For most authors, the love of writing stems from a love of reading. We hope to capture that feeling our favorite book gave us all those years ago. To this end we fill pages with writing, but sometimes it can be easy to forget the end product we’re working towards. Eventually someone will read our story, and we can learn a lot from reading others’.
In this article I’ll go over some reading habits that all authors should intone within themselves. We’ll look at specific texts to improve our craft, as well as how to read as a writer.
Key Takeaways:
- Train your inquisitive eye
- Balance your media diet
- Inspiration can be found anywhere
Eye for Detail:
Let’s start with a thought exercise. There are two engineers: one builds planes and the other builds boats. Both read the same book about pelicans. The aviation engineer is fascinated with the pelican’s ability to fly while holding so much water and designs a plane to fight forest fires. The naval engineer is inspired by the pelican’s hydrophobic wings and creates a new hull coating for ships. Both read the same book, so why did they come to separate conclusions?
