Week 2: where do you read?

welcome to the second installment of our 8-week series, designed to help you become a closer and more confident reader

Hi, close(r) reader!

Welcome to week two of our series on becoming a close(r) reader! If you’re just joining us, I recommend you start with week 1.

This week, we’re focusing on all-things ambiance.

A favorite writing spot

One of the biggest “ah-ha” moments in my grad school years was that my environment absolutely dictated what I got done. By my second year, I had figured out that it was easiest to grade in my office, where I could plug in my headphones and work undisturbed. My chair wasn’t comfortable, but I was able to wave hello to colleagues and easily dip outside for fresh air when I needed a break.

The best place to grade, however, was not the best place to write. I found that, for focus-heavy writing sessions where I was working on first drafts, I preferred to be home and to write late into the night. For revising my messy drafts, I liked to work at the window bar in my favorite three coffee shops in town—and I liked being there either early in the morning or late in the evenings.

But what about reading? There was so much I needed to read during grad school: academic articles, heavy novels, collections of short stories, and teaching materials for my writing classes. I had put so much time into figuring out the right places to grade and write; it took me a lot longer to figure out my best environments for reading.

My reading corner

And that’s what today’s exercise is all about: helping you analyze current or existing habits or reading needs, while also helping you dream up some new possibilities that might inspire you!

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This week’s exercise

Just like last week, I highly recommend doing this as a handwritten exercise, rather than typing, so that you’re away from the notification-addled environments that come with most screens.

For part of the exercise, though, you’ll need visual inspiration—so you might consider using a tablet, laptop, or cell phone (or a pile of magazines, should you have some laying around!) for that part.

You need a few materials:

1. A few loose pieces of paper, a notebook, or your current journal

2. A favorite pen or pencil

3. A timer

4. ~45 minutes of free time

Gather your materials and we’ll get started.

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Step 1: What does it mean to get comfortable?

Last week, your first step was to “get comfortable to write.”

I am curious what you did. As you should be!

Did you go to a favorite chair? Did you make a cup of tea? Did you change your clothes or pick a specific time of day or open a window?

Think for a few moments about what your patterns are, when it comes to getting set up for writing and reading.

• Do you sit at a table or desk?

• Do you recline in a chair?

• Do you curl up in a blanket?

• What distractions do you notice and remove (or simply put up with)?

• Are you actually comfortable?

Step 2: Investigate your current reading habits

Read the prompts below, then start a fifteen-minute timer. As soon as it starts ticking, write—without stopping—for the entire time.

You may run out of things to write. When you do, write things like: “I am out of ideas” or “hmmm” until a new thought arises. The idea is to keep your hands and your mind in sync, so that every thought can flow onto the page, unimpeded.

You can write additional questions you have, instead of answers or responses.

Question: When you read, how do you make yourself comfortable to do so?

Think about the last time you read.

Where were you?

What were you reading?

Were you listening to an audiobook while unloading the dishes?

Were you intentional about finding a specific chair or corner of your house?

Was the book hard to hold or heavy in your hands?

What ached or bothered or distracted you while you were reading?

What was comfortable while you were reading? What emotions did you feel as you read? Did your mind wander? If so, where to?

When your timer goes off, stop writing and take a deep breath.

Step 3: Consider improvements or changes

Read the question below. Set a ten-minute timer. As soon as it starts ticking, write until it goes off.

Question: What could you do to make yourself more comfortable or intentional about your reading environment?

Picture the ideal reading environment in your mind.

What do you wish your reading environment was more like? What would your ideal reading set-up look like or feel like?

Consider exploring:

• Lighting (warm or cool lights? daylight? candles or lamps?)

• Temperature (indoors? outdoors? windows open? fan? space heater?)

• Positioning (Chair? couch? lounge? bed? standing desk?)

• Sounds (Silence? music? ambiance?)

• Smells (Candles? fresh air?)

• Snacks (Do you want any? drinks? food?)

Take these questions anywhere you’d like.

Step 4: Gather inspiration

Now, for this next step, you’ll need some visual inspiration.

Grab a pile of magazines, art books, or the World Wide Web to gather inspiration about reading nooks and spaces. (I may be biased, since I work at Pinterest…but it’s really an ideal app for this next exercise.)

Turn on some music, light a candle, open a window — whatever you need to get into a fun, exploratory mindset. For example, I like to have a bite of dark chocolate and some instrumental music on for exercises like this.

Now, take some time to explore. I’d recommend about 20 minutes, or so.

If you need help getting inspired, I have a few Pinterest boards you can scroll through:

• Academia autumn

• Writing in your books

• Reading nooks

Step 5: Bring your inspiration to the page

Take a look at the reflective work you’ve done today—and any of the images or inspirations you gathered. Then, consider a few more questions, as you move through the week:

1. What kinds of inspirations did you gather? Are there any patterns to the images you like the most?

2. What is the tone or style of the images that resonated most with you? (Moody? Rainy? Sunny? Cozy? Dark? Light? Private spaces? Public spaces? Coffee, tea, or treat-centric? Are there plants? Pets? Windows?)

3. How could these inspirations change the way you approach reading today? Is there anything you can do with the space you have to make it more like your ideal reading space?

4. How do you want to feel when you read? How can the space you create help you feel that way? (The books you read impact your feels, too! More on that next week!)

5. Based on the inspiration you’ve uncovered today, do you want to make more time for reading this week? Why or why not?

Keep up the amazing work

Hold onto the observations you’re making and the ideas they’re sparking in you. Next week, we’ll start exploring what you like to read and uncovering some of the literary analytical modes that may help you start to deepen your reading practice.

In the comments, please share your findings, questions, or thoughts on this week’s exercise. I’m excited to hear what you’re discovering!

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‘Til next time, happy reading!