As we read, we look for these details in well-crafted texts. How did the author make such astute word choices? What made the story emotionally compelling? How were the sentences and paragraphs structured to flow smoothly? As you read, you’ll learn lots of tricks and techniques for great writing.
But the most important aspect you read for is the one that's troubling you.
Let's say you write creative nonfiction, but you have a hard time organizing your material into digestible chunks. This is not uncommon. Often, when people become experts (which hopefully has occurred prior to writing a book about any subject), they see the subject matter so holistically that it doesn't seem possible to separate the various elements. For some writers, the writing process is a free flow. Going through and organizing a manuscript that contains tens of thousands of words of freely written prose is a daunting task indeed.
But if you've read a lot of nonfiction books, you can see how other writers have broken down massive amounts of information for easier reading. You will also discover some who have found clever ways of tying everything together, even though it's all been separated.
There are many other things you can look for when you’re reading as a writer. Search for story elements that excite you or intrigue you and examine them closely. Always be on the lookout for those aspects of writing that give you difficulty. Studying how other writers address these issues will give you great insight.
Reading for Knowledge and Inspiration
There is an added benefit to reading that cannot be overlooked. By reading, you will accumulate vast amounts of knowledge and inspiration.
For centuries, books have been hailed as dispensers of knowledge. Written works have also been credited with providing writers and other artists with a wellspring of inspiration. The greatest writers throughout history have proudly declared that they do not borrow ideas from other writers: they steal.
In many ways, writers are the keepers of knowledge and information. More accurately, they are the distributors of knowledge and information.
Whatever we write, knowledge is the foundation upon which we shape our ideas. Whether we're telling a made-up story or giving an account of a real event, the facts we gather and the experiences we accumulate constitute our knowledge and make their way into our written work.
In nonfiction, the need for research is obvious. One must have the facts if one is to write about the facts. Yet in fiction, and poetry too, the knowledge we gain from reading rears its head and swims through our prose and verse.
For example, if you write a story, it is set in a particular place. The characters won’t have the same life experience or career that you have. Questions will arise and you will need to conduct research in order to answer them. Much of this knowledge you will intuitively possess from being well read. Let’s say you’re writing a scene that’s set on a beach but you've never been to the seaside. If you've perused articles about the beach, read novels set in beach towns, and soaked up poetry that describes the ocean and sandy shores, you’ll be fairly knowledgeable about your setting.
Which is why so many passionate readers declare that through books they've made friends (characters), had adventures, and traveled to distant shores. Books (and art in general) give us knowledge that is as close to real experience as we can get. So until virtual reality evolves and is available for mass consumption, reading is where we turn for knowledge and experience by proxy.
Finally, one of the greatest benefits that comes from avid reading is inspiration. Of course, there is plenty of real-life inspiration all around us. Inspiration often comes from our personal thoughts and experiences: our first kiss or our first heartbreak, our first experience with death, our world view and belief system.
Sometimes inspiration comes spontaneously, seemingly out of nowhere, which is why artists find it so curious and assign it all sorts of mythological origins, such as the muses.
One of the most overlooked sources of inspiration is art itself—paintings, photos, sculptures, films, music, and dance.
But books offer a special kind of inspiration. Books, stories, articles, and essays will spark ideas and inspire you to write. In fact, many writers make it a point to read for a bit before their scheduled writing sessions because reading ignites their passion, filling them with ideas and making them want to write.
The Aversion to Reading
"There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them."
- Joseph Brodsky
So, why are some would-be writers so averse to reading?
Writers are famous mostly among readers and other writers. They rarely attain vast wealth, and though a lucky few receive honors and awards, they almost never reach the levels of success that we see music and film celebrities achieve. It’s not as though being a writer is glamorous. Why anyone who doesn't read or doesn't enjoy reading would want to become a writer is curious indeed.
Perhaps non-readers want to write because they have stories to tell. Maybe they have ideas to share or knowledge to impart. They don't care about writing or reading; they just want to transfer the contents of their own minds to other people.
How can such persons assume their ideas are interesting or publishable if they are not reading? If a person wants to write a book about baseball, he should read books about baseball lest he discover his book has already been written by someone else. If another person wants to write a novel but refuses to read novels, she runs the risk of telling a poorly constructed story, never mind one that has already been told. Storytelling is a craft, and few people are born with the gift. Most of us learn it by reading.
There's no good argument against reading, and there is a book for everyone. I've long held the philosophy that people who don't like to read just haven't found the right book yet. And a writer who doesn't read is an oxymoron.
Books have been cherished by the greatest thinkers and leaders throughout history. They are gateways to the imagination, fountains of knowledge, and a way for people to connect emotionally and intellectually.
A writer who doesn't read is disconnected from his or her audience. Such a writer cannot possibly understand the experience that he or she is creating.
Questions
· Who are your favorite authors? What is it about their work that you admire?
· Do you have a preference for certain genres? What are your favorite books? Why do they appeal to you more than others?
· Have you ever put down a book without finishing it? Do you finish books even when you’re not enjoying them? What was it about them that you didn’t like?
Activities
· Keep a reading journal: Include the title and author, dates you started and finished the book, and a few words about what you liked or didn’t like about it.
· Sign up for Goodreads: Goodreads is a social networking site for bookworms. You can use it to keep a reading journal (it tracks book titles, authors, start and finish dates of books you read, and more). You can also use Goodreads to connect with other readers and find books that you’re likely to enjoy.
· Rate and review books you read: This is a great way to help authors who you want to support. Leaving a five-star (or high) rating and a positive review helps authors sell more books, and more sales enable those authors to write and publish more books. The act of writing reviews also helps you articulate what you liked about a book.
Chapter One: Reading
Start from the beginning
