Cultivate a Creative Writing Practice: Read Like a Writer

Cold Weather and More Reading

Do you like to read more as the days get colder?

Think of an author you love or a book you read recently that you simply couldn't put down: what about it made you keep going?

What about it made you forget your real life and blissfully spend time lost in this book?

If you're a writer, there is no doubt that you like to read as well. You've crossed paths with sentences that move you deeply, scenes that immerse you in another world, and complex characters that you fall in love with, hate, or makes you get caught in a complicated mix of emotions. Authors who've continuously practiced their writing are able to masterfully weave words to create glistening webs of story. One can't help but be swept away in these stories, and give into the twists and turns, highs and lows. As a writer, you can return to the story a second or third time (or even more!), now with an analytical eye to figure out just how the authors work this magic.

Reading Like a Writer

So, what does it mean to "read like a writer"? It's like a chef tasting a dish and thinking about what ingredients are in the dish, how it was cooked (was it fried or baked?), or what kind of tools might have been used? Or an art student studying an old master painting. What style is the painting, or what type of paints and colors were used?

Reading from a writer's point of view can help understand how the author builds suspense, conveys emotions, or describes a setting. How did the author start the story? How did they build the plot? What kind of journey did the character go through? Why did it catch your attention? You can also look at pieces of writing that didn't capture you. Why was it uninteresting? As you can see, there are many "how" and "why" questions to wonder about, and just getting your brain looking for the answers can help you learn from an author.

Just like art students spend time copying master artists' techniques, colors, styles, compositions, you can do the same with writing.

Reading like a writer can be like studying under a master, without having to go out of your way to find a mentor. Each book or story you read can become an apprenticeship for you to learn about the craft of writing. You can learn a lot about your own writing, and pieces that you can take away to add to your toolbox. You can learn from an author's victory and missteps and develop your skills in the process. As always, start slow to get your brain thinking about the "how's" and "why's" and practice (see prompts below for ideas!), and watch as you discover something about how you express yourself and your view of the world through writing...but you won't know unless you try!

Prompts to Get You Started:

Have fun reading! Then, come back to a scene or page and ask yourself some of the questions mentioned above about the author's style and word choices.
Rewrite your favorite scene from a novel in your own style or a different point of view.
Find a piece of dialogue between characters that felt engaging, like you were in the room with them. Analyze their language, tone, how the author writes their body language, sentence structure, etc. Write another interaction (on any topic you'd like) between the characters and try to recreate that same sense of engagement.
What was an opening line of a novel that hooked you instantly? Write 3 opening lines of your own.
Emulate the voice of an author you admire. Write a simple scene in that voice, mimicking their style. You can also re-write it in your own natural voice, and compare the two.

Writing Books:

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Interesting Stories To Read and Learn From:

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