How to Read like a Writer

It's no secret that the key to being a better writer is to read more! We hear it so often but it's true, the more fiction you read the better your work will be. But it's not just reading fiction that's important, you must read it like a writer. Yes there is a difference.

Today, I am going to give you 5 tips on how you can read a book like a writer. But before I get into that, let's talk about the difference in reading like a writer vs a reader.

When you are a reader, you read fiction for entertainment. You hope that when you open a book, you will be left on the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen next.

As a writer, your main purpose for reading is education. It's all about analysing what the author has done and why they have done it - call it research. You look into the words the author has used to build the setting or the intensity of a moment, you look at each scene trying to work out how it serves a purpose to the entire plot. It's not to say you can never enjoy a novel as entertainment ever again. This is just another way to hone in on your craft.

Tip 1: I am not going backwards here, but read the novel as a reader first. Then later as a writer later, so that you can break it down with the Save the Cat model! You really need to read it first so that you have a full picture of the story in your mind. You need to know the ending and then you are able to follow character decisions etc. when you reading it as a writer.

Tip 2: Try to identify the beats - you can use the Save the Cat or the 3 Act Structure to find your 'foundation beats' (read the Outline Your Novel Blog here). This will help you start to identify the structure of the story. You can create a beat sheet for the book you have just read. It doesn't have to be perfect, you just need to be able to identify the main parts - use dot points. You will quickly notice the turning points of the story. As you are writing your dot points, ask yourself things like: how did the story start? Where was the 'calm before the storm'? Where were the stakes raised? Writing down these moments will help you identify the steps you need to take in your own story.

Tip 3: Look at the main character across the course of the novel and think about how they are changing - there is always change to note. You can do this by making a list, what are the character's flaws? Now list how they were improved through the course of the novel. You can do this for each main character.

Tip 4: Backstory. It's so easy to write too much backstory into a novel and it's one of those things you really have to get right when you are writing a book. It's one of the main reasons your readers will put your book down. You don't want all of your back story dumped in the wrong place, it has to be carefully added. Reveal little by little, it should add context to the story and be relevant to the moment. You don't want the reader itching for you to finish with all the backstory so they can get back to the good stuff.  Watch how the author introduces the back story. Is it a flashback? A memory from when they were younger? It could even be in character speech. Don't be afraid of sticky notes, I have left them all throughout books before. E-books are great for highlighting too. Try to track what is revealed and why they reveal it.

Tip 5: All stories should have goals, what do you want to happen in each scene. Do you want the characters to feel uncomfortable? Do you want a secret to come out? Do you want two characters to meet? Think about each scene's goals - what is the 'point' of this scene, and how does it serve the plot?

Challenge: Try going through a book (yours or someone else's) and identify the goal of each key scene.

Now that you are starting to learn how all of this works, you might not be able to unsee it next time you read. It might be harder to read as a reader now. You'll be thinking; ahhh I see what they did there. You will start seeing patterns in everything you read. All will make you a better writer. Let me know on socials what you have noticed when reading.