I’ve often heard that reading is crucial for writers. It doesn’t take much digging to find countless quotes from authors about the importance of reading regularly and consistently. I assumed that, at best, reading good books would help me write better sentences or maybe even help me write faster. I was partly right—but also very wrong.
“Reading is like breathing in, and writing is like breathing out.” —Pam Allyn
At first, I didn’t fully grasp the hype. I read a lot growing up—hundreds of books over the years. I was even that kid in high school who actually tried to gain insight from summer reading assignments instead of relying on cliff notes. Despite all that reading, I hadn’t quite figured out how to write with intent.
“It is my contention that the process of reading is part of the process of writing, the necessary completion without which writing can hardly be said to exist.” —Margaret Atwood
Over time, reading became more of a vacation activity for me. I would love to read every day, but who has the time? Especially when I’m focused on learning how to write a book—can I really fit reading in? And if so, is daily reading too much to ask? It wasn’t until I started reading books on writing craft—plot points, character development, setting descriptions—that I realized how frequent reading could make a difference.
“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” —Stephen King
I began by challenging myself to a week of daily reading. I aimed to read at least 10 pages or a chapter of whatever book I was working through at the time (which happened to be part of the Warriors series by Erin Hunter). As I read, things began to click. I started noticing where Hunter placed her plot points, when information was revealed or withheld, and how her characters developed. It felt like I was mapping out how books were plotted in my mind.
In fact, I accidentally spoiled the fun for my family by guessing the twists and surprises in movies (which follow similar plot points) before they happened. Now I’m banned from predicting movie endings!
“When I was teaching writing—and I still say it—I taught that the best way to learn to write is by reading. Reading critically, noticing paragraphs that get the job done, how your favorite writers use verbs, all the useful techniques. A scene catches you? Go back and study it. Find out how it works.” —Tony Hillerman
But I didn’t stop after Warriors and a few movies. How much can you learn from just one author? My next stop was the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling is another author who follows plot points well, but there’s also a lot of misdirection and strong side plots. I love how, though Harry Potter isn’t a detective series, it often feels like one because of the constant questions and misdirection: Who stole the Sorcerer’s Stone? Who’s the Heir of Slytherin? Who betrayed Harry’s parents? Is Severus Snape an ally or an enemy? As someone who loves detective shows, I appreciated how Rowling worked these elements into a fantasy setting.
“Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out.” —William Faulkner
Encouraged by my progress, I kept reading. Next on my list was the Eragon series. For some reason, I couldn’t finish this series when I was younger. My sister, who rarely read fantasy, loved it—yet I didn’t. This time, I paid attention to what I liked and didn’t like.
I’m still working through the first book, but I’ve noticed that Paolini’s descriptions are either too much or not enough for me. There’s a lot of focus on maps and locations, and while I’m grateful for Google Maps in my everyday life, I struggle to keep maps in my head when reading. I found myself flipping back and forth to understand where they were and why it mattered. I also noticed that the author often withheld information from Eragon in a very obvious way, which irked me as a teen. But now, with more knowledge of plot and pacing, I understand why certain details were kept from the protagonist at specific points. It was crucial for the plot, and that realization has helped me enjoy the book more. One takeaway: when I write a book with a young protagonist, they probably won’t accept an adult holding back information so easily—or the adult will need to keep the secret entirely hidden.
It’s not that the Eragon series was poorly written (in fact, I’m highly anticipating Paolini’s new book!). Instead, Eragon was a launching point for me. Once I revisited it with more knowledge about plot points, I realized that I could approach certain aspects differently and in a style unique to myself. It also reminded me of a friend who wished Harry Potter had been written from Hermione Granger’s point of view because they preferred more focus on lore and magic use. What I’ve learned is that any book, good or perceived as inadequate, can serve as a tool to help writers identify what resonates with them and what doesn’t. Any book can help a writer shape how they write, and as writers, we should challenge how we write by looking at books that are not our typical style to understand why and avoid those pitfalls in our own books.
“If you are going to learn from other writers, don’t only read the great ones. If you do that, you’ll get so filled with despair and the fear that you’ll never measure up that you’ll stop writing. Read the greatest stuff, but read the bad stuff too. It’s very encouraging—’Hey, I can do better than this.’ Great stuff is discouraging.” —Edward Albee
My next series to tackle will be Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I’ve been avoiding a re-read because I don’t usually enjoy reading in first person, but that’s exactly why I think revisiting this series will help me improve my own first-person writing. I write a slice-of-life series called Cuddle Puppy on my website, following the day-to-day adventures of my little terrier mix, Bella Rose. After some trial and error, I realized that first-person narration was the way to go for the series, so I’m excited to read a first-person story I enjoyed in my teens and see what I can apply to my own writing.
“Writing is a difficult trade which must be learned slowly by reading great authors; by trying at the outset to imitate them; by daring then to be original and by destroying one’s first productions.” —André Maurois
This journey began as a week-long challenge. I wanted to read for a week, analyze the author, see how everything fit together, and critique what I liked and didn’t like. Now, it’s become a daily habit. I’m starting to understand what all these authors meant. Reading anything—whether great, mediocre, or outright bad—has taught me a lot about my preferences and how I want to write. What started as a challenge to improve my writing turned into an unexpected realization: reading critically has made me a better writer. Books are guiding me, little by little, as I discover what kind of author I’m becoming.
Happy writing, everyone!
B.R. Quinn
B.R. Quinn 