How reading makes you a better writer
Welcome (or welcome back) to my writing journey!
How are you all doing?
A lot of you have joined recently, and I wanted to thank you so much for allowing me into your inbox. Those who have been here a while — thank you for continuing to allow me into your inbox :)
One of the things I’ve noticed over the past year is that I write best on days when I’ve spent time reading. At first, I wasn’t sure why, but after thinking about it for a while, I have a hypothesis.
Basically — inspiration.
To go more in depth (because obviously one word isn’t enough), I broke it down into a few parts.
Feeling
Reading a good book is amazing because it allows you to sink into the world where the story takes place. When you resurface, you're left with the lingering memories of how you felt in that world.
In those situations, I feel a push to write and add to my world in order to make others feel the same way that what I just read made me feel.
Not only that, a book's ability to make you laugh and cry along with the characters is simply incredible. When I feel those things as a reader, I marvel at them and immediately want to be able to cause others to feel that way with my writing.
Thinking
Now that I’ve really started writing in earnest, I find myself sometimes analyzing books as a writer when I read them.
I feel that if I did this purposefully, or too often, it could ruin my experience as a reader and suck the joy out of books.
It is nice, though, when I’m reading, to have a word or phrase jump out at me because of how well put together it is. It helps me appreciate the author more.
Often, after I put the book down, I’ll spend a while thinking about what I read. This could be simple musings about the characters or plot, but recently it’s also been about the craft of writing and the different ways the author drew me in (sometimes it’s unfortunately about how they kicked me out, but thankfully that doesn’t happen very much).
When I have those realizations, they push me to write better. If there was a specific method the author used, that I picked up on, I try to incorporate it when I next write.
Sometimes, the author is so successful at evoking an emotion that, as soon as I’m done reading, I run to write so I can bottle up that feeling and use it in my writing.
Doing
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I always get a shot of motivation after reading something amazing. Seeing the amazing things someone else has done really pushes me to try to create something amazing as well.
This is true not only for reading but also singing, dancing, playing piano and a whole bunch of other things that I enjoy doing.
I think it essentially boils down to the fact that creativity is contagious. In the same way that being around creative people pushes you to also create, enjoying and appreciating someone’s creation can also stoke the creative flame inside you.
Do you feel the same way? Do you get the urge to write after reading a particularly good book?
Talk soon :)
Shira
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Shira, this was an awesome piece. It was so encouraging and yet gives you rock-solid advice on what you need to do to protect your mental outlook as a writer. I know I personally get upset when I get a rejection letter or when I see, for example, on my Substack, I write posts, and it seems no one reads them. But I am developing a new outlook on this and treating writing as my second job, which I am passionate about and love. I look at it as my second gig that I enjoy, and it brings great pleasure. This has helped me get through some of these challenges. I remember when I first started writing I went to a Writing Group and the folks that led it told me I sucked and asked me to buy their books to learn how to write. I bought them, and the books were so darn boring. At any rate, I love this post. Great work, friend.
Hello Dear Shira, I have a large file titled, UNFINISHED DO LATER. It is filled with stories that haven't been completed. There are outlines and catchy phrases and sentences. When the time is right.... But I never stop writing!