by Monica M. Clark |
A couple of weeks ago I attended an author talk with Jonathan Franzen at Sixth and I in D.C.. A journalist named Marcela Valdes sat “in conversation” with him and I’m not gonna lie—it was like watching a fawning student desperately trying to impress her professor (who will not throw her a bone).
Was the author talk worth it? Definitely. Even though the conversation was a little weird, every once in a while the too-cool-for-school Corrections author would drop these tidbits of wisdom that I loved.
by Pamela Fernuik |
Don’t you just hate being told what to do? I hate it. Absolutely hate it. However, I am going to tell you if you want to be a writer, you need to be a reader too.
I know. I know. Who has time to read, right? We are busy with life, writing all day, getting caught up on our favorite television shows, cleaning seven litter boxes every morning, and washing our socks. Who has time to read?
But if you are a writer, you need to read.
by Monica M. Clark |
A pop-up bookstore opened up next to my job, full of used books. One antsy afternoon, I took a stroll around the store looking for anything on my “to-read” Goodreads list.
That’s when I found it: Francine Prose’s “Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them.” This helpful book shares how we can learn to write better by reading intentionally.
I haven’t finished the book yet, but I’m already inspired and am dying to share what I’ve learned so far. So without further ado, here are three ways you can learn to write better by reading.
by Joe Bunting |
Every once in a while, I hear a writer say something like, “I don’t need to read. I’m too busy writing to read.” Stephen King would have something to say to this, but I keep quiet. Writing is hard enough. I don’t want to make it harder.
For me, though, reading inspires, instructs, and helps me connect with other authors more than any other habit.
by Joe Bunting |
Is what you’re reading what you write? Not entirely, though admittedly it can be a subconscious influence. Reading foreign authors and other cultures, in different genres and styles, can broaden one’s horizons almost as much as visiting remote places and exploring cultures. The opportunity to find out – to explore – to discover – is only a book away.
by Joe Bunting |
What do you do when you get stuck with your writing? There isn’t one answer of course, but I hope your first thought settles on reading. Assuming you’re an avid reader, a bibliophile, or a writer, at some point you’ve probably thought with regret about the limited scope of reading you can do in a lifetime. The latest boom in publishing (online, self-publishing, indie publishing), brings countless piles of books to to the reader. How to choose the right ones?
