If you can't find time, then make it

“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
Stephen King
     Nowadays, with so many distractions in the world, it can sometimes seem hard to find the time to read. It's also difficult to sum up the will to read if, for example, you've just got home at midnight from a twelve hour shift, or if you feel a teeny bit tender from the heavy night before... I know that recently (I say recently, maybe even so far back as my 3rd year of uni), I haven't nearly as much as I should have or would have liked to. I ended up viewing it as a chore sometimes. Never a punishment, but something that wouldn't go away until I faced it. 

     So recently I've been reading a lot more. And I feel brilliant for it. I finished The Savage Detectives, reading the last 300-odd pages in 4 days. That's a lot for me. Believe me. 

     But I don't just feel good- I want to read more. And with this comes the will to write. 

     Writing can be especially difficult when you feel like you don't have the time or energy to face it, but the longer you leave it, the harder it will be. It's like hiding something from a parent, knowing they'll find out the truth, but you bury your head in the sand in the hope that it will just go away. And then you lose the passion for it. Writing doesn't seem fun anymore, and how can you ever write a great story or poem if you don't enjoy it?

     I've found a number of things useful when I've not felt like reading or writing, when it's all too easy to just (insert mind-numbing/socially destructive activity here). These are pieces of advice that most writers would give, and I'm not trying to pretend I've always followed them, but if you do then you're enjoyment of reading and writing will improve dramatically.

     First and foremost, force yourself! I'm not the most self disciplined person in the world, but even if you feel tired, or rough, or you're mind is wandering to what you're going to have for tea in three days, just get a pen and write. I did a half hour session of free writing last week and ended up coming up with an idea for a new short story. I also wrote a load of rubbish that I'll never look at again, but that's not the point. It got me writing. The same applies to books- you'll feel much better afterwards knowing that you did it! Maybe consider rewarding yourself for every 500 words you write, or for every chapter of a novel you read. 

     Secondly, set targets and stick to them! Be realistic with your targets though. Don't aim so high that you feel like you're constantly missing your goals- you'll end up feeling like you're not good enough. On the other hand, don't be lazy and set yourself a target you know you'll hit within half an hour so you can go the shops. If you know you have a busy day ahead, then get up an hour or two earlier than usual and get some reading or writing in then. Take a notebook/book with you everywhere and use any chance you get to bury your nose into them! You need to be able to get into a habit, and if you're constantly hitting targets- raise them!

     Thirdly, don't let yourself get distracted by others. It can be very, very easy to give up if a friend calls and asks to meet for a drink, or if your flatmate wants to play FIFA (mention no names...:P) But if you haven't met your target then stick at it until you do. Even if what you write is no good, it's better than the feeling that you gave up and are now 50 pages short of where you wanted to be in your book. The same goes for Facebook, Twitter etc. I understand that lots of people type work up directly rather than freehand first (which I do a lot myself), so consider disconnecting your internet while you're working. You need to get into a flow!

     Finally, have fun. It's simple. Let yourself get carried away by a book, and if you're desperate to read onto the next chapter to find out if she really did kill him with a breadstick, then do! If you're in the mood then go with it. Never put a book or a pen down if there's a big wave- ride it (no cliche left unused here). If there is a such a thing as a creative spark, and it only shows up every now and then like an elusive little creature...then catch it while you can.

Hopefully some of this advice might help in times of need! I should also point you in the direction of this blog, The Writing Reader, which is full of little prompts for when you're mind is blank, and empty pages look huge! http://www.thewritingreader.com/blog/

Now, please get in touch! Have you ever been especially proud of making time to do it when before you insisted you didn't? Or is there any advice you'd like to give fellow book-worms? I'd love to hear from you!