It’s almost summertime, and if you’re anything like me, that notion holds almost as much promise as an adult as it did in high school—weeks of sunshine bliss, a little bit of a break from the exhausting routine of the rest of the year, and, of course, hopefully some bonus time to read. But what about those of us who are avid readers as well as aspiring writers? How can we possibly make time for both endeavors when we still have jobs, homes that need tidied, possibly landscaping that needs updating or kids that need chauffeuring? It’s one thing to keep a book in our cars to read while we wait to pick something—or someone—up, but how can we possibly find time to write, too?
Do we have to choose, one pastime we love over a dream we hold dear? Or is it really possible for us to make time for both?
Like most things in life, I don’t think the answer is simple. What I’ve come to believe is that it’s a series of choices and intentions, and how we respond when things don’t go according to our plans.
As an avid reader and aspiring writer myself, before writing this article, I asked myself what I wish I’d known last summer before I set out to read and write the days away…and then spent most of my time writing, increasingly loathing every minute of it. With last year’s experience in mind, what I realized was that a list of a few core tips and tricks, while somewhat beneficial, didn’t really delve into the intricacies of trying to practice self-care and finding joy in my habits while also striving to achieve a goal. So, instead, I decided to share how I’m endeavoring to read and write this summer, all the while working, taking care of my children, and gardening all season long.
If we look at reading and writing as separate activities, it’s easy to feel like one is distracting us from the other. However, if we look at reading as preparing us for writing, reading can quickly begin to feel like work. That’s why I think it’s important to strike a balance in what we’re reading and why—or maybe if we make a summer reading list at all.
Although my first book, Me, Too: Voicing My Story (released by Josha Publishing in January of 2022), is a work of nonfiction, for months, I’ve felt the call to write some kind of fiction. I’ve started and stopped several different ideas before finding two I feel like I can pursue well enough at this stage, and as I look toward the summer, my hope is to finish a first draft of one of those ideas. Will that happen? I have no idea. But what I do know is that I am going to need to be judicious with my time in order to write even a single chapter more. And in order to get through the writer’s block that’s been plaguing me for a few weeks now on both stories, I need to turn to some already finished books. No, not my own—my summer reading plan.
What I want to write would be categorized as Women’s Fiction, though specifically for new adults. There’s a hint of romance in one idea, while a love triangle is the basis for the other. Both books feature healing, though one is from loss and the other is from betrayal. And because creating a summer reading list feels a bit too much like a to-do list for me to enjoy it, I haven’t made an official list. Instead, I’ve made a plan: I want to read books similar to the ones I want to write, and I’m going to start by re-reading one I read earlier this year, Madly Deeply Wildly by Katherine Turner.
After leaving her abusive fiancé, writer Renata embarks on a journey to find the words that once came so freely as well as herself. Along the way, she takes a job at a local café, befriending the café’s friendly owner, Fern, and upbeat barista, Caroline, who teach her much about life, friendship, and love. When she hits it off with handsome baker Chad, she believes she may find her happy ending until her past and her dangerous ex intervene. Can Renata escape for good and learn to trust again? Or will echoes of her past destroy her future?
Now, while one of the stories I want to write does have some similarities to Renata’s journey, the character I’ve envisioned—and her story—is quite different. However, I believe that re-reading Madly Deeply Wildly will help me be a bit better prepared for writing a standalone novel, which is something I’ve never done.
Of course, I have no idea what I’ll read after I finish Madly Deeply Wildly; likewise, I have no idea if I’ll even finish it before inspiration strikes me and I find myself at the keyboard, my story flying from my fingertips. On the other hand, I could wind up finishing Madly Deeply Wildly and then seeking another book, then another, and another, and spending my whole summer reading, with hardly a thought spent on writing except for a longing to write.
But that’s okay with me.
As aspiring writers who happen to also be avid readers, I think it’s easy for us to focus on wanting to give readers the magic we’ve been given by the writers who’ve come before us. We want to create something, to write a story in which a reader can disappear, laughing and crying and hoping and grieving alongside our characters the way we have done. And I believe that is a noble thing to want to create a world from inside ourselves and share it with others—our words, our stories, have the power to unite us in ways we might never discover if we didn’t pick up a pen one day. At the same time, we owe ourselves the same gentleness—the same grace—we’d give our favorite writer if they told us they were struggling to write their next book.
And if you’re like me, you read that and thought, “But wait, I’m not as good as they are! They deserve that grace—they’ve proven they’re capable of greatness! I still have to prove myself! Why should I be gentle with myself?”
Because, dear writer, someday, we might be someone else’s favorite writer. They’d tell us to take our time, just like we’d tell whomever we admire. Therefore, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to go ahead and give ourselves the time we need to do what we need to do to achieve our writing goal, even if that thing is not writing. For that matter, we’re human beings, just like our favorite writers are—and we deserve rest and rejuvenation, just like anyone else. We’re worth it. And although it sounds counterintuitive, taking a break from writing can help us work through writer’s block or find joy in the work once again…or even write a little better.
For me, when I’m writing, it’s easy for me to feel like I have to finish the project. Whether it’s an article, a chapter, or a whole manuscript, I can quickly become so focused on finishing that I forget to enjoy the journey and that I wanted to write because it brings me joy. When I get so focused on the end goal, writing starts to feel like a chore, and when that happens, I’ve learned that’s when it’s time to do something else. Of course, as a parent, worker, and homeowner, there’s always something else to do, so I’ve taught myself to think of all those other things as a break from writing, rather than a distraction. Let me give you an example.
Two summers ago, as I was working through self-edits on my first book, I remember a few occasions when I knew certain content needed to be worked into the manuscript. I knew where in the manuscript it needed to be added, and I knew generally what that addition would be. But I didn’t know how to word it—I didn’t even know how to begin to word it. And so I sat, bouncing on the yoga ball I use as a desk chair, for hours. Eventually, frustrated, I’d close my laptop none-too-gently and go outside, heading for the pollinator garden in my front yard, where there is always work to do. And every time, after a day in the dirt and sunshine, by the next time I sat at my computer, the words would start flowing again. Over time, I learned that I can’t force the words from my fingertips, no matter how badly I want to do so. Sometimes, I have to take a step away to move forward. Those experiences helped me see that, while I had a deadline to meet and mini-goals along the way, focusing on just those milestones wasn’t going to get me to that finish line.
Before I started writing, I would’ve seen that change of activity as quitting, or at least abandoning my manuscript. I would’ve seen my garden-related to-do list as reasons why I shouldn’t write, believing I had too much else to do. Now, though, I choose to see my to-do list—whether it’s gardening or taking my kids to summer camp—as what I can do instead of write, especially when the words won’t flow. And if the to-do list is done and still have no idea? I can always read a book in the genre I want to write, but I don’t have to read every book on a list before I pick up a pen. And if I don’t want to read anything at all? I can go for a hike, be still and quiet with nature, or go for a walk with a playlist, all scenarios in which my creativity usually perks up and inspires at least a scene, if not a solution to a plot hole. And if it doesn’t? That’s okay—the ideas will come to me when they’re supposed to.
The reality of wanting to read and longing to write, all the while living an otherwise busy summertime season, is that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. As I’ve learned, the secret to doing it all isn’t actually something you can do—it’s something you can be. And that something is to be patient with yourself. Personally speaking, I don’t think very well when I’m being pressured to come up with an idea or solution at work, so I’ve had to learn not to put the same pressure on myself that I’d resent someone else inflicting on me. It isn’t easy, but it can be done.
Will my novel get done this summer? Who knows. The only thing I know is I don’t want to feel like I’m done with writing because I’ve burnt myself out trying to make the words come, and even if the only thing I do this summer is read, those books will only help me write in the future. Besides, it’s almost summertime—sunshine can help chase away the stress.
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