I hadn't been working in publishing long when I groaned at one of the submissions that had come across my desk. The groan was the absolute worst kind of all, not because the story fell flat and generated no interest, but precisely because it did; however, the dreadful writing insured the story would go nowhere. As a writer myself, I genuinely want to see other writers succeed and nearly everyone I have ever worked with in publishing, whether academic or commercial, does as well. I think a myth circulates that those working in publishing don't want to see new writer's succeed and it hurts many a new writer's career.
Anyway though, back to the topic at hand - poor writing. Of course, an uninspired tale compromised by plot holes and inconsistencies will fair no better, but sometimes such writing indicates a lack of talent that no amount of writing education will overcome. It's much more disheartening to see a natural born storyteller miss the mark through poor writing. If a writer does have some level of talent though, he or she can find the cure in doing more reading. Why read a writer might ask, and I could easily retort, Why not? Instead though, here are some ways reading will improve your writing. 1) Improved Grammar. I think it would surprise most non-writers to learn just how much writers actually hate grammar. English teachers love grammar and all the little fine nuances of it. Most writers I know and have known over the years groan at it just the same as a first year college student stuck in English 101. By grammar, I mean the grammar of commercial writing here, not the grammar of textbooks for commercial writing does not strictly adhere to the finer points of English grammar. By reading commercial writing (articles in newspapers and magazines, novels, poetry - whatever genre you write in), you will begin to familiarize yourself more and more with the ways writers can string together words and make a pearl necklace out of them. Best of all, it's a painless process, no mindless drills or rote memorization. 2) Sense of Market. All author had better think of marketing and how they can contribute to the success of their writing. In other fields, novices seek out the advice of more seasoned practitioners. I certainly recommend that newer writers also seek the advice of established writers, and you can find easier access to do so than every before with social media, but don't skip reading the writing of those in your chosen genre. You don't want to copy them certainly, but by reading their material closely, you can see what is popular, or on the flipside, pick up a not-so-successful author's writing in your genre and read it. You will find clues in the material from subject selection to writing choices clear through to marketing and promotion clues that can help you in your own writing. 3) Develop Your Inner Ear. We all have inner voices and an inner ear that guide is in our writing and these do not develop in a vacuum. While you want to encourage those unique voices and ear to guide you in your writing and give it your own unique flavor, by reading the work of others, you can add more depth and character to what you already have. It will still be important to interact with other people directly and experience all life has to offer, but don't overlook gaining experience and understanding by reading. 4) Researching Your Markets. You want to sell your work eventually and what better way to find potential markets for your work than to read material by others in your field that have been successful. You might find an agent or publishing company to query in the author's biography or acknowledgements. Then, if you have really read that author's work, it gives you an important "in' to segue into your own work. Such common ground can often be used to overcome some of the barriers to catching the attention of the very people you want to. 5) Connect within Your Industry. Extensive reading can offer you ways of connecting with those writers and readers and fans of those authors. by leaving reviews or comments on their work. You want to impress these people and stand out from the sea of the many mindless comments. The only way to do so is to have actually read the writer's material and to then make a well informed comment. Do so, and you might earn a number of new followers and fans of your own when you are ready to launch your own writing. After all of these years, I am still surprised by the number of writers who are not regular readers. For me, reading provides a wonderful escape from everyday life and is a reward in and of itself. That said, there are many benefits that writers will find when they start regularly reading. I challenge you to do more reading in 2015, perhaps 6 books? That's only a book every two months. If you write, what benefits have you seen when you read more?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
May 2023
Categories
All
|