The Writer's Handbook - Write & Publish Like Industry Professionals

READING TO WRITE

  'Read all the good books you can, and avoid nearly all magazines.'  C.S. Lewis 

If you haven't heard this advice already, you are going to run into it sooner or later. If you want to write well, read well. I'm not talking about reading books like 50 Shades of Grey. That's not going to help you be a better writer, if anything, it might actually make you worse. I won't lie, I couldn't read the book, one glance at the interior, at the quality of the writing, and I heard nails dragging across a chalkboard in my head, the writing was that appalling.

It's true, reading bad writing can make your writing decline. So choose with care what you will feed your brain - aim for books that are written to a high standard. Pulitzers, at least one or two a year. For non-Pulitzers, browse the book reviews/recommendations from the major broadsheets, The New York Times, The Sunday Times, etc. Those lists are curated by critics who know what they are doing. Check out the book blurbs for them on Amazon, and if you find one or two you think you might like, give them a try. You never know, you might discover an author who will really inspire you.

But what about the classics? Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Tolstoy? Shouldn't they count as quality writing. Yes, absolutely, and I think everyone should read at least a few classics in their lifetime, but don't stick with only those as fodder for developing your ability to write, because sadly the style of writing from the 19th century is not easily marketable today. The authors of that era used omniscient POV to tell their stories - a POV which is more or less viewed by agents and publishers as antiquated. What was cool in the 19th century is not so cool now. So when reading the classics, be aware you will be subconsciously picking up a POV of storytelling that is very difficult to sell today. (Although there is always an exception to every rule such as when Audrey Niffenegger wrote Her Fearful Symmetry. If you want to read a good modern version of omniscient POV that actually sold - and for $5 million, although this was partly due to the success of her previous novel The Time Traveler's Wife - then this would be a great book to add to your bookshelf.) Be warned, though, writing in omniscient POV is hard to do well (cue head hopping), and if you are a burgeoning author, it might make sense to hone your skills against one of the popular POVs such as Third-Person POV or First-Person POV, both of which allow an author to go deep into the minds of the characters, making the reading experience much more immersive for the reader. (More on this in the next chapter).

And just in case you don't know what omniscient POV is, here is a brillant explanation from helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com

'The omniscient POV is one that tells its story from the perspective of a narrator (usually–implicitly–the author himself) who "knows all and sees all." This narrator is rarely characterized or explained, and readers accept this without ever wondering who is telling the story. This narrative functions on the idea that the author/narrator already knows how the story will end. He is able to observe the thoughts and motives of all the characters (although still within certain limits). The omniscient narrative does not tell the story from the perspective of any particular character; rather, it observes all the events in an unbiased fashion and reports back to the reader.

'The omniscient narrator observes the characters and draws in-the-know conclusions about their thoughts—rather than reporting the blow-by-blow, in-the-minute firing of their synapses. An omniscient narrative is sort of like you telling your friend about the plot of a movie you watched. Because you've seen the movie, you know how the story's going to end and you can make educated guesses about the characters' actual thoughts during the story–but you're not in their heads as you're re-telling their story.'

But why read to write? How does it work? How does reading affect one's ability to write? Part of it is simply by being exposed to well-written works, the brain will subconsciously pick up the structure, rhythm and flow of the words and sentences, similar to how we learn to speak our native language as a preschooler. The brain is like a sponge, and it will absorb whatever you put into it, and the more you read well, the better your chances of writing well - you are simply handing your brain the tools it needs to do the job you want. However, if one pushes past simply reading passively and looks at sentence structure as they read: at the way the dialogue is written, observing the pace, the story arc, and how descriptions are handled we learn much more quickly how to write with confidence, our awareness bringing an innate understanding of what works and what doesn't. Observation in reading is key to accelerating one's skill as a writer.

So, read well, and read broadly, observing as you read at what accomplished authors are doing, examine the structure of the book as you read, see not only the complete product but the way the story unfolds, the development of the characters, the use of description. Focus on whatever it is that might be challenging you as a writer, and learn from them. Then practice, and develop your own voice. The more you read, the better a writer you will become. It's true. It's like magic.

If you are looking for any recommendations to get you started, I can heartily recommend the Pulitzer prize-winnning author Donna Tartt. Her latest book The Goldfinch is an absolute masterpiece and is bursting with brilliant examples of dialogue and description.

Another author I would also recommend, also a Pulitzer winner, is Anthony Doerr. His books are astounding. It took him three years to write About Grace, working full-time. I can see why. If you want to up your game as a writer, please do try his books, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Writing is much more than putting words to paper: writing is a craft one continually hones, and reading is the best way to continue to improve oneself, helping writers move past limiting boundaries to discover new skills. Additionally, reading triggers one's own creativity, sparking new ideas and thoughts. Reading is probably the greatest gift we can give ourself. So read, as much as you can. You won't regret it.

And finally, if you are of the organizational bent, a great place to shelve your books online is Goodreads. You can make friends, get recommendations, meet authors and park your 'to be read' list there, adding titles you come across while wandering through Internet-land. It's a handy, useful site, and a great place for new authors to get exposure for their books as well!