Climbing Out of the Reading Slump

Good afternoon! It's Friday the 13th. It's 2023. So many changes coming. If you've followed my videos on YouTube, you'll know that 2022 was the year of the biggest reading slump. I hardly read anything in 2022 which makes my heart so sad. Reading has always been that escape for me, especially in recent years. Granted, I've always been an all-or-nothing type of person so my reading habits weren't always the best. For example, I'd always read at night. I'd start a novel and read it all in one sitting. Meaning, it was the wee hours of the early morning by the time I'd finish a book.

Thankfully, 2023 has gifted me with the reading bug again, and interesting enough, it's been non-fiction craft books that have brought me out of this year-long reading slump.

I gave my thoughts on this in this week's vlog on YouTube but I'll briefly share my thoughts here.

Reading Review

On the 7th of January, I cracked open my old mini iPad that serves as my kindle reader. I was in the mood to delve into craft books I've had on my TBR for some time. I opened A Book A Week: How I Outline and Draft a Full Novel in Seven Days.

I found this book to be informative for those who desire to rapid-release as indie authors. It was a short, quick read. I will say, there was no significant secret to unlocking the ability to write a book a week. There was a great section on breaking down the 3 Act Structure which I enjoyed and took notes on. The subject of editing was very light. I had hoped to see more on that subject. I did feel that this would be an interesting read for those who release Kindle Vella episodes. Overall, I gave this 3.5 stars.

Currently Reading

After finishing A Book A Week in one day, I felt motivated to tackle another one. This one wasn't waiting for me in my TBR. I may have splurged on a new one that caught my eye after a friend's recommendation.

Intuitive Editing: A Creative and Practical Guide to Revising Your Writing by Tiffany Yates Martin is my current read.

I'm 15% in and already, I've received good insight into the beginning process of editing a first draft. I've taken countless notes and really enjoyed her easy breakdown of the first steps into editing.

Editing has always been a daunting process that I'd avoid like the plague. I even paid for editing services years ago for one of my YA Dystopian novels and when I received the editing notes back, I was so overwhelmed and intimidated that I just shoved the project into a drawer and left it there.

I edit as I go usually and have finished multiple manuscripts and screenplays but I've yet to fully give myself to the full editing process of writing a book. This is the year we break that streak.

Just the little bit I've read from this book, I'm already feeling way better about approaching editing with my current projects. I'm excited to make the stories better and ready for querying.

I'll give you my thoughts on the full book once I've finished it. Stay tuned.

Reading Again and Feeling Good

It's felt good to come back to reading. I didn't expect it would be through non-fiction books. Normally, when I'm in a slump, only fiction romance can bring me back. I'm actually really happy that it's craft books that have caught my attention. I've been wanting to tackle them for some time.

Curious to see what my first fiction novel of 2023 will be. I'll let you know when I find one and dive in.

Hope your new year is going great so far.

What's been your first read/s of the new year? Share your recommendations.

Until next time,

Desiree M. Ortega