Reading non-fiction

The funny thing about reading non-fiction is that it almost always makes me want to write. As everyone who makes a habit of writing knows, there are times when you’re in the mood to write, and there are times where you’re not.

When I read non-fiction---either a book or a good magazine article or an essay in a book---I get myself stuck in the nether world of wanting to write but not being in the mood to write. So I end up furtively setting the book aside and staring at a blank word document for a while just in case inspiration strikes.

It rarely does. But it’s an annoying habit because I really do enjoy a lot of good non-fiction. It’s just harder to really get into it if I spend the whole time thinking about what I could possibly be writing, myself.