By Maggie King
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” – Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Some writers disagree with Mr. King’s reading advice. They fear that by reading they’ll be influenced by other author’s voices, thus compromising their writing. Mr. King has this to say about that choice:
“You may find yourself adopting a style you find particularly exciting, and there’s nothing wrong with that. When I read Ray Bradbury as a kid, I wrote like Ray Bradbury — everything green and wondrous and seen through a lens smeared with the grease of nostalgia. When I read James M. Cain, everything I wrote came out clipped and stripped and hardboiled. When I read Lovecraft, my prose became luxurious and Byzantine.”
Whether you agree or disagree with this renowned author’s view, you can’t deny his success.
Stephen King has more advice on the subject of reading in this article from VPM. His bottom line: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
Joyce Carol Oates, another prolific and respected writer, also encourages writers to read. I took a Masterclass course she taught and will never forget her suggesting that we read Ulysses! “If you read Ulysses by James Joyce, for example, chances are your vocabulary will improve (or, if nothing else, you’ll want your vocabulary to improve). Your work won’t necessarily come out sounding like his, but your process will be informed and elevated by him.”
More than once, I tried reading Ulysses and never made it past the first chapter. Ulysses was penned in the stream of consciousness style, a technique used to look inside a character’s mind and examine their every thought, action, and motivation. Other authors who used this style are Virginia Woolf, William Faulkner, and Toni Morrison. It is not a style that appeals to me, but I did enjoy Mrs. Dalloway. Perhaps I found the thoughts and actions Virginia Woolf gave her main character especially interesting.
But Ms. Oates is focused on James Joyce’s vocabulary, not his writing style. I didn’t get far enough in Ulysses to enhance my vocabulary. And she only offers this author as an example. She suggests studying the ways many writers compose their sentences, how they structure their stories, and how they handle dialogue.
As for James Joyce, I suggest reading The Dubliners, a fine collection of his short stories. They are not written in the stream of consciousness style. I took this on my trip to Ireland many years ago.
Masterclass offers courses on a variety of subjects. For writers, I highly recommend Joyce Carol Oates’s class on short story writing (I think her course works for novels as well). Here’s the link.
Many, if not most, writers read widely. Over the years, I’ve read classics, short stories, literary fiction, non-fiction, plays, bios, romance, and, of course, crime fiction. What I read is high-brow, low-brow, and everything between. Recent favorites are Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali, Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller, Miss Marple, The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie, and Betty Hechtman’s series of crochet mysteries.
Writers, do you read widely? What are you reading now? What are your thoughts on the stream of consciousness style?
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We have bookshelves full of famous books. Read them all. What I gleaned from those books was the fact that words are wonderful and I should put some of them on paper myself. I didn’t pick anyone’s style. I just wrote what I felt. Some books use lots of description. Some are more dialogue. I’ll let the reader come up with exactly what the character looks like. I do novels length and short stories. I actually started writing short stories after I joined Sisters-in-Crime in Los Angeles and started reading a few short stories by members. I submitted one of my own to their anthology and it was accepted for their book. That started me on the road of short story writing. I’ve been influenced by all types of writing, but have my own style because that’s what ends up on the pages I write. But without having read a bunch of books, I would never have known all the possibilities out there. So, as I say: Write On!
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Gayle, Sisters in Crime (Central VA) also started me on writing short stories and I’ve been fortunate to have many of them published. Like you, I have my own style, but I’m sure that influences show.
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Gayle, I have a few of the SinC LA anthologies and have enjoyed your stories
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I can’t think of anything that has influenced my writing more than reading the work of others and analyzing it. Each successful book or story served as a master class – how to draw characters, create imagery with words, build tension, or just express something in a unique way. I’ve also learned what not to do when I joined a writers group and got exposed to some very bad writing. And I’m not alone. I’ve noticed how non-fiction authors use fiction techniques to dramatize the events and make it a more interesting read.
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Miko, it’s interesting that we also learn from bad writing and from mistakes that decent writers make. We’re always learning, and that is a good thing.
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I definitely read a lot, and always have. That of course got me into doing my own writing, often in the genres I’ve been reading the most. I joined writing organizations and groups, and they also inspired me. Did I ever set off to be the reader and writer that I am today? Not really, but I’m glad that’s one of the most important directions I’ve taken.
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Linda, reading mysteries definitely led to me writing mysteries. As a child, it was Nancy Drew. As an adult, it was many writers.
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Like many writers, reading is my favorite past-time when I’m not actually writing.
I read a lot of English and European writers and always learn something new from the different styles. And I know of some writers who won’t read a book in the same genre of that which they are writing. But I just devour anything I can. Although, with writers new to me, I sometimes abandon them after the first chapter or two, if I’m not enjoying the style and not captivated. So, “Read On!” I say….
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Reading is vital for our craft and our growth as writers. Perhaps our writing has “influenced” someone!
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Great post, Maggie! I agree that it’s crucial for writers to also be readers. My own love of reading inspired me to be a writer—I wanted to create stories as compelling as the ones I loved to read. My reading tastes run the gamut like yours, everything from Michael Connelly to Ann Patchett to Hemingway and Fitzgerald, plus a little Agatha Christie. I, too, took Oates’ Master Class and gave her short stories a try, but they are so dark! I also recommend Margaret Atwood’s Master Class and her books and novels. She is one famous author I would love to hang out with!
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Maggie, you wrote, ” Over the years, I’ve read classics, short stories, literary fiction, non-fiction, plays, bios, romance, and, of course, crime fiction.”
You sound like me, especially in recent years. I began with gothic mysteries (Mary Stewart), animal-friend mysteries, a few hard-core mysteries and crime novels when I was reviewing for Mystery Scene (but I didn’t like them.) I went through a few of those long, heart-rending women’s fiction novels (and tried to write one – it’s still “in the drawer.”). Today I find myself captivated by Space exploration fiction (not wild monster type, but the stories that actually could happen with NASA and SPACE-X etc.), and…. (don’t laugh) middle grade fiction, everything from Newberry winners, to Campground Kids adventures. I like the tight, fast and vivid way they tell stories!
As for writing … not so much. I write a daily Bible blog, craft silly mysteries now and then for Facebook, and that’s about it.
My turn comes up next week, and I’ll tell all y’all about a new way I just “wrote” a book. I’m considering another. Please don’t hate me!!
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