no other species ever acquired it. The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain’s repertoire.” Go Humans!

This is my long winded way of saying that a reading practice needs to be tended to just like a garden. If reading is a goal, it’s not going to come naturally. When life gets busy, the books pile on my bedside table as I search for that book that hooks me enough to keep me awake longer than a few pages before bed because that is the only time I have to get reading done (right now there are six books piled on my table, not the worst it’s been, but certainly not my best. I’m revealing how many books I’ll read at once, it’s ridiculous…)

From bottom to top on the reading docket: The Hello Girls by Elizabeth Cobbs, my eReader where I’m working on The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, Invasion of the Daffodils by Dino Enrique Piacentini, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, and then on the side for when I finish A Christmas Carol, The Artful Dickens by John Mullan.

I want to read. I love to read. And here are five things that have been saving my reading life:

Reading paperback books instead of my eReader.

This has been driven by my mom guilt. I don’t want my daughter to see me on screens all the time, so I’ve been selecting at least one (okay, probably closer to three) books off my bookshelf to read while she’s playing on her own. My daughter doesn't like to be alone (who does?) so often I am sitting on the couch while she plays at the coffee table. Or lounging on the floor in her bedroom with an oversized stuffed animal used as a pillow. Instead of letting the TV run, I’ve been feeling good picking up a book and that has led to more reading getting done.

Kindness

It has been a slow time with my reading lately. Life is getting so busy with the holidays and work, not to mention the colds running through my classroom and my home that I am desperately trying to avoid. Practicing kindness toward myself has been essential in not getting upset that it takes me two months to finish a book (and not even a very long book…)

Nonfiction

With my reading slowing down, I find it easier to jump into nonfiction after an extended period of time. I doubt I’m alone in this. I can finish a chapter or section in a nonfiction book, put it down for several days or even a week, and pick it up and continue with no issues. With fiction, I have to remember where I left off, which can slow my progress down even more.

Timers on my social media

I give myself ten minutes on Instagram/Facebook and thirty minutes on Youtube. I’ll just keep on scrolling and completely lose track of time otherwise. Then I’ll be mad at myself for not taking the time to read instead. The time will be gone, adult responsibilities will be calling, and I’m now approaching them cranky. It’s a lose lose situation. I need to put my phone down.

Book Club

I LOVE my book club! It’s such a fun group, everyone is willing to give different kinds of books a try. The end date for our monthly books helps me stay on a reading track. I have to get the book done by the end of the month to enjoy an evening with my friends without spoilers. The book just needs to get done. I’ve been hustling for a week the last couple of months to get through the book club picks. The earbuds go in, music is played, and I get lost in the story. Book club finally got me to read The Book Thief. My sister has been trying for years. I don’t typically read World War II (or any kind of war, but especially WWII) books. They’re sad! The Book Thief is a beautifully written book. I’m glad I read it and I still stand by my dislike of war books. The ending was rough!

So those are the five things that are saving my reading life right now. I want to do this kind of reflection every few months. This task asks me to pause, something I struggle to do, especially in a busy season. I also want to encourage you to pause. Reflecting is always a good practice. What gets you excited to read? How do you decide which books you’ll read? I’d love to hear!