Blast Off Your Fictional Creativity: Read

As a new writer, you might sometimes feel lost in the vast sea of creative possibilities, hit a brick wall, or become paralyzed over what action to take next. Luckily, there's a simple source of inspiration that is both enjoyable and will help you get back on track: Reading. And when you combine reading with your writing group, you've got a great way to learn and develop.

A lot of new writers forget that reading is one of the most valuable (and easiest) ways to learn more about writing. And I don't mean focusing on how-to books about the writing craft only. I mean: Read widely.

You can gain powerful insights into various writing techniques, learn from established authors, and access a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration by reading all sorts of books.

In this post, we'll explore how reading within and beyond your genre can significantly enhance your development as a writer, and how you'll compound that development by sharing your reading experience with your writing group.

Make Your Magic with Genre Reading

Diving into the world of your chosen genre is essential. If you're passionate about romance, science fiction, or mystery, explore the classics that define those genres as well as current and popular titles. You can even experiment with formats that you're not familiar with. For example, if you read whole books via Kindle, try dipping your reading 'toe' into serialized fiction in your genre.

Whatever you read, study the works for common tropes. Say you're writing fantasy romance, look across multiple titles in the genre to see how the authors accomplished their world building, the bend of the love arc, and the character dynamics. Studying and understanding these conventions will improve your storytelling skills and help you further understand your audience's expectations.

Expand Your Skills with Diverse Reading

Broadening your reading list beyond your primary genre opens doors to fresh perspectives, which will help you as you meet your personal writing challenges.

For example, if you're working on a horror story, physical sensations may be an important element in your work. You could look to learn from literary fiction authors like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who are masters of sensory details that evoke strong emotions in readers.

Likewise, if your hurdle is to develop intriguing characters, try a memoir. There are many, many memoirs, of course. From my personal TBR pile, I recently read Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Kitchen Underbelly". His observations and descriptions of the chefs and restauranteurs were amazing!

You can also check out the Guests Posts on this blog for other authors (so far, these authors work within the mystery genre) and get some additional reading ideas through their posts.

Being open to multiple influences will help you learn from others' unique perspectives and enrich your writing style.

Make It Stick with Your Writing Group

Sharing your impressions about what you read with your writing group can further enhance your understanding. In fact, some groups (no matter what type) schedule periodic book discussions just so they can develop in their craft.

I intentionally said 'writing group'. You might think that a book club is a good enough place for book discussions. Listen, book clubs are great, without doubt. If you're a member of a book club, go you! 👏

However, unless the book club comprises writers exclusively, the discussion will focus on the reader's experience. What you want is to put your writing cap on, and geek out on the story elements. Sharing your reading experience with other writers will help your learning stick as you focus on details that a reader might not pick up on, such as, the art of the opening paragraph, overall character development, the shift for a character within a scene, the use of setting to reflect the story arc, feints and plots twists, themes and symbols, word and phrase solutions, etc.

If your writing group doesn't include time for book or genre discussion currently, talk it over with your writing buddies. See if they're willing to experiment and add a book discussion every once in a while. It's a tactic that will provide great value to the entire group.

Ahhhh! The perfect place to read a good book.

Reading + Writing = Your Growth

If you're new to writing, know that to become a proficient fiction writer, you've got to embrace a diverse reading habit. Reading both within your niche and exploring literature outside of it will ignite your creative spark and accelerate your development. With each title, you’ll uncover inspiration, learn new techniques, and gain confidence to bring out your unique voice.

Now, before you grab a book and cozy up in your favorite reading nook, tell me one book that got you excited about writing. Are you going to discuss it with your writing group? Let me know in the comments below! 😊