Review Board is now open! Submit your Short Prose, Poetry, and Book today!

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

Deadline: Thursday, February 22nd

Reading Like A Writer: Are You Maximizing Your Reading Time?

Updated October 2023

John O’Hara said it best: “Becoming the reader is the essence of becoming a writer.” It’s no secret that reading a lot can supplement your writing—exposing yourself to different styles and subjects expands your scope of what is possible and what you can achieve. Learning to read like a writer is key to improving your craft (and getting publishing contracts!).

If you’re serious about your writing career, reading like the average book lover doesn’t cut it. Yes, it can be a great mental relief for someone entrenched in writing day in and day out to unplug and skim the surface of what they’re reading.

But writing that is read as fluff is seldom remembered, and even more seldom is something gained, except maybe a few chuckles and a slightly fuzzy feeling at the conclusion.

When you read like a writer, the various elements of a piece become more apparent. You search for the secret inner workings of a book, story, or poem. You dig deep to find the nuts and bolts, and you fiddle with them until you understand the invisible mechanisms that pull readers along.

Some writers can’t not read like a writer. It’s similar to a film editor who can’t relax and watch a movie without analyzing every single cut and transition. But if you’re not quite sure how to read like a writer, here are a few key elements you can look out for:

Character – Do you find the characters dynamic and compelling? Are you rooting for them or looking forward to their downfall? A well-developed character feels like he or she is sitting next to you while you’re reading.

Pay attention to the subtle techniques the author uses to flesh them out. They’re not always obvious, but they’re there in the dialogue and the showing (not telling!) of their personality ticks.

Plot – If you look hard enough, you can identify the elements that make up the plot structure of a compelling piece: conflict, plot points, rising action, conclusion, etc. Ask yourself: What about this plot appeals to you, and how specifically can your writing convey this same thing?

Style – Every writer hopes to develop an identifiable style like the literary greats. The trick is to not copy their style, but rather consider what makes their style so unique.

Jack Kerouac’s stream-of-consciousness style sprang from a rebellion against the meticulously structured style of his time. Hunter S. Thompson’s style was just as wild, high-strung, and delirious as his personality (don’t do drugs, kids!).

Consider the origins of each writer’s style, then think of how you can infuse your writing with your own personality and experiences.

Submit to Review Board

Insight – Want to write deeper, more gripping, more compelling descriptions of character, setting, and action? Your ability to make unique connections, draw unexpected conclusions, and offer something truly different is key.

The idea of writing what you know is borderline cliché at this point, but it still holds true. When you know your subject—and when you’re fascinated by it—you can pass your insight, perspective, and, of course, fascination on to the reader.

So, take a good hard look at how your favorite authors tackle their subjects. Can you feel their passion for their subject matter? Do they offer dazzling new insights? If so, how? Let the books you read challenge you to see the world in new ways.

Of course, reading for entertainment is perfectly fine and not all books have deep-set nuggets of wisdom in them anyway. Still, one of the best tricks a writer can keep up his or her sleeve is becoming a sponge for all things related to craft. What have you read today?

*

If you understand the important relationship between reading and writing, Writer’s Relief wants to consider your work for our submission service. Learn more about how to submit your books, stories, poems, or essays for consideration!

4 Comments

  1. Adam iWriteReadRate

    Hi. Really interesting post. Like the idea of reading like a writer. As a writer myself, I always try to ‘read like a reader’ when not looking at my own work (otherwise it really would be all consuming!).

    Enjoyed your post, will tweet to our followers.

    Reply
    • Writers Relief Staff

      Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the article!

      Reply
  2. Linda Taylor

    When I found this link, I jumped at it. I’ve read before how important it is to analyze what we read but felt I was doing something wrong until this article. Now I understand that I WAS reading correctly, albeit for enjoyment and relaxation. The difference is, it’s only enjoyable and relaxing when it’s good! My thing is character development, like you say “sitting next to you,” whether I’m reading her or writing her.If she’s not, the plot better be totally compelling. And I moan when there is a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter! You know I can’t wait ’til tomorrow night to find out what happens. So my textbook reading has taught me the tricks, and my pleasure reading has taught me when they work, and when they don’t work!

    Thank you from all of us … you help us more than you can imagine.

    Reply
  3. Connie

    Thank you for sharing this. Although several of my stories have been published in our local newspaper, I am a novice story teller, writer. One of my stories, which I feel is a great idea, needs more, a lot more action, drama, conflict to be interesting or to keep my audience on edge wanting more. I need help. My main character changes, but not like he should, not much change is being shown. I sometimes go into too much detail, like how I paint, and not enough showing of expressions, moods, or feelings. Reading other stories and watching movies have helped me to understand that these are the things my story lacks. I also was told that I do too much head hopping, to focus on one character, let my audience get to know this character before introducing another. If only someone would freely give me a hand, “Writer’s Relief” I am positive my story will be a delight to all who read it; heck! It could become a movie. Before my dad died, he asked me if I heard of Harry Potter, of course I did not. Dad said to keep it up because I have a good idea, and he cried after reading one of my poems. He didn’t say my story was written well, he just said that it was a good idea and to keep it up, meaning I was on the right track to becoming a great story teller. But, I need help to achieve this goal. I need someone who knows how and who will give my story a chance, give me a chance.

    Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. White rabbits and red herrings: August advice for writers | Pauline Wiles - […] Is the character sitting next to you as you read? How to read like a writer. […]

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Review Board is now open! Submit your Short Prose, Poetry, and Book today!

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

 

 

See ALL the services we offer, from
FREE to Full Service!

Click here for a Writer’s Relief
Full Service Overview

Search

Reviews

“Getting that first poem published was the hardest threshold to cross. My team at Writer’s Relief kept encouraging me…then came the acceptance! We celebrated…then I continued writing, and Writer’s Relief continued doing the wonderful work they do!”

—King Grossman, Writer
(Watch King’s video testimonial here!)

“Every piece I have sent out with their help has been accepted for publication! I am looking forward to working with the team on getting my new novel out into the world.”

—Emily Rubin, Writer
(Watch Emily’s video testimonial here!)

Services Catalog

Free Publishing Leads
and Tips!

Featured Articles



Featured Video

Follow us!



YES, IT'S MY LUCKY DAY!
Sign me up for
FREE Publishing Leads & Tips
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

WHY? Because our insider
know-how has helped
writers get over 18,000 acceptances.

FREE Publishing Leads and Tips! Our e-publication, Submit Write Now!, delivered weekly to your inbox.
  • BEST (and proven) submission tips
  • Hot publishing leads
  • Calls to submit
  • Contest alerts
  • Notification of industry changes
  • And much more!
close-link


STOP! BEFORE YOU GO...
Sign me up for
FREE Publishing Leads & Tips
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

WHY? Because our insider
know-how has helped
writers get over 18,000 acceptances.

FREE Publishing Leads and Tips! Our e-publication, Submit Write Now!, delivered weekly to your inbox.
  • BEST (and proven) submission tips
  • Hot publishing leads
  • Calls to submit
  • Contest alerts
  • Notification of industry changes
  • And much more!
close-link

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This