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So, here I am, reading, reading, reading for all I’m worth, and it seems I’m not getting anywhere! It feels like a game of ‘stuck in the mud’, where I whizz through pages of writing, only to realise that I’m STILL not finish!
This is a phenomena that I experience once every few years and I cannot explain it at all. Time stops, and the pages of the book seem to multiply. I’ve checked the font, and it’s average. I’ve compared font SIZES, and it’s your standard 10/ 12 point on Word. Then I analysed the line s-p-a-c-i-n-g. Average. I’ve also been keeping to my 50 pages a day pledge. So what’s the deal here?
Is it the book, me or some other force playing games with me. I should have had a book like ‘Madame Bovary’ read by now! Are the muses mocking me? Could it be that upon discovering the humble book challenges of this mere mortal, they have decided to obstruct her path towards the ’50 Books A Year’ goal? *shakes fist at Calliope* It’s all your doing, you obscure deity you! I feel like I’ve been sucked into a strange vortex and spat out into an alternative reality where time runs fast and actions slow down.
Has anyone had this before? Please tell me you have. And what do you do to get out of it? It’s not like ‘readers block’, it’s something else! Help me!
Wordly Obsessions 
Let me understand–you sit down to read but can’t get through the 50 pages? Maybe your reading preferences are changing. I couldn’t get through 50 pages of James Joyce on a bet in one day–well, and get anything out of it.
I love your description, though. You have a unique way of describing things. I’m going to save this in my character file. Some day, in one of my action-thrillers, I may need this characteristic to describe one of my actors.
I do get through the 50 pages, even more. But the book won’t finish!! I can’t understand it at all. This always happens to me when I force-read something.
I’m glad that my post will help you in some way. Maybe there’ll come a time when I’ll pick up one of your books, point to a character and say ‘you see this crazy character with reader’s block? That’s me!’ lol…
LOL. I’ll warn you first. My current book uses a friend of mine who teaches at UCLA. He’s quirky and brilliant and oh so perfect for the character!
I’ll look forward to it Jacqui! Writer’s always draw from real life. My characters are often versions of interesting people I know or have met.
I read several books at once normally so If i get bogged down in one I switch to another-
I find when I get to that point the best thing is to put it down and read something that requires little thought at all. Otherwise if I force myself t o keep going the book loses any meaning anyway.
PS. Thanks for dropping my blog
Mel U – I also have that habit. I’m reading 4 at the moment (finished ‘Lavinia’ last night!!) even though my golden rule is 3. So I often switch when I get bored. I once read somewhere that Johnny Depp does the same thing. He has a book in every room where he can just pick up and read when he wants.
Shelleyrae – Not a problem Shelley! It was great stopping by your blog. I agree, force reading often feels like torture. But I’m so desperate to finish ‘Madame Bovary’… I’m almost there! Another 100 pages and I’m done! So frustrating. It’s not like the story is bad. It’s very good. Maybe I’m being too impatient.
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