Author: Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where they discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and spread the love by visiting each others’ posts.

NOVEMBER 19: WHAT TRULY MAKES A BLOG HIATUS? (SUGGESTED BY RUBY @ RUBY READS AND REVIEWS)

Prompts: Have you taken a hiatus before? How long was it for, and did you plan/announce it beforehand? What do you think makes a hiatus? Is there a minimum time length that defines one? Do you think it should be announced beforehand?

Welcome to another LTB here on DTRH! Today’s topic is certainly unique, and I’m glad to be discussing it a little bit with you all. I’d be interested to hear what others have to say on this topic too!

Ah…hiatuses. We are no stranger to those here at DTRH, as we really only restarted in full-force this year! 2020 was a much more quiet year (for obvious reasons), and anything above a month can certainly count as a hiatus depending on your frequency of posting. For us here, who try to post everyday, even a week would count as a hiatus, I think! Although for those waiting for a post, a week is probably reasonable to expect silence.

Generally, unless hiatuses arise because of a very particular circumstance, it’s generally not announced. Health reasons or anticipated scheduling conflicts or commitments are generally announced, I presume, if possible. Not that I would expect announcements, as I can understand that a hiatus may happen for any number of reasons. I also assume that the more followers you have, the more likely you are to announce a hiatus? But correct me if I’m wrong there.

A hiatus announcement or a hiatus in general usually just signifies a blogger taking a step back from the blog and taking a break. Usually this means that no content will be released for a foreseeable future. Although I have also heard some people make take a hiatus to prepare more materials as well.

As for a minimum length, I’d say it is completely proportional to your regular posting habits. The more spaced out the posts, the longer it will take for people to “realize” you are on hiatus. That being said, if you just skipped a few posts and posted soon afterwards, I doubt anyone would call that a hiatus! Nor that anyone should blame you for taking a break, of course.

Do you think that hiatuses should be announced beforehand? I think that it’s nice if they do, but not a mistake if they don’t. Sometimes things come up and hiatuses just happen (*ahem*), and there really isn’t much to be said or done about that! Hopefully people are understanding – I think the recent events have really brought out more compassion and understanding for the varying situations we are all going through.

What do you all think? Yay or nay on hiatus announcements? What even counts as a hiatus for you? Let me know in the comments below!

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where they discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and spread the love by visiting each others’ posts.

NOVEMBER 12: BALANCING READING FOR YOUR BLOG AND OTHER HOBBIES (DANI)

Prompts: Reading enough to keep a blog running can be stressful in the best of times, but what happens when other hobbies start to get in the way? Do you force yourself to prioritize reading even when you want to be drawing/knitting/playing music/watching a new show/gaming? Has another hobby ever made you miss a reading goal? What is your strategy to balance reading among your other hobbies?

Definitely a fan of this fun topic today here on LTB. In this day and age, outside of perhaps this bookish community, reading books becomes a rarer hobby, as audiobooks and podcasts rise to prominence. I’d love to hear how all of you balance your hobbies with reading, and which hobbies take priority when there is a time crunch.

For the most part, I try not to think about hobbies “competing” and getting in the way of each other. But I guess when time is ever so precious and limited, certain things do take priority and “outcompete” other things. That being said, reading blogging are definitely fun hobbies for me, so it hardly feels like a chore…most of the time.

I’d say in general, reading is the goal, so I try to make time from my other “commitments” and interests to at least set a little bit of time aside for reading. Of course, life and school/work take high priority, but one of the first things I try to work back in is always reading. Not only do we want to put out great content for you all, but honestly I just miss reading. So I’d say for the most part I’m not forcing myself to prioritize it, I think it’s just at the forefront of my mind: how can I find some time to read this week?

Of course, other things in life have always made me miss minor reading goals. But if the goal is big enough, most of the time you’ll find a way to fit it in, barring extenuating circumstances. I think it really helped to have a partner on my blog to not only juggle responsibilities back and forth as necessary, but also to encourage my reading goals. The Buddy Reads we do together are also a fun way to make sure that I’m at least reading something!

My main strategy for prioritizing is scheduling for this blog, I think. Having a routine (not necessarily something so strict as a schedule) really helps to keep things on pace and on track. If you’re not a blogger, I think it’s nice to set aside an hour (or even half an hour!) here and there to try and commit to reading as often as possible. If you can build the habit, it becomes easier and easier to “find time” to read. And if reading is as relaxing for you as it is for me, it’s not hard to work in excuses to read. Let me know in the comments below if you agree with that sentiment!

How do you all prioritize and work in reading into your daily life? Is it your side goal or main goal? I know most of us are super busy – what are some strategies that you have found make it easier to find time for reading? I’d love to hear all your thoughts!