It's True: Reading Is Non-Negotiable

In my last editorial I talked about finding your writer’s voice. One of the ways to do that is through reading.

‍A la you are the sum of your biggest inspirations. In this case the sum of your most-read authors. There’s some truth to that but...another day.

‍For now let’s wind it back to reading. The art that is reading like a writer and why reading when you’re an aspiring author is a non-negotiable.

‍And the kicker is that a lot of beginner writers forget to do this. Admittedly — I was one of them.

…and all this does it make the beginning of your writing journey, harder than necessary. I say write it ugly. Power through the beginner blues. Writing never becomes *easy* per se. But overtime you should find yourself becoming more natural. The words flowing better. Less writer’s block. Better Plotting. Perfect Pacing. Dynamic intrigue. Whatever. Right?

But if you’re intentionally writing and reading daily. That shouldn’t take forever. As you’re finding your writing voice through writing. You can refine it, along with your craft through reading. Last editorial I also mentioned the book ‘Stealing Like An Artist’ ← It’s getting another REC from me.

It covers the idea of learning from those who had come and gone before us. That’s how we’re wired as humans. So we use that in our writing craft as well.

Now, I keep a (2-3) book rotation at all times. Cause nothing will make you a better writer like reading will.

‍In today’s editorial — We’re digging deeper into reading as a non-negotiable. Reading like a writer and some book recs to go along with that. And then how to transfer what you gain from reading like a writer to your writing because sometimes there’s a disconnect there. ‍

My goal is that by the end of this read you’ll be rushing off to join a book club or squeezing in more reading time into your schedule. It’s all two-fold and I’ll prove it.  

Reading Is Non-Negotiable

‍If you’re familiar with my editorials thus far, you know I have an arsenal of books ready to recommend. Reading has carried my writing journey. So when I can I’m going to send you off with a related book.  This does a few things:

‍Expands Your Arsenal: Every book you read, whether you love it or not is doing a few things for your noggin. It’s sculpting your vocabulary. You’re learning new words, how to use them, how not to use them. And all of this adds up to making your writing that much more you.

‍If you had moments of knowing what you want to say but not knowing how to say it, you know what I mean.

‍Or my favorite — seeing the scene beautifully *in your head* but on paper it’s a hot mess.

‍If you don’t have the right words, and the know-how to string them together in the ways you want to or need to, the quality of your story is taking an unnecessary hit.

‍We can take it a step further beyond vocabulary as it also exposes you to different writing styles and voices.

How Stephen King does character backgrounds….

Hemingway’s terse prose…

Dickens flowery description…

Poe’s dark, brooding, unreliable narrators…

And to top it — it teaches you genre conventions. I will talk more about these in another editorial but it’s useful to know why writer’s choose mystery over sci-fi. Or why sub-genres like Urban Fantasy, or Cozy Mystery exist.

The why leads to what makes them, and eventually how to write them.

Learning The Basics

‍I said we were getting deeper here, and this is probably my favorite part because it’s where I struggled the most in the beginning — but you’re also soaking up things like:

• Story structure: Beginning, middle, end? You’re probably familiar with this already but you'll also start recognizing complex plot arcs, subplots, and narrative framing devices.

• Character development: You'll see how the pros breathe life into imaginary people.

• Dialogue crafting: You might have heard me recommend people watching, but here’s how to translate that to paper… to characters.

• Pacing techniques: Learn to control the reader's heartbeat. Speed it up, slow it down.

‍This is why reading is non-negotiable. You can not read, spend years trying to figure it out yourself and reinvent the wheel. Or you can start reading and learn from some of the very best.

‍I plan to write an editorial on finding books you actually want to read. Sometimes there’s a disconnect between writing and reading, which creates this paradox in the first place.

Reading Like A Writer

‍We covered theory, now practice.

‍Casual reading is what most of us do, and if you’re someone who’s finding it hard to read, it’s where I recommend starting. But even long-time readers enjoy a good casual read. Casual reading to me is akin to *most* TV shows. At the end of the day you can turn off your brain, grab a snack and relax.

‍I always have a book I read that sole purpose is entertainment. That’s important.

‍On the other hand. Reading like a writer, reading with the intention to unpack a novel or reverse-engineer it has a different approach. And if you’re new to this, like most things it’s going to take some skill to develop.

‍Luckily, you don’t have to choose between one or the other. You can read a book for entertainment while putting your writer’s eye to use.

‍I like the “editor” method. Or the double (sometimes triple) read. I will read a book once for entertainment and if I’m raving. I will go back and read it like a writer because if I enjoyed it that much — maybe there’s something I can learn from it and I want to make sure I cover all my bases.

So how do you develop this skill?

• Take notes. Read with a pen. Underline. Annotate. Get messy with those margins. My weekly newsletter “The Margin Notes” is a testament to this.

• Learn to Ask "the 5W's of Journalism” constantly. (I use this in outlining too.) Why this word choice? Why this plot twist? How does it fit into the greater structure of the story? Put yourself in the writer’s shoes.

• On the topic of structure. You’ll want to pay attention to structure. How does the author build tension? Pace the story? Are there particular patterns or frameworks? Does the plot flow logically, or is it fragmented for effect?

• Notice patterns. In dialogue, description, character development. Make note of this.

  • Analyze Character Development: How do characters evolve? What techniques does the author use to reveal their traits and motivations?

  • Check Dialogue: Is it natural and engaging? Does it advance the plot or develop the characters? How?

  • Observe Descriptions and Imagery: How are scenes painted with words? Are the descriptions vivid and immersive?

You’re going to take a lot of notes. I encourage this. And I encourage a sacred place for this. You can write in the margins like me. You can use a journal but I always recommend digitizing your notes. I used Craft for this and will sometimes use a document with several pages when taking notes on a book.

‍This allows me to really break things down, REALLY understand it. And then use that knowledge in my own writing.

‍…And to make this pretty straight-forward once you have your notes. You practice. Deliberately.

Start by:

• Imitating Techniques: Try out the styles or structures that impressed you. Don't sweat about copying—it's more about practicing and making these techniques your own.

  • Try something called copy work.

• Revising with Intent: During the editing process, apply what you've learned. Tighten your dialogue, enhance your descriptions, and refine your character arcs.

‍You’ll find that the more you read, the better you write. And the better you write, the more nuanced your reading becomes. It's a self-reinforcing loop.

Finding Time To Read

‍You’re already setting aside time to write. You’ll want to do the same with reading. I think of it as an investment in my writing, the toll I have to pay before I can even step onto the bridge.

‍Some recommend not reading while you’re writing as you may become accidentally influenced. That’s something to consider.

‍My only goal is to do each daily. And achieving this is similar in how you achieve writing goals:

• Set Goals: Aim for something manageable, such as one book per month. Small, consistent goals beat lofty, unattainable ones.

• Join a Book Club: Accountability works wonders. Plus, discussing books can provide new insights and inspiration. + I always recommend reading outside your zone.

• Read What You Like: If you struggle with reading, start with books that interests you. You don’t need to read all the classics. This will help you build that habit.

• Try Audio Books: I won't argue whether I believe audio books are “real reading”. I will say it has a different effect that is still beneficial to writers. If you're short on time, this is a good option.

‍As always with these things start small, work your way (up)^^.

‍To wrap up. Don’t sell what you wouldn't buy. This applies to several industries and its easy to spot the disconnect when someone’s trying to sell you a product or service that they have never used themselves.‍

To add, If you're not reading, you're missing out on the essential tools for your writing. Stephen King put it perfectly:

"If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that."

And it’s really that simple.

To keep this going grab my Margin Notes where I share notes similar to this but a *tad* more personal. Less informal. It’s pretty great. Thanks.

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