I know I am not the only person who experienced this, yet I have struggled for years to find any kind of logical explanation for it, or actionable advice to address it.
Starting around 2016, when the world started going to shit, I woke up one day to discover that I simply could not read a book.
Or a magazine.
Or a short story.
Or more than a news item, blog post, or some intellectual empty calories online.
Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t stop loving books. I didn’t lose my genuine, lifelong love of reading. I just couldn’t find a way to stay focused, to step out of the corporeal world for a little bit, and just enjoy where the words took me.
A friend of mine suspects that it’s an expression of hypervigilance, a consequence of how unimaginably terrible things got, and how fast. (Oh, you sweet Summer 2016 Child, you have no idea how much worse things can and will become). That rings true for me, but it’s incomplete, and I still don’t know what is missing.
“But Wil Wheaton,” you are likely saying at this time, “you are an award-winning audiobook narrator. You read to me almost every day!”
Yes, I can confirm that both of those things are true, and I will gently tap the sign in my house that says “You must go to work, Wil Wheaton.”
So I was able to read, but only when it was for work. See, I wasn’t just dropping into a chair and reading for fun, I was supporting my family. I will crawl over broken glass for my family, so reading a book (which I enjoy!) isn’t a heavy lift. I mean, that’s a huge privilege, and I am grateful for it.
Last year, I think I read … I don’t know, fewer than 10 things of substance — well, maybe that’s not entirely accurate. I’m working on my short story writing skills, so I have read a lot of individual entries in a few Best Of sci-fi collections, and I revisited Stephen King’s Skeleton Crew and Night Shift. But, again, that was in pursuit of developing a skill … using the work excuse again. And I somehow convinced myself that a short story — which is a lot of work to create — somehow didn’t count because it wasn’t a whole book. Well, maybe don’t do that this year, Wil.
But whatever it takes, right? The important thing is, I was making some time to read (and as Stephen King admonishes all of us, gently, but still, if you don’t make time to read, you don’t have time to write.)
This is where I dip off the main spine of this post for a moment to share, without going into specifics, that I made a deliberate choice about two years ago to begin a Season in my life. A Season is, according to whoever suggested it to me a million years ago, a broadly-defined choice to make some changes without the pressure and overwhelm of big and specific goals. The common example comes out of New Year’s Resolutions: “I want to lose X pounds” can be daunting, and when we inevitably stumble, demoralizing, and we give up. Rather than that, choose a Season instead: “This is my Season of Healthy Habits”. What are those healthy habits? Maybe walking more, maybe going to the gym regularly, maybe it’s about food choices. The thing is, I am now doing what I would be doing to lose the weight, but it isn’t about losing the weight. It’s about being focused on these other things that will support losing x pounds all on their own, and I’m not obsessed with the scale. I’m not going to get frustrated and demoralized, and ultimately give up, because it’s about the journey instead of the destination.
So I constantly ask myself, “how does this support my Season?” And I make my choices without judgment, doing my best to choose wisely.
I feel like I’ve oversimplified it, but if that’s intriguing to you, and you want to try it yourself, you have a place to start.
The writing, narrating, and publicity cycle for Still Just A Geek was wonderful, and exciting, and something I will cherish forever. It also uncovered a metric fuckton of trauma that I hadn’t worked through. So I started my Season of Healing, and it’s been ongoing ever since, with truly meaningful results. I still have CPTSD, I still struggle with anxiety and panic from time to time, but it’s getting better. I am in such a better place than I was when I started. The Work continues, and that’s its whole own post.
As 2024 was ending (and the end of the year REALLY crept up on me this time) I began to wonder if I could invite a new Season to overlap with the current one, like those magical days of Winter becoming Spring.
I know it’s only four days into the year, but I did make the deliberate choice — not a Resolution — to begin The Season of Writing More Fiction.
And since you really can’t write if you don’t read, whatever was blocking me from reading since 2016 has simply vanished. Just like that. I know it’s only four days, and I am not getting out ahead of my skis or spiking the ball before I even begin the return. That struggle to stay focused, to find joy in the experience, may come back. If it does, I’ll have to muddle through it, which is something I feel capable of doing, since this is a Season and not a Resolution. This is just a choice, not a test, and there is so much freedom in that. I feel this excitement to devour stories and characters from other creators, to fully experience their worlds while I let them inspire the creation of my own. I feel this desire and excitement in my body in a way I haven’t in so long, I’d forgotten what it felt like. I feel the part of me who identifies as a Reader, the part of me I guarded so closely and protected from all the abuse and exploitation, waking up and getting excited in a way I haven’t felt in at least eight years.
Which brings me to the “tiny little thing” I was “just gonna write real quick in my blog while I have my coffee”:
I started a book yesterday called The Ministry of Time. I’m only 18 pages into it, but I am already captivated by the setting, characters, and the author’s voice (note to self: earn your readers’ attention this way, as quickly as you can, Wil).
This is on the jacket, so it doesn’t spoil anything for you:
In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.
She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore. As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machines,” “Spotify,” and “the collapse of the British Empire.” But with an appetite for discovery, a seven-a-day cigarette habit, and the support of a charming and chaotic cast of fellow expats, he soon adjusts.
Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic, evolves into something much deeper. By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future.
Sounds great, right? It is. I am megahyped to get back into it as soon as I publish this post.
I noticed something about the way I read books, yesterday. When I start a book, it’s like I’m sitting in an empty space, completely surrounded by the fog of war. Over some number of pages, that fog is pushed back and the world in the book begins to populate the formerly-empty space. Eventually, that space is on the other side of a portal that I step through as effortlessly as I open the cover of the book. I guess I’ve been doing this my whole life, but I didn’t actually notice and note it until yesterday.
And that’s because, while I was greatly enjoying the world building and meeting the characters, I was really struggling to hear Commander Gore. My brain defaulted to this sort of grandiose, bombastic, entirely wrong voice that seemed to be inspired wholly by Geoffrey Rush in Baron Munchausen.
This was weird, because I have never done this while reading silently. Sure, when I’m narrating I use voices, but never while reading on my own. I have always heard character voices in my own inner voice, or a neutral voice which is really just my inner voice not admitting it isn’t fooling anyone.
I read a few more lines. The author described him as being 37, and even though he’s from 1845, I knew immediately that he sounded like The Guy From The Gentlemen (Theo James, I’m not proud that I had to look him up). It just clicked perfectly.
And I was like, “I just cast an actor to play a role in the book I’m reading. Holy shit. That’s so cool and I can’t believe I have never done that before.”
He’s playing opposite Billie Piper, if you were wondering, and they have fantastic chemistry.
I have never done this before. But now that I stumbled into it, I don’t think I can’t NOT do this with every novel I read.
And now I’m left to wonder if casting actors for character voices when you read silently in your head is a thing that people do, and I’m just late to the party, or if this is some weird thing that only happens in my weird brain.
If it’s just me, that’s a bummer. It’s satisfying and kind of fun to try out different actors in the same role and see who gets the job.
Maybe this is part of the change in my head that’s happening as I begin my season of reading and growing as a short fiction writer?
Maybe it’s best at this time to simply accept the gift with gratitude, and enjoy it.
Yes, that feels like a good Seasonal Choice.
You’re a delight — I welcome you to the pack of Those Who Fancast For Every Book They Read. It’s a JOY 😀
I’ve had the problem with reading too. For me it’s the same. I can read for work, but not for personal joy. There have been short lived returns to what was one of my favorite things. I loved how you’ve framed this. Thanks so much for sharing. You’ve given me a new perspective to consider as I continue to try and reconnect to it.
Bravo! I loved reading your self analysis regarding the reading block and acceptance of struggle and just letting it be. And it worked itself out. I’ve often visualized actors while reading novels and in one spectacular case made a suggestion to the creators of Game of Thrones on a site where they asked for casting suggestions from the public. There was nothing “wrong” per se in the different castings of Holly Gibney in King’s live action works, but I always saw Amy Acker as Holly and wondered why no one else saw how perfect she was. Enjoy those visuals; they are earned from immersing ourselves in art.
Rushes to add Ministry of Time to my wishlist! My former boss introduced me to the Sue Grafton “alphabet” series. I cast her in the lead role (even though the author’s physical description of Kinsey doesn’t fit). Also, I think they are saying our constant consumption of small bites on social media is training our brains not to be able to read books. I read 41 this year (I keep track on Goodreads). 😀 Happy New Year, and Happy New Season, Wil!
” Over some number of pages, that fog is pushed back and the world in the book begins to populate the formerly-empty space. Eventually, that space is on the other side of a portal that I step through as effortlessly as I open the cover of the book.” –
I love this phrase, and it describes that feeling of being in the world of what I’m reading. I am not a visual person and so I don’t see the world in my mind’s eye, but instead I “know” it – in a good book it is as real as the world around me.
I have never narrated with an actor’s voice, now however, I wonder if I will going forward…
I cast actors I like in the stories I’m writing. Best thing ever. You can have whoever you want. No need to bother if they are too expensive/old/young/dead for the part. The possibilities are infinite and so is the fun.
Casting actors as book characters is fun! I have gifted an old Peter David book (one of his Arthurian ones, not his Trek stuff sadly) many times over the years. I gave a copy to one of my college advisors and she headcast (similar to headcanon?) Pierce Brosnan as the voice of a King Arthur running for mayor of New York in the early 2000s. I can imagine that, can’t you?
When I listen to audio books (the main way I read long form fiction these days) the voice is already being created for me, but I definitely have strong visuals for the characters. I particularly am amused when an author gives me new tidbits about a character’s appearance which cause me to realize I had assumed differently. Oh, she has short curly hair – got it…and my mental image is updated accordingly.
YES! Back in 2016 I lost my ability to read. I would start to read, but then realize I had no idea what was going on. It got super bad at the start of 2020. I’ve read a few things since, but not like I used to, when I would have 4 different books in progress, all stashed in different areas. My car book, my bedside book, etc. Enjoyed your post. Cindy
Yes, I always have character voices in my head, and I know what each character looks like–sometimes actors, sometimes not. I get so angry when a casting agent doesn’t choose an actor that looks like what I’ve imagined!
I pretty much always cast actors in the books I am reading. I think I always have, though I may have started when I began reading novelizations of movies and television shows, or maybe after I started reading fanfic. I have been struggling to read, too. I used to get through dozens of books every year. Now I have dozens started, just sitting there. I find I can’t take a lot of conflict in the storyline, or characters I like disappointing me. Or the fear that a character I like will die, or turn out to be the villain. I don’t want to think about complex situations. I can’t suspend my disbelief enough to read about “good” people. I have absolutely no energy left to build an internal narrative where people are actually good; I have come to believe that most people are truly either evil or stupid.
I fancast every aspect of my life–I have a constant internal narrator AND a constant internal soundtrack–but the fancasting of books is my very favorite part of that.
And I am quite, quite sure I’m not telling you anything you don’t know, but Ray Bradbury’s 100 Short Stories, and Kurt Vonnegut’s Bagombo Snuff Box, contain some of the best short stories ever written. I found them both originally in the public library, and when said library demanded I return them, I went and found them to buy, because I couldn’t live without them.
Aaaaah, I love The Ministry of Time so much! I’m delighted that you’re reading and enjoying it, and that it’s part of your journey back into reading for fun! I really want to know your thoughts on it once you’ve finished.
I’ve never done a fan casting while reading a book, but now that I think about, it’s maybe a little weird that I haven’t. People’s faces in my mind are more vibes-based than specific, and I struggle to imagine faces that I’ve only read descriptions of, so fan casting might actually help me visualize characters more solidly. Something for me to think about, in any case!
Yes, the book is so great!
I’ve been in a reading lull for a couple of years. Maybe I’ll give this “casting the characters” a try.
Thank you very much for this. I was just having a conversation with a coworker last night about how I used to read voraciously, and now live in a home surrounded by books I WANT to read, but just…don’t. I’ve also been working on getting more formal with my writing habit. And this blog post was a great reminder, both of how they’re connected, and of a gentler way to improve both habits. Thank you. 😊
I’ve always cast actors in my head when I read books. Trouble is: sometimes that actor or actress morphs into another actor and the character in the book becomes a kind of amalgam. But because I have always loved cinema so much, I can’t help but try to visualize the words I’m reading as though I’m creating a miniseries or film. Keeps me engaged and immersed. Thanks so much for this post, Wil. As it happens I too am desperately trying to get back into the mode of reading, and I too have struggled to maintain focus and cannot articulate why, as you have also experienced. Entering a Season instead of creating a damn “resolution” is SUCH brilliant advice. Per usual, I can come to your blog, read your words, and feel seen.
I’m glad you’re finding your way and are able to read books again. The ability to read books helps me cope with chronic pain, for one thing. I keep wishing that I could visit Dr. McCoy or Dr. Crusher’s Sick Bay. I’m sure 24th Century medicine could repair my lower spine. 😉
Reading for a half hour before bed is my way to settle the mind after a chaotic day. Looking forward to more ministry of Time! 🙂
I think part of the reason I lost my ability to read a paper book is that I am actually reading constantly – emails, social media posts, articles, etc, so it’s as if I am eating small snacks all day long and haven’t eaten an actual meal for a long time.
Years ago, I had already noticed that I was spending more time in my car, and that was cutting into the time I used to spend reading while riding on public transportation etc, so I started listening to audiobooks in my car, and that worked well for me, but nw I drive much less, so it takes a long time for me to get through a whole book one small chunk at a time.
More recently, I have started reading ebooks on my phone, so when I am out somewhere, instead of looking at social media, I can read a small chunk of a book.
There doesn’t seem to be a good place or time for me to sit and read a solid, paper book anymore. I still buy them, but I have a really hard time getting through them. I keep feeling like I need to put the book aside and attend to dozens of other tasks.
As for fancasting, I have always done that, not with every character, but a few who seem to lend themselves to it.
Damn. That resonates.
That snacking analogy is amazing! So spot on.
I recently went away for a reading weekend with friends and happened to have messed up my new phone activation in a way that left me avoiding technology until I was in better emotional space to manage it (why yes this was just post election). The combination of being in a not-home space, around fellow readers, while wanting to avoid technology led me to diving into two books over the weekend. It was like the first focused meal in years.
I don’t really cast actors in my head when I’m reading a book fresh. However, I’ve noticed that after I’ve seen either a film or TV adaptation of the book, I tend to picture and hear the actors from the show in my head.
Other than that, when I read, after a few moments the words of the page seem to disappear, and I’m seeing picturing everything with my minds eye. If you read this comment, does that happen to you too? I suspect it’s whyI had trouble reading things like math books in school. The picture wouldn’t form in my head. So those books were more boring and painful to read.
I’m so glad it’s not just me. I too have had a hard time reading since 2016, but this past year that seems to have gone away and I’m looking fwd to 2025 being the year I read lots of stories.
Wil, thank you for the introduction to “Ministry”-now this is a book I have to read! I’m glad you are finding not only books that take you into a better place, but that have voices. I have to say that except for a few biographies, most of the books I have both at home and in my kindle are tried and true favorites. And my uninterrupted reading time is mostly after dinner and bedtime. But stigmatism be hanged….I have to get a copy of this book! Happy reading Wil!
Thank for as always articulating and putting into words a shared experience…I too can relate to not being able to read properly for thr longest time…but and I swear this is genuinely true…I also managed to get over this barrier 2 days into this New Year…have to say I’m dying to continue reading with this neat new mind trick for reading you’ve described…glad your happy n healthy ..happy New Year my birthday brother (even if it is a decade apart)
Definitely not a you thing. I’m an avid reader (also used it as a coping mechanism/escape from trauma), but also a huge theatre and film nerd so if a character fits an actor in my head I have their voice and sometimes have a full on sense memory moment (I could smell a scene for The Southern Book Club Guide to Slaying Vampires and it wouldn’t go away). I’m going to have to add this book to my TBR. My first read of the new year is The House in the Cerulean Sea, if you haven’t read it I highly recommend it.
I have discovered that I use reading as an escape, a stim, and an anxiety reliever. So, generally I read more the worse things are. However, my ability to focus on nonfiction (I used to love craft and how-to art books. As well as some biographies etc) decreased after my husband died and as the world …turns itself lately.
I got a bit of it back from the grief part. But it’s not what it used to be. I only read mm steamy romance. Because of escapism mostly. (Mf tropes just spark rage.)
I’m working on staying informed and also reading less in order to DO more. I could easily climb inside the stories and never leave.
My brain has always headcast the characters in books I read, usually too soon and based on too little information. Sometimes I have to change them, but sometimes they take the book in a new direction. For instance, when I read The Collapsing Empire, I missed the cues that Naffa was supposed to be one of Cardenia’s classmates, and my brain cast David Hyde Pierce as her enby neighbor in college whom she had befriended because they were both outcasts. Which I’m sure was completely not what John Scalzi was intending or thinking, but you can’t convince me it was wrong. (And if they don’t cast Taraji P. Henson as Kiva whenever it comes to TV/film, I’ll be extremely disappointed.)
That’s still great casting, though! Very evocative.
Well, I have now put ‘Ministry’ on hold, sounds like a fun book to start the year with. I have a small pile checked out from the library all ready, but nothing has grabbed me. I have also struggled to reading novels since 2016, it was too hard to get my brain to be quiet. In 2023 I discovered short books though and that helped. Lots of Kingfisher and Murderbot. 🙂 I admit, I am terrified that later this month, reading and focusing will be hard again…but having lots of options in my TBR means I can keep trying until something clicks!
Thank you, Wil. I thought it was only me. Have had the same problem off and on since 2015. Your suggestions give me hope that I can work this out and get back to loving my reading time…and I am going to try the book you’re reading!
I enjoyed Ministry -hope you find it too be “just the right thing to be reading right now!” I love that you’re casting the characters in books now, I’ve never thought about it that way, but I’ll be sure to try it out 😘
Fancasting a novel makes a story so much more fun to read. My favorite thing is when it happens, but I don’t realize I’m doing it right away. It’s always such a delightful surprise!
Sir ,
I can very much identify with some of the issues regarding reading lately … in my case it is at least partly related to my PTSD . Quite frankly I also feel that a fair amount is self protection .
We get soooo inundated with hype and stories regarding certain political figures and their hangers-on, or ” political dingleberries” ( really, that’s all they are ) that any time we read anything even close to that ilk , we zone out in self defense .
The level of toxicity that we must protect ourselves from these days is insane .
Hopefully, with some of your suggestions and those of a few others I can get back to my normal reading patterns.
Thank you for all of this and all that you do for others .
Feed your soul sir, and I shall try to do the very same at this end.
Blessings for the New Year
Jay
I couldn’t read for the longest time after the start of the pandemic – not books, anyway. I could read social media forever. But not books. Then I was able to read books, but only books I’d read before. I had some block about getting into a story I wasn’t familiar with. I needed the comfort of it. I finally listened to an audiobook (something I hadn’t done much), and that helped, although my reading has still gone way down. I just counted, and I read (in one form or another) 22 books in 2024, which is a lot better than none and a lot less than what I used to do, but only 7 of those were new to me.
But in 2025, on a vacation with my wife, I’ve gotten the bug. I stayed up late two nights ago and read Starling House, by Alice E Harrow, and then last night I read Starter Villain, by John Scalzi. Today I’m working on The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, by N. K. Jamison. I can’t keep up this pace, not once I’m home with work and my kids and my own writing, but damn if it doesn’t feel good to just read.
Thank you Wil for ALL that you do, but for “The Season” idea in particular. I’m going to incorporate that into my life immediately! ~Shane
I’ve also been having a problem with reading since around 2016. I just couldn’t seem to get started.
But recently I’ve been really enjoying audio books, and I’m currently loving Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson though. I hope it sparks more reading.
Also, for anyone else who is reading the series, Dalinar is absolutely Liam Neeson.
I don’t usually fan-cast with an actor, but frequently do with Audio readers. There are certain voice-over readers that just cry out to be “the voice” of different characters. For instance, the late Jenny Stirling will always be the voice of young English/American women. Grover Gardner is for space opera & other heavy science fiction. Wil Wheaton for lighter science fiction. I can hear you reading David Gerrold’s HARLIE books! And others whose names I can’t recall, but the voices are what ring true to me. And since I discovered fan-fiction last year, my book reading has gone really down hill.
I’m reading Ministry right now! What I seem to do is find a book I enjoy, read half, and then stop reading it for several days. It’s as if I want to prolong the experience.
I don’t hear character voices or usually see faces but I have a very specific idea of what our main guy looks like. I have absolutely nothing for our bridge.
I was (and kinda still am) in the same place; I broke through last year and read two books (used to read 2-3 a month).
Let me strongly recommend Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots . Starts with a temp doing office work for a supervillain…
Hiya Wil. Latter day TNG fan but even more jazzed by recent work… Have also been enjoying your recent posts esp the Xmas memories (bad and good me too). I am a writer and did a book of Lou Reed interviews back in 2019, MY WEEK BEATS YOUR YEAR: ENCOUNTERS WITH…, soon out we hope in paperback. Hatandbeard.com. All best to you and Anne and the sprogs…your ComicCon event with Hardwick n Tudyk about CONMAN still delights. BTW what is that ink, a lizard, whaaaat? Wishing you a lovely resistant and creative 2025, and I still await the return of ding! RFB. ML Heath [email protected]
I think I started listening to audio books more than reading them shortly after 2016, probably to tune out the negativity surrounding the election and distractions that followed on social media. I didn’t stop reading books, just got hooked to listening to them. It became a daily routine for me. Instead of picking up a book, I’d click play on Audible. I tend to actually read more now in December/January when it’s cold, and June/July when it’s hot. My reading seasons. (It’s also when I tend to tune out work and everything else on vacation.) On a side note, Kiva Lagos from Scalzi’s The Collapsing Empire has got to be one of the best characters ever created. Absolutely brilliant.
Thank you for the Season idea. I’m going to research and read more about it. Have a wonderful day!
Interesting! All my life, I have had specific faces and voices for the fictional characters I encounter when I read. Most of the time, those faces and voices don’t correspond to famous actors, but sometimes they do. It’s not a conscious decision on my part. Even weirder, once in a while I will see complete strangers in public who look exactly like some of the fictional characters as I’ve secretly imagined them, and I will stare at them hard. This once happened at an airport, and I was mortified when the woman saw me looking at her. I smiled innocently, and she smiled back, and that was that. I almost wanted to apologize to her and explain to her that I was only staring at her because she looked exactly like the way I envisioned a certain fictional character, but I knew enough not to say that because of how crazy and annoying that would sound.
As for the “season” concept, I’ve heard that expressed in different terms by other people, and I agree that it’s better than setting a specific goal. James Clear, the author of “Atomic Habits,” said that outcomes are merely the “lagging measures” of the habits you put in place. In other words, for good or for ill, whatever habits you have will eventually result in some kind of outcome, so if you work on developing those habits, you’ll someday get the outcome you deserve. So choose your habits well, and be consistent in practicing them.
Happy New Year, everybody!
It’s not your fault you began to have trouble reading anything of length in 2016, Will. Both the U.S. and much of the world began dropping into the depths of vapidness and stupidity with the elections of Donald Trump, Jair Bolsarano, Boris Johnson and other like-minded fools. It was an insidious plague of ineptness where the ongoing plague of anti-vaccinations began with a scourge of anti-intellectualism. I fell victim to it, too; many of us with more than a smattering of brain cells did. Again, it wasn’t our fault. Like a flu virus, anti-intellectualism spreads quickly and infects many – if only for a short while. Please don’t feel bad, Will.
On a side note, I’ve seen you several times on “The Big Bang Theory” and truly enjoy your brief appearances. Best wishes for your writing and acting career, brother!
Your not the only one who casts actors for the characters in the books they read/write. My son is a writer and he was sharing a story idea with me the other day and we both agreed that Jason Stratham would be the best actor to play the role of the lead character.
I’m not casting actors, but I always ‘hear’ the people in books. That makes it almost impossible for me to listen to audio books, because the voices never match. Often it’s the same with TV series. I couldn’t watch more than 20 minutes of the first episode of Game of Thrones, because the characters were wrong, i.e. not matching what they had looked and sounded like in the books (for me, of course).
Your opening about a lack of ability to focus while reading triggered me, hard. So hard I couldn’t focus on the rest of your post. I’m climbing out of my own loss of focus that ended my engineering career, along with tipping my mental health canoe. Rather than post my journey here, I spewed the tale into my own post: https://medium.com/@BobC_/loss-of-focus-f399ec46e518 Enjoy!
The seasons idea might come from CGP Grey’s video “Your Theme” on replacing rigid New Year’s resolutions with broader directions of change.
I am confused by “Geoffrey Rush in Baron Munchausen.” Geoffrey Rush isn’t in Baron Munchausen? Am I missing something?
That’s really interesting, because I’ve started doing something similar (casting actors, or at least their voices) myself over the past year, and not just with what I’m reading, but with what I’m writing. I only just started wading into voice acting about two years ago, and I’m wondering if, for me at least, that’s a big reason behind why I’m doing it now.
For years and years, I’d often look for either random faces or famous persons whose appearances I could look at and picture when writing for characters, but never their voices until recently. But by having their voices in my heads now, I feel like I’m writing character dialogue more realistically, and it’s helping me give each character unique speech patterns, so I think it’s really helped me grow as a writer. I’d be curious to hear if you likewise start to hear such voices when writing your own characters 🙂 (…out of context, that sounds like we’re crazy. But hey, we’re writers, we’re supposed to be, right? 😉 )