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Originally Posted by John Carroll
As far as reading goes; I'm putting that book on my list, but even though I used to be a voracious reader, I haven't read in 3 years and don't know when I'm going to get back to it. Writing has become my new form of reading.  |
You don't read? I've never heard of a musician who doesn't listen to music or an artist who doesn't view other art... Who's your favorite author? How do you know what you're writing is marketable or will appeal to today's audience? (Unless you're not trying to make a living at this, in which case, as you were.)
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5. Read Everything You Can Get Your Hands On — Even the Crap That Bores You.
And here’s why the crap that bores you is worth reading: Because someone sold it, which means the writer did something right. Your job is to figure out what it was and what that means for your own writing. It should also give you hope: If this bad writer can sell a book or magazine article, then you should have no problem, right? Excellent.
This suggestion is actually more difficult to follow than you might think. People like to read what they like, and don’t like to read what they don’t like. That’s fine if all you want to be is a reader, but if you want to be a writer, you don’t have the luxury of just sticking to the stuff that merely entertains you. Writing that’s not working for you is still working for someone; take a look and see if you can find out why. Alternately, pinpoint why it doesn’t work. Fact is, you can learn as much from writers you don’t like as you can from writers you do — and possibly more, because you’re not cutting them slack, like you would your favorite writers.
A corollary to this is: Read writers who are new to you. Don’t just stick to the few writers you know you like. Take a few chances.
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