I’ve been struggling to read lately.
I must clarify what I mean. When I say that I’ve been struggling to read lately, obviously I can still read, I have not lost the ability. What I have lost is the ability to concentrate on books that are in my to-be-read pile. Whether non-fiction or non-fiction my brain has been zoning out.
I can’t stay focused - which is a shame - because I like to read before bed to help me relax and fall asleep. My attention span has disappeared.
It also concerns me, as a writer, that if I cannot consume what I create - how am I to work?!
I found my reading reprieve in the most unlikely of places. Children’s books.
Now it may be controversial - but the work of Roald Dahl was a mainstay of my childhood. Firstly it was on tape as I really struggled to read as a child due to my dyslexia and a poor education system. Then as I grew in confidence I was able to read the books physically.
I saw them on a shelf and decided I would dip my toes back into reading. First, it was James and the Giant Peach, then Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and onto the Twits. The easy-to-read passages - designed to help children love reading - brought me back to a place that I love, a world for me.
I have found it easier to connect to reading through children’s books. The easy bitesize chapters, melodic storytelling, and joyful stories have lured me back to my comfort hobby of reading.
If you ever struggle to read, or connect with words again, try re-reading something you read a while ago, it may just be the medicine you need.
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