I wonder how many of my readers have heard this saying before or a variation of it. I would like to clear up something right now, however. This does not mean that every good reader will be a good writer. Neither does this mean that there are not those who have a natural talent for writing, nor that reading is the only way to hone that talent. I will say that someone who is a good writer probably read well to give that talent a boost. Good oral storytellers probably listened well to begin with.
Humans are not the same as other animals. There are certain things that we learn, in part, from instinct, but those are usually about pure survival. Even communication and walking must be learned from trial, error, and learning from others. Now, let me pose this question: if something as basic as learning how to speak during childhood, required listening carefully to the speech of others, why should written communication be different. I can answer that question right now; it’s not. You learn written communication by reading what others have written. Just as if a child learns spoken communication from those who speak sloppily, the same will occur if we learn to write by reading the works those who write sloppily.
How do we know who writes sloppily? We read the works of a variety of writers. You can’t know if one work is quality if you don’t have others to which to compare. You should also read the works of those who have a reputation for being good writers, but here I will give a caveat. There is a difference between good storytelling and good writing. I have come across a few cases of this. Too often, the terms seem to be used interchangeably. Here you must be careful.
This is why, as I learn these skills more accurately myself, I intend to introduce blog posts about the written word in particular, rather than just storytelling and the struggles of a writer trying to do promotion and marketing. These posts will take a bit of time so, please be patient, and keep an eye out for when those subjects make their appearance on my blog. In fact, if my readers would like to be my accountability partners, I would welcome it. Feel free to drop me a line on my contact page asking me about the grammar and written word blog posts. Leave a comment letting me know that you are waiting for them and give me a little nudge. Let me know if there are any other subjects which you would like to see as posts on my blog. Obviously, I will not be able to write on every subject presented to me by my readers, However, I would like the opportunity to fill that gap if I can.
Now, let us get back to the subject at hand. The necessity of reading applies both to the written word as a language and to storytelling in general. When it comes to storytelling in general, you don’t have to limit yourself to books. You can also take into consideration the storytelling in movies and TV series. What you must do whether you are reading a book or watching something on the Telly, is make sure that you are actively engaging with the story. You can’t just watch the movie or read the book with the sole purpose of entertainment, letting the story wash over you, leaving only a general impression. What did the storyteller do that either impressed you or left you disappointed? Which stories appeal to you more; those that focus on the emotions of the characters, those that present strong worldbuilding, action, suspense? Pay close attention to which characters draw you in and which don’t. How were these characters developed? Now you can start to incorporate what you liked into your own writing and leave what didn’t appeal to you.
When it comes to the written word you must actively read. Look at the sentence structure. See what method of writing down the words seems to convey the meaning best and seems to be of a form you prefer. Do you prefer plain prose which is more dedicated to the facts and nothing but,
or do you feel moved by the more artistic prose which seems a bit flowery to the modern ear or eye (even though, not all that long ago, it used to be the norm)? Still, you must not stop with the discovery of what you like and dislike. Continue to read in the form of your preference to learn how others use it efficiently. Analyze the works of others.
Pay attention to character development. Don’t stop at finding out what the characters are doing; learn why they are doing what they are doing. See my post “It’s not the how, it’s the why.” What has caused those characters to react the way they react? If the author has not directly told you what the characters are thinking, consider what is in the story that would guide you to a conclusion about the character’s innermost thoughts.
I intend to add character analyzations to my blog. Some of them might get rather in-depth and come in several parts, but I hope they will give you a good example of how you should be analyzing the stories of others. I used to enjoy reading and movies for the sake of entertainment; I still do, but now, I find it difficult to simply let the story wash over me, while I only half engage. I hope that my readers will follow me in this different and, yes, sometimes difficult state of being for the sake of the art of writing.
Here is another thing. I usually like to encourage people to find the good in most anything. In this case, however, I am going to say, look for the not so good and even downright bad. Be a harsh critic. Make sure that you find what doesn’t work for you as well what does. When you read or watch a story, maybe don’t actively look for mistakes, but keep your mind open to them so you can start spotting them. This way you can start recognizing these mistakes more and more quickly so that you are less likely to make those same mistakes in your own writing.
While this can be a source of some discomfort at times, the need to analyze every story you come across, understand that you can turn it on and off to some degree. Though it is a bit more difficult with books due to the time investment, you can watch a movie or TV show once for fun and again for analyzation. In fact, I would recommend that method. This gives you the ability to see the story from the viewpoint of the average audience member first and foremost. Then, when you go back to analyze you will have already discovered the basics of what you need to view with an eye to learn.
As someone who has now found that she analyzes stories almost automatically to one degree or another, I well know the downside of this tendency. I also, however, know the upside. This technique can help you become more and more aware of the things you need to do and need to avoid in your writing with less agonizing contemplation. With less headache and smoother editing, it is easier to enjoy the wonder.
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