Creative writing - Mike Sanders 2014

Reading educates writers
Reading and writing
You, the writer

One of the truths I have learned as someone who both teaches books to others and also writes them is that the more extensive your acquaintance becomes with the works of writers who have excelled, the more extensive your own powers of invention, your own ability to make something new and original, will be.

That might seem like a paradox on the surface, and many creative writers do view it as such. For example, I know many southern authors who refuse to read the books of William Faulkner for fear of having their own work resemble his to the point they’re overwhelmed by his example and, thus, appear imitative.

On the contrary, when you read good writers—especially those whose work is close to your own in terms of content or style (or both)—your writing stands to improve a great deal as you take note of how those writers successfully wrestled with challenges that resemble your own.

IDEAS AND INSPIRATION

When it comes to selecting what to read, try to pick out the best writers in the genre you are attempting to write. (Check online for lists of classic writers, or look at anthologies.) If you want to write short stories, for example, read the best short story writers. Take note of memorable scenes, characters, and settings. Even if you don’t consciously understand why something moves you or seems to function successfully, there’s a reason it resonates, which might well reveal itself to you as you work on your own material.