Getting started as a writer: READ
As a Literature Officer at Creative Scotland, my main direct contact with creative writers is when they’re looking for support in an aspect of their established professional practice. We also support emerging writers through our RFOs (regularly funded organisations) and through other funded projects such as book festivals, development programmes and writing workshops.
Emerging writers often need the company of their peers: as shoulders to cry on when things get tough, as cheerleaders when things go well and as critical eyes to help develop the work itself. Some prefer to go it alone, or to find resilience through connecting with communities outside of their writing practice. One of the batch of Frequently Asked Questions that comes our way is how can you ‘find your tribe’, carve out time to develop your craft and access supportive feedback or a mentor to help you move forwards at the early stages of your writing practice?
Here’s the first of a three-step series on building your confidence while you find your voice:
STEP ONE: read
Make yourself a reading list of 10 books or scripts that would support your writing. It might be background research into something you’re interested in writing about (bees), a historical time period you’re wanting to use as a setting (the 1600s), or a deep dive into specific aspects of something you already know a lot about (beekeeping at the court of James VI). Visit an independent bookshop and ask staff for recommendations around the reading list: they hold a wealth of knowledge and will be able to point you in the direction of things that a quick Google could miss. If you’re wanting to expand your reading then Novel Approach from (RFO) the Scottish Poetry Library matches popular novels with ‘if you liked this then try this’ recommendations of poetry collections. They also have a popular ‘Ask a Librarian’ online contact form for tracking down the poem or collection you half remember hearing about once. (RFO) Glasgow Women’s Library lists recommended reads from their collections online, and are happy to help you identify resources for your research.
Find your local library and use it. Ask the librarians if there are audio versions of books on your reading list available to keep you company on your commute. If you’re interested in reading drama then schedule a visit or a chat with (RFO) Playwrights’ Studio Scotland (Glasgow), who have a well-stocked free lending library of playscripts (catalogue available online) as well as books for playwrights looking to develop their skills writing for the stage. If you’re interested in TV, radio or drama then your first port of call online is the BBC Script Room, where you can access their massive, easily searchable archive of scripts for free. (RFO) Scottish Poetry Library (Edinburgh) has over 3,000 poems available to search and read online for free, and outstanding collections of work on their shelves available to borrow for free. If you’re not able to pop by in person, they do offer a postal lending service, with a small charge to cover postage costs (free for disabled people and teachers). They also have free reading guides online to support those newer to poetry in reading a poem, a collection or an anthology.
If you’re intimidated about finding time to get through your reading list then, for just a week, swap out scrolling Twitter at lunchtime for 10 mins of reading.
If you read with a young child, ask them to help you include your writing research in quality time with them: librarians and bookshop staff are brilliant at finding age-appropriate reading material across a surprising range of topics. (RFO) Scottish Poetry Library have a free guide available online on reading with families, including tips for families affected by deafness. (RFO) Scottish Booktrust have a free online database of talks and performances by authors which you can browse by reading age, curriculum area, theme and more: perfect for shared-benefit screen time or finding crossovers in your and their homework.
If you’re looking to read with others, then start by asking friends if they’re in or would like to start a book group themed around the genre or subject matter you’re interested in writing about. You could also ask if your office/university/school is interested in hosting a bookgroup as part of their wellbeing programme: direct any sceptics towards this brilliant infographic and article on how reading helps your body and mind. If you prefer to expand your social circle and find inspiration in books suggested by others, Libraries and bookshops are great places to look for existing groups, and many local cafes and arts centres are getting in on the joys of a blether too.
One currently funded project that’s making a difference for readers across Scotland is the fantastic Open Book, who run weekly shared reading sessions across Scotland. They also frequently bring groups on cultural visits (including to Book Festivals) and arrange creative writing workshops as another way of exploring texts. Another is the Glasgow Zine Library’s programme of events, which includes FEARY (a free, informal, welcoming monthly reading group to discuss and demystify critical theory, in particular text around feminism and gender). GZL are now in new premises (Glasgow) and plan to get their archive of zines digitized soon, so if you can’t drop by in person then keep an eye on their website in the coming months. (RFO) Glasgow Women’s Library currently runs a Book Group, a Digital Book Group for those who prefer to chat online, and a reading group to discuss poetry, fiction and narrative non-fiction by writers of colour in partnership with Lighthouse Books (Edinburgh). They hold fortnightly Story Cafes, where you can hear stories and poems by women writers from around the world.
As a writer myself, I love the bookgroups I’m in because they open up things I hadn’t noticed in the text. While I read for the sheer joy of it, I also always keep half an eye on style, noticing where the story stumbles or I’m left unsatisfied as much as trying to figure out how the world is built and the characters brought to life. There are also some books I find a comfort to read and a constant refresh on the emotional ups and downs of writing — Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird and Dorothea Brande’s Becoming a Writer being two classics that pop up in the reading lists of most writing courses. Hearing authors talk at events or on podcasts about the books that brought them into writing, or where they did their research is also a favourite way of discovering new resources.
Got a reading tip to share with emerging writers? Stick it in the comments below.
