When Reading Becomes A Form Of Procrastination

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

While reading is an important part of a writer’s toolbox, reading can become the ultimate form of procrastination. Instead of writing, you’re spending you’re spending time dusting off the tomes on your bookshelf.

Here are a few signs that you are reading when you should be writing.

1. You can’t remember when you last worked on your manuscript. It might have been a few days ago, or a week ago or…
2. You are reading more than one story craft book or writing book. This is a sign you are really procrastinating. This actually won’t make you a better writer; you have to write to become a better writer.
3. You’re reading… err… skimming a bunch of books and not finishing any of them ever.
4. You haven’t published any of your own work in a month or longer. (I’m thinking of blog posts and emails specifically here.)
5. You’ve spent the last few months in “research phase” for your next book.
6. Any variation of the items listed above.

Reading for the writer is as necessary as eating is for the human body. But with the amount of content available today at our fingertips, it is easy to always find yourself at the “all you can read” buffet. Consumption is critical to creation — but keep it in check. We must write as well, or we writers will become obese from too much knowledge. Writing is a lot like exercise.

A Final Thought

So, dear reader, please take this challenge to write more. Don’t procrastinate any longer. You have stories to tell. There is more content out there than you can consume in a lifetime. Be choosy. It doesn’t make you a snob or anything — it makes you selective with how you spend your time. And that is very wise. There are books to write and pages to fill. Don’t let a good thing like reading become a crutch that somehow stops you from creating.

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Jim Woods is a bestselling author, freelance writer, and writing coach. His work has been featured in Fast Company, Life Hacker, Goinswriter, The Write Practice, and many other publications.