Reader's Block

Writer's block is a well known syndrome amongst us, it is an irritating condition that toys with our minds and prevents us from doing what we usually find oh so simple to do. It is predominantly defined as a condition in which an author and/or writer loses the ability to produce new work. The severity of this can be vast, from minor difficulty at a current assignment or, on the other end of the spectrum, writers giving up their careers altogether as they have had a mental 'block' for years.
As yet I have been fortunate enough to only endure to lesser of this problem. I can't imagine how dreadful it must be to have your passion, your hobby, your love even cruelly snatched away from you.

However, this post is about something in relation to writer's block, a mirroring torment of sorts. It's reader's block and it's an exasperating evil that's currently plaguing my life and preventing me from partaking in my most essential skill. Usually, I go through phases in which I need to read everything in sight - this includes those leaflets that come in Paracetamol boxes - to mild periods in which I take a much needed break to recharge my mental batteries. It has been four months now and I have a pile of a dozen books on my dressing table, unread and gathering dust. I have tried copious amounts of times to read the first couple of chapters of said books but my attempts seem fruitless. Basically I read them and absorb nothing at all and need to re-read almost every paragraph. Not normal. The situation is manifesting itself so I'm finding myself watching television and barely understanding the plot of most programmes. I wonder why this happens? Do any of you, my readers, have any problems like this one?

Since inheriting this from my Mother, reading has become one of the biggest parts of my life in which I profusely enjoy. Its quite amusing to think of the many people who give up reading books once they leave school or university. It became too studious for them to enjoy and only saw as a learning task, however, I only really started to experiment with my reading material when I left uni. I used to play it safe and focus on easy reading, chick lit, trilogies and the like. Now having read some classics and material from a much more niche market, I can say that variety really is the spice of life.

Hopefully, this reader's block will burn itself out and I can once again get back to my passion. I can only think that it must be suppressed stress that is causing this delay and if I find a solution, I will definitely be posting it here. For the time being though, writing and working on this blog is sure helping me from falling into a no-novel induced withdrawal.

(images via GoogleImages and csebastian)