5 Steps To Get Out Of A Reading Rut

Do you ever pick up a book and read three lines before setting it down because you can just tell you’re not in the mood for that one? Next thing you know, you’ve set aside two other books and at this point you’re just going to put on Parks and Rec and let the episodes run. Have no fear, no book rut is forever! 

Step one: Write

Write down all your thoughts because chances are you have a bit too much mental chatter going on right now and that’s why you can’t stay interested in any book for long enough. Get out a pen and paper or your trusty notes app and write down the to-do lists, the rants, and the random lines of poetry. Feel free to delete or save for a fun jumpscare later when looking for your meal plan.

Step two: Clean

“I thought this was about reading!”, you yell. Well, it is. How are you going to feel like relaxing with a nice book when your bedside table is holding on to a twelve-pack of empty water bottles and your “only worn once” clothes are mixed in with the dirty clothes? Clean room, clean mind, now it’s time to unwind. 

Step three: get off your phone

Did you hear “unwind” and pull out your phone? (You might be reading this on your phone right now so in that case don’t put it away just yet). There’s no wonder no books feel just right when you can get your quick hits of dopamine from your phone instead of a 200-page novel.

Step four: short stories

Short stories are great for when your attention span is shot and nothing feels like what you really want to be putting your attention towards. Who needs Reels when you can scroll through all the short story options on StoryForge. From flash fiction to anthologies, in a variety of genres, you can start one with the intention of clicking out if you’re not interested, but what if you read just one more sentence? Maybe just one more? Look, there’s the ending. See that wasn’t bad. Let’s give the author some helpful feedback and then find another.

Step five: reading friends

Join a circle on StoryForge! There are other readers and writers just like you wanting to find their next great read. What better way to find out what you’re in the mood for than to have a bunch of people suggest their favorites? 

These initial steps should help you shake things up and get out of a reading rut. Before you know it you’ll be adding new books to the stack and flying through great stories on StoryForge. Let us know what stories really give you the reading bug in our Discord Community!