No Excuse for Writer’s Block

by Annette Rey

If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.  Stephen King

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Never An Empty Brain!

Number one rule for writers is: Never Stop Reading.

I briefly covered this in my post of November 1, 2020. As stated, reading is a writer’s food that builds a healthy brain, adds to his education, supplies inspiration, and enables him to glean new ideas to produce his own new writing projects.

But there is more reason to read than that…

No matter the universal subjects we writers can engage in, first and foremost, we are human beings. We are one and part of the whole of the human race. As we go through life we should be increasing our awareness of what it means to be human. That is, we should be seeking answers as to what causes us to be happy, angry, sad, loving, lonely, vindictive, murderous, kindly, compassionate, resentful, jealous, etc. These emotions are just one aspect of the human condition about which writers write. We also write about the interactions between all these different emotions in the people of the characters we create.

Therefore, we should be reading on subjects such as abnormal psychology, body language, court trials and trial procedures, medicine, and forensics. These subjects are not just suitable for the mystery writer. From these sources we can enrich our characters and environments in many genres. If you know what a psychiatrist, psychologist, attorney, physician, and criminal investigator is thinking, you will have little difficulty in incorporating these careers in your work and building believable characters. You will learn what environments surround them and the types of other professionals with which they interact. You will learn the particular terminology they use in their profession. Plus, you will have accrued all the scientific knowledge these books have offered you. These facts are the backbone of your stories.

There is no limit to subject matter on which to read.

Two areas to mine that are equally important are books in your chosen genre and books on the writing craft. You can never learn enough or too much.

If you don’t write books but write articles and essays, the same guidance applies. Read the work of others, especially works that cover the same subject on which you are focusing. When you search for these articles, do not be discouraged by how many you find and think there are too many of them and you have nothing to add to the pile. Each writer has an individual voice and view and opinion on identical subjects. That means there is room for your written creations. Also you should have a fresh and new approach to a dusty subject. There is no end to human ingenuity.

Do not doubt yourself.

To bolster that inner self, continue to read and learn. You will have a storehouse to draw from and your next writing projects will become easier and easier.

Do you want the writer’s muse?

Then read.