Reading as a Writer: Your Guide to Reading with a Writer’s Eye

In order to write, you have read like a writer. Read widely, read wisely, and read closely. Writers are always reading more and more.

I’ve heard this mantra many times and racked my brains trying to figure out how to read like a writer. Figuring out how your favorite authors write is important to learn how to write yourself. It teaches you a little bit about how to form good stories, strong prose, and great writing. So, reading as a writer helps you improve your work.

I just want to stop and look at the craft going on in everything I read. But something in my brain clicks off, and mental movie mode goes on.

So that’s why I made a list of key things you have to do to read with a writer’s eye, and I thought you might find it helpful too. This list goes for fiction, nonfiction, short works, long works, and everything in between.

Read about Characters

Pay careful to how the writer builds character (even if they’re real, nonfictional characters). What details does the writer include? Also, what ones do they omit? Both are very telling. Reading like a writer means paying even closer attention to details than the average reader.

Watch as the author provides physical characteristics, reveals emotional traits, and builds character arcs and changes. Pay attention to the way dialogue, details, and actions reveal a character’s nature.

Watch for Telling Versus Showing

Look closely at every scene, monologue, character, and setting. What’s shown and what’s told? Not sure? Here are some examples to guide you.

• “She was deeply saddened.” vs. “Tears fell from her reddened eyes.”

• “The air was frigid and turbulent.” vs. “Cold, biting wind grazed my skin.”

• “He went home cautiously. There, he…” vs. “He made his way home through the winding, darkened streets, keeping as close as possible to the dim, yellowy street lamps cutting through the night. There, he…”

These are all examples of the same thing being shown and being told. Good writers use both without readers actively noticing.

Despite the old saying, “Show, don’t tell,” there is plenty of showing and telling in most novels. One isn’t “right” and the other “wrong.” They’re both valuable writing tools. Just keep an eye out to determine when good authors use them and when they don’t.

Compare Plots and Pacing

When reading as a writer, pay attention to the way the plot is structured and the pace progresses. Take notes or make a diagram, detailing the plot and how it unfolds.

Note the techniques used to build the structure, like flashbacks, flash-forwards, time-skips, and alternate POVs. Also, find the subplots and how they intersect and alternate with the main plot.

Secondly, notice the way the plot is paced. There’ll be moments when the action slows down and when it speeds up. Look for the “beats” (a beat is an important moment in the story) and how they occur. Beats often line up with a three-act structure, but not always. The beats will set the pacing of the story.

Look at the Style of Prose

Every author and every book has its own unique style of prose, and your goal is to find it. Flowery and poetic? Concise and terse? Verbose and loquacious?

Whatever the style is, pin it down. This isn’t looking at the big picture. This is reading at the sentence and even word level.

What kinds of sentences does the author use? Simple sentences, compound ones, complex ones? Do they use many adverbs, or avoid them like the devil? What about adjectives? How long are their paragraphs?

Next, determine the impact of the style. What feelings does it evoke? Gothic novels turn to flowery prose. Scientific nonfiction books use simple, concise language. Romance novels use poetic, descriptive styles. They all do it for a good reason.

The style of prose should usually fit the purpose of the text and meet audience expectations. But some writings will play with or subvert expectations. Think about the impact when a style of prose mismatches its text.

Pay Attention to Genre Expectations

Every category of writing, whether a nonfiction book or flash fiction, has certain guidelines. These aren’t something text has to have, but usually will.

A mystery story will have a murder and a detective. A self-improvement book will have steps. A horror novel will have a monster (human or not). An inspirational text will mention philosophy.

These expectations guide readers in choosing what they want to read, and they serve as markers of the genre for authors to consider. Reading with a writer’s eye means looking out for these markers. Watch for how the text conforms to and departs from its genre’s expectations.

Does the mystery novel revolve around a hoax with no murder? Does the self-improvement book disapprove of step-based methods and advocate for more holistic approaches? Consider these changes and how they play with readers’ expectations. Does it mislead readers or make the text all the better?

In the end, reading as a writer means noticing everything. Look at every line and every idea. Note the way plots complement characters who use dialogue which fits into the theme. It’s a giant puzzle a writer can pick apart and use to inspire their own writing.

I find it easier to do it the second time I read a text, so my brain isn’t stuck in movie mode anymore. Then, I get focused and start analyzing every little detail, reading as a writer does.

This process may seem hard, but there’s an upside. You’ll walk away with an even better understanding of your favorite texts and knowledge to improve your writing and reading skills. So if you want to write better, read closer!