You’ve probably heard people say that to be a good writer you must first be a good reader.
Personally, I think this is true. Reading is one the easiest ways to improve your writing as the more you read the more you are exposed to all the elements of storytelling. Being able to tell a compelling story is perhaps the most important aspect of writing. Readers can forgive dull characters or lacklustre worldbuilding if the story is interesting enough (the opposite can also be true). That’s not to say you shouldn’t work to craft fully fleshed characters and well thought-out worldbuilding.
What should you read as a writer?
Unfortunately, there’s no official list of books to read to become a better writer. My advice is to read widely. Read books in every genre you can, not just the ones you like or write in. Why? Because the more you read the more you are exposed to other people’s writing methods and how they tell stories. You can learn more from reading a book in a genre you’re not necessarily a fan of than one you know by heart because when you read something you’re unfamiliar with you notice the structure of it more. For example, I am not really a fan of mushy romances (surprised?), but I made a point of reading a few of them while I was studying at university and what do you know, my debut novel just happened to morph from a fantasy novel (my favourite genre) to a mushy romance. I’m not saying reading a horror book will magically transform your sci-fi into a grisly, gore-filled horrorfest but you might find yourself being subconsciously influenced by the books you have read. I try to read a healthy mix of traditional and independent authors too.
Books on writing craft are also something you can read. Many of them will have exercises designed to help you become a better writer. These can be a great place to start if you’re new to writing and like having clear instructions on what to write about.
(I also have a 10-week email challenge designed to get you writing if you’d like to check it out click here.)
Do you read books differently when you’re a writer?
Yes and no. I know that’s not the most helpful answer in the world, but it really comes down to you and how you consume books. You may have seen videos of people showing off their highlighted, underlined and post it note filled books. This is absolutely something you can do if you find it helpful. I don’t like to make marks in my books (or *shudder* dog-ear the pages) I don’t really make notes either unless something I read sparks an idea for one of my own stories. Again, this is personal preference. I find that if I start dissecting stories, I lose interest in them. Much like when you’re at school and are forced to read the same story repeatedly to tease out hidden meanings, symbolism and all that jazz. I’d rather read ten murder mysteries to pick up on the basic structure of a murder mystery story than read the same murder mystery ten times over.
My reading recommendations
This is a very short list of some of the books I read before and during the time I wrote Goodbye Dylan you may notice only a couple of them fall into the mushy romance genre.
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- Hidden in Darkness by Alice Winters
- Read, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
- The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
- Jon’s Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case by A J Sherwood
- Soul Eater by Lily Mayne
- So This is Ever After – F T Lukens
- Dead until Dark – Charlaine Harris
- Steal the Wind – Jocelynn Drake
- Smash and Grab – Maz Maddox
This is not a complete list by any means. I am a relatively quick reader so don’t let this list intimidate you. Whether you read a chapter a night or a book a day getting into reading will improve your writing over time. You may even start to notice what makes a writer good and maybe not so good. There have been a few books I’ve encountered over the years where I thought ‘is it just me or is this writing not that good?’, ‘this character seems a little off’, and ‘that’s a little cliché, don’t you think’. As soon as you start noticing thoughts like that you know you are reading as a writer. *
*Note: I’m not saying you should start criticising other authors by any means. Each of us have our own voice and our own style of writing. My point here is that when you read widely and with the mindset of an author you will start to notice other writers’ styles and voices. Maybe they don’t make the choices you would make if you were writing the story but that’s the point, that’s what makes your voice different to theirs. Please don’t ever be insulting to a fellow writer, there’s enough badness in the world without contributing to it. We all need to cheer each other on, if you really want to say something to an author reach out and ask them if they would like some constructive feedback but if they say no just move on to the next book on your to-read list. As the old saying goes ‘if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all’.
Before I go, I want to say one last thing. Reading should be an enjoyable and rewarding pastime not something you force yourself to do. We are also lucky in that we have many options when it comes to consuming books, audiobooks, eBooks, paperbacks and graphic novels all count as books (at least in my eyes they do) so explore them all until you find the books that call to you and fit in with your lifestyle. Maybe you don’t have an hour a night to sit in bed and read, but maybe you can listen to an audiobook while commuting to work or while you’re cooking dinner. Once you’re a reader then you can start widening your reading to new genres and maybe new formats.
Happy reading,
