Tag Archives: habits

Are Special Edition Books a Waste of Money?

Reading is a multi-faceted experience. It can be simple, lightweight, and free… or it can be shallow, expensive, and nothing more than an intellectual flex. In an age where the rich and famous are hiring people to stack their shelves with curated novels for a faux-cultured façade and an app dominated by the middle class is single-handedly keeping authors relevant, the socio-economic aspect of reading has never been more apparent.

Are Creative Writing Challenges Ruining your Writing?

Every once in a while, writers are tempted into taking on a challenge to test themselves, to find their limits, and to have fun. But sometimes, these creative writing challenges aren’t as enjoyable as promised. By creative writing challenges, I mean using things like prompts, restrictive word counts, certain emotions, or generally having something veryContinue reading “Are Creative Writing Challenges Ruining your Writing?”

Why You Need a Reading Journal

Sometimes referred to as book journals, reading journals have quickly become my favourite way to track my reading that I’ve ever tried. When I realised that even though I could look at my shelves and see the books I had read, I could hardly remember anything about them, I decided I needed to change that.

When to Get Rid of Books

Thanks to Book Tok, reading a lot is once again mega-trendy. Not that it ever goes out of style entirely. While reading being a popular pastime is far from bad, excessive consumption of anything—especially when that thing has a direct environmental impact—is not a good look. I’m guilty of this, especially since the rate atContinue reading “When to Get Rid of Books”

My 2023 Reading Journal (+PDF Downloads)

Another year, another reading journal. They’re my second favourite part of reading, just behind the reading itself. Last year, I thoroughly enjoyed using my reading journal. There was no doubt in my mind that I would continue to do so, but for the first time in years, I purchased a new notebook to house myContinue reading “My 2023 Reading Journal (+PDF Downloads)”

10 Reading Goals for 2023

New year, new goals. Or in some cases the same goals with a better plan to reach them! This year, I’ve decided to spell out exactly what I want my year of reading to look like and share it for some accountability, and maybe inspire you to make some goals too. I feel the need to begin by making it clear that I’m not trying to control my reading but prioritise it because I sometimes forget just how much I enjoy reading in all the excitement and stress of everyday life, and just how good it is to quiet my mind.

A Love Letter to Notebooks (and 5 Ways to Use Them for Writing)

Notebooks are your unjudgmental friends. They’re a silent partner in creation, allowing you to freely consider your thoughts and ideas and cringe at them later. Notebooks merely watch as some ideas sink and others float, only to resurface later looking renewed, and their unbiased acceptance is exactly what you need to organise your writing life.

What is there to Like about Writing?

For me, as with so many others, writing is a reflex. It’s not that I don’t actively make myself do it, it’s that I find it hard not to when I get the urge. Whether in my mind, on my phone, laptop, tablet, notebook, or scrap of paper, I’m always writing something. Like this blog. I try to upload weekly as a habit, but I was seduced by writing fiction last week and could not think about anything else, so I missed a week, but that was okay. It’s not like I wasn’t writing anything at all, I just focused my energy on something different.

Why You don’t like Reading Classics and How to Start

Sometimes it can feel like you need higher education to unlock the ability to read classics, but I’m here to tell you that you don’t. Though the frequency with which you read classics during a literature degree necessitates that you are able, it also demonstrates that the only way to get better at reading and dissecting classics is to read classics, which you don’t need a university to do.