Monday, November 19, 2012

Why You Have to be a Reader First

There's no doubt, reading a book and writing one are two very different experiences. And there's no doubt that being a good reviewer / critiquer doesn't necessarily make you a good writer.

BUT...

Whenever I talk to a writer who says they don't have time to read, or who disdains every book in their chosen genre, alarm bells ring.

If you don't read other writers in your genre, how do you know what works and what doesn't?

If you can't take the time to read and appreciate material from those who have achieved something like what you're aiming for, what are you measuring against to know you can do it better?

If you can't find something good in a popular book that so many readers enjoy, how can you be confident that your book will attract readers too?

Seems to me, we need to learn from those who've gone ahead before we can surpass them. Even a poorly written popular book must have something within it to attract so many readers. Would it hurt to take a look and try to figure out what that is?

It can be useful to analyze other writer's books, both to learn and to identify flaws we want to avoid. And, perhaps most importantly, sometimes we can learn how to be better story-tellers by reading other authors' work. Sometimes someone else actually does know better - and you can benefit by being influenced by them.

I'm not suggesting we should be writing books that are derivative of what has gone before. But I am a firm believer of standing on the shoulders of others, especially when we're relatively inexperienced.

Maybe the key to your current plotting problem is evident in the latest dystopia. What if the inspiration for your next protagonist is hidden behind the cover of one of the classics? Or the voice that will show you how to unleash yours is rolling off the pages of a self-published work?

If you don't read, how will you ever know?

Your Turn: Does your writing benefit from reading? Why or why not?






13 comments:

  1. There is no substitute for reading -- not just in your genre either, but widely and with different kinds of eyes and levels of attention. I love picking up a book that sings for me on the first read and then going back to find what made it work so well. At the same time, I do have to read what's being written and talked about, because my readers are reading those books. Their experiences with those books will color how they read my words, my characters. Ultimately, though, I think it comes down to why we are writing. If we are writing to be read, we have to read. If we are writing for ourselves, then it probably doesn't matter as much.

    Have a great week,

    Martina

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    1. Excellent point, Martina. I hadn't thought of that distinction!

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  2. I feel like I learn something from every book I read. Good ones make me a little sad when I think I'll never write as well as their authors have done, but if I can figure out why they work so well, I might pick up a new skill. Terrible books (when I can get through them) teach me, too- I try to figure out why they didn't do it for me and pledge to avoid those things.

    I'm reading a book right now that's doing both for me. It's like extra credit.

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    1. Ha! What a diligent student you are!

      I've recently discovered the highlight function on my kindle. When I come across a turn of phrase or a writing technique I can appreciate (or want to avoid) I highlight it. That way I can go back and look at what works / doesn't before editing my work.

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  3. Absolutely. Reading is essential to any writer. At the very least, you should be reading other books in your chosen genre. You have to not only constantly hone your own craft, but be aware of what's currently selling, what might be becoming overdone, etc.

    I'm a slow reader, but I love getting lost in a story. I've started a reading binge now that I've finished writing my second book.

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    1. I'm on a reading binge right now too - but mine is to escape the impossible draft I'm trying to complete, ha!

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  4. Great article, Aimee. Writing from "the bubble," is potentially dangerous and while we all like to believe we are unique & have a distinctive voice to offer, independent of classification, it is foolish not to do the genre research and see what effectively speaks to our readers. I appreciate your blog.

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  5. Again, a great post :) I also think it's important to read so that we don't find ourselves writing a story that's already been written by another writer...

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    1. Thanks. And that's an excellent point I hadn't considered. No one wants to be derivative, but being derivative by accident would be even worse, I think! Thanks for RTing the link!

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  6. Reading definitely makes you a better writer. I think you pick up a lot of skills and tricks by osmosis when reading. Then there are the ones you have to really concentrate on, decobstructing the author's technique to see why it worked so well. When I was developing Seb's voice for The Big Smoke, I read heaps of books told from the POV of a teenage male to help me get into the headspace. It definitely helped me develop an authentic voice, I believe.

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  7. Absolutely agree. The comments here are spot on too, dare anyone disagree?

    See a related post here, if you're interested... DO YOU READ WHAT YOU WRITE?

    http://www.misswrite.co.uk/1/post/2012/11/do-you-read-what-you-write.html

    Lou

    @misswriteuk
    www.facebook.com/louise.gibney.writer

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  8. My hours on the rickety bus each day have become rich with zing because of ace writers in my genre. It's no coincidence that if I stop reading, I stop writing. It's like brain-stall.

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