On Writing: On Reading

You're a writer. Why do you read?

1. To build your own craft. Last week I blogged about how you become like what you behold. Reading work that you enjoy/admire can help you become a better writer. You see what works and can incorporate that into your own writing.

2. To stay informed. It's important to know what's new and up and coming and how what you're working on fits into or expands the genre you're writing for.

3. To know your history. Who wrote groundbreaking novels in your genre? READ THEM. Know whose legs you stand on. Or maybe it's know whose wrists you write from? (har har)

4. To inspire you. Sometimes when I'm reading a good book, it gives me an idea-- helps me solve a plot problem, gives me new vision for a scene, or even a new story idea altogether.

5. To be entertained. Once in awhile, forget you're a writer. Turn off the inner editor and lose yourself in a book that you picked purely because it looked enjoyable.

I try to read one novel per week (which you usually see reviewed on my blog). Do yourself a favor and keep notes on what you read, what you liked. You can start your own blog and do reviews, or post them on a site like Amazon. Or you can just make notes in a journal. That way you have something to refer back to later, if you need them-- perhaps for a comparative analysis in a proposal...