Reading is one of life's great escapes. But for a writer, reading can also be like an apprenticeship. One of the best ways to improve your craft is to learn to read with an analytical eye. Shifting from a passive reader to an active one can transform your own work. Here’s how to start:
1. Play director: amp up the tension
As you read a scene, especially a pivotal one, ask yourself: "How could I make this scene more tense?" Could the author have introduced a ticking clock, a higher personal stake for the protagonist, or an unexpected obstacle? By mentally rewriting scenes for maximum impact, you’re training your brain to recognize and create suspense, conflict, and pacing in your own stories.
2. Flesh out flat characters
Every story has them: the indifferent barista, the bored security guard, the gossipy neighbor. What is their biggest dream? What tragedy are they holding onto from their past? This forces you to see the world of the story as a complete, complex place and sharpens your own skills in character creation, ensuring even your minor players feel real.
3. Become a detective
Pay close attention to the clues the author weaves into the story. This isn't about guessing the whodunit; it’s about understanding the mechanics of foreshadowing and plot structure. Based on the clues, try to guess what is going to happen next. Were you right? If so, analyze how the author laid the groundwork.
4. Embrace your inner critic
Don't be afraid to be critical. It’s time to take the writer down a peg. What did they do wrong or badly? Did a character act in a way that felt unbelievable? Where did you get hung up on clunky dialogue? Did a plot twist feel cheap? Identifying weaknesses in the work of others is a powerful tool for recognizing and fixing those same potential flaws in your own manuscript.
5. Dissect the language
Look beyond the plot and characters to the words themselves. How does the author use sentence structure to control the pace? Circle powerful phrases or word choices. Read dialogue aloud to hear its rhythm. By breaking down the prose to its essential components, you are looking at the author’s toolbox, learning which tools they used and how effectively they were used.
Sources:
How to Read and Why, by Harold Bloom
Steering the Ship, by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Art of Fiction, by John Gardner
I'm often asked to be a beta reader for writer friends so these hints are invaluable in steering my thinking to bringing up places where the author can make some tweaks that will make the story stronger and more resonant.
Most writers at some point get past the need for writing craft books. When that happens the masters level lessons come from reading a lot of books, both good and bad. At some point writers start reading differently in that they analyze everything they read. This is both good and bad. It’s always an education, though hard to just enjoy the reading experience. But it makes us better writers!