I’m Sick.

I could end this post here and be perfectly content, to be honest.

I’m so sick of being sick. Between the headaches, drowsiness, and coughing hard enough to scare small children, I don’t know how I’m making it through the day without exploding.

Now I’m curled up in a chaise lounge, drinking my green tea and honey and willing myself to get better, and all I can think is, man, I wish we had a fireplace. First world problems to the max.

And my tea just burned my tongue. Fabulous.

Okay, fine, I’ll stop complaining now. I really don’t have it all that bad, minus the sick and coughing part. But here’s something I’ve learned lately. A little sustenance for the writer’s soul, if you will.

It’s not a sin to read other books while you’re writing.

I used to think I couldn’t read while I was writing because I would just start to write the book I was reading, which is called plagiarism, and is against the law. I was also afraid that I would not write at all, because the book was too good to put down. While this is somewhat true, I’ve found a way around this.

Read books that you’ve already read, but haven’t in a while. That way you’re familiar enough with the plot that the author can’t trick you with cliffhangers, but you’re still engaged in a story you love. The other nice thing is that you can distance yourself from the work enough that you can analyze it, learn from it, and maybe even apply it.

It’s almost like homework, but about ten thousand times more enjoyable, and about a hundred million times more applicable.

So the next time you feel guilty reading a book. Don’t. (Feel guilty that is.)