Reading Like a Writer - Book Summary

Unlock your potential: Elevate your reading and writing skills

Is there a secret to penning down a remarkable novel, or even just finishing one? Must you complete a creative writing program or stick religiously to the rules of some writing guidebook? Not necessarily.

The narrative we're about to delve into proposes a different approach, one that is highly rewarding especially if literature already holds a special place in your heart. The idea is simple but profound: Why not learn to write from the masters of writing themselves?

This doesn't mean passively consuming the works of accomplished authors and hoping that their brilliance will spontaneously seep into your writing. Instead, it's about becoming a meticulous and inquisitive reader. As you'll learn, skilled writers painstakingly fine-tune even the smallest elements of a novel — right down to the choice of individual words. When you begin to question the intent behind every word selection, narrative style, or sentence structure, you are embarking on the journey of thinking and writing like a bona fide author.

As we journey through this narrative, you will also discover:

— how to craft irresistible characters;

— the art of becoming an effective storyteller, or in other words, a convincing liar; and

— why poorly executed writing can feel as stifling as an asthma attack.

Unearth the beauty of close reading and journey through the mind of a distinguished author

Can you recall the last time you observed a child immersed in a book? There's a unique innocence in the way they painstakingly articulate every word they read silently. Their natural tendency towards careful reading often makes them better 'close readers' than most adults. Why, though?

As we mature, patience often dwindles. We become faster readers, but ironically, our understanding tends to become more shallow. We resort to skim-reading, constantly seeking quick information, unexpected twists, or chuckles. It's almost as though we consume words like fast food!

Skim-reading has its value, especially in circumstances where speed matters. However, when it comes to literature, skim-reading often fails us. It blinds us to the magic that lurks within the pages – subtle word choices that evoke strong sentiments, underlying messages that play between the lines.

Great literature is layered with meaning. No matter how much you delve, there's always more to unearth. By slowing down your reading pace, you heighten your textual experience. By paying keen attention to every word, you inch closer to the authors who masterfully crafted them, which helps elevate your writing style.

Now, the question arises: How can we reacquaint ourselves with the art of slow, mindful reading? It can be challenging without the right motivation. However, sometimes a single clue is all you need to keep your eyes anchored to the page.

For instance, the author shares how her English teacher encouraged her to focus on motifs of vision and blindness while studying Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex" and Shakespeare's "King Lear." The texts, she found, were brimming with intriguing patterns, parallels, and connections. It was as if the authors had intentionally embedded these secrets, waiting for keen readers to discover them. This revelation brought forth new layers of meaning within the texts, completely transforming her reading experience.

By scrutinizing specific patterns within literary texts, you learn to read at a slower pace, allowing you to appreciate each sentence's full potential. But the question remains: How do you identify the right pattern to follow? Let's explore this in our next discussion.

The power of words in shaping plot and character essence

As per the Oxford English Dictionary, there are currently about 170,000 active words in the English language. For a writer, this presents an abundance of choices! However, it also poses the challenge of selecting the one word among those 170,000 that perfectly encapsulates the intended sentiment.

Therefore, every single word in a distinguished work of fiction is the product of careful deliberation. To comprehend the brilliance of an author, ponder over the potential alternatives, why they were dismissed, and the impact of the chosen word. For instance, consider the first sentence of a novel. The opening line of American author Flannery O’Connor’s short story "A Good Man Is Hard To Find" provides a compelling example: "The grandmother didn't want to go to Florida."

The initial two words alone, "the grandmother", prompt a thoughtful exploration — particularly about character introduction. O'Connor didn't opt to introduce her as "Rosie" or "Mrs. Thompson" or even "an old lady". Instead, she is anonymous, defined only by her role within the family. Right off the bat, we sense that this story revolves around family dynamics, but it's not likely to be a mushy, sentimental tale. The unidentified grandmother embodies all grandmothers and more — but for the full revelation, you'd have to dive into the story!

The choice of words becomes equally critical when dealing with a character's dialogue. Reflect on the unique speech patterns of your close ones. The words we choose in our day-to-day interactions mirror our backgrounds, experiences, attitudes, and feelings. An author must emulate this authenticity when creating characters. Even incorrect word usage can be the perfect choice for certain personas.

Let's look at the first line of James Joyce’s "The Dead": "Lily, the caretaker's daughter, was literally run off her feet". Technically, "literally" isn't the right fit here — but it's a term that Lily herself would likely use. This single word suggests that the narrative unfolds from Lily's viewpoint, which is influenced by her social circumstances and upbringing.

The allure of pristine, coherent, harmonious, and rhythm-filled sentences

So, what gives a sentence its allure? While there isn't an easy answer, we often recognize a beautiful sentence instinctively. There aren't definite rules for crafting irresistible sentences, but we can certainly learn from exemplary ones. Some of the most captivating sentences are surprisingly straightforward, utilizing only essential words to create a profound impact on readers.

Consider the German writer Heinrich von Kleist, renowned for his precise, clear sentences. The beginning of his story "The Earthquake in Chile" serves as a remarkable demonstration: "In Santiago, the capital of the kingdom of Chile, at the very moment of the great earthquake of 1647 in which many thousands of lives were lost, a young Spaniard by the name of Jéronimo Rugera, who had been locked up on a criminal charge, was standing against a prison pillar, about to hang himself."

Despite this sentence brimming with information, it never feels congested. Intriguingly, it leaves us craving more, spurring questions in the reader's mind: Why is the young man imprisoned? What's driving him towards suicide? And how does the disastrous earthquake factor in?

In addition to clarity, remarkable sentences possess their unique melody and cadence. This quality shines through in Joyce's writings. Consider the concluding sentence from the short story "The Dead", where a character departs from a Dublin party and heads to a snow-covered graveyard where a relative lies:

"His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead."

The repetitive use of "s" sounds and the word "faintly", combined with the semi-rhymes tying together "descent," "end," and "dead," give the sentence a soft, gentle flow, mirroring the falling snow it describes.

Paragraphs provide a respite for readers.

Picture yourself as a sleuth, not just any sleuth but one with an intriguing task similar to the protagonist in Rex Stout’s story "Plot It Yourself". Your assignment is to determine if three alleged plagiarized manuscripts were written by the same person. Where would you seek for hints? Word selection? Styling? Punctuation marks, perhaps?

Surprisingly, the most revealing clue isn't found in any of the above! The most telling feature of a writer's style is the manner in which they craft their paragraphs. As the detective aptly states: “A clever man might successfully disguise every element of his style but one — the paragraphing.” Paragraphs turn out to be more essential than they initially appear — they're a phenomenal tool for emphasizing elements. But, how so?

In paragraphs, the first and final words generally bear the most weight. As individuals, we each have unique perspectives on what warrants emphasis, making paragraphs highly personalized. While there are no strict rules, a few guidelines can help harness the potential of paragraphs.

Lengthy, convoluted paragraphs can be a daunting prospect for any reader. Break up extensive paragraphs into smaller, more manageable sections to facilitate readability — but refrain from going too short! A series of brief paragraphs can also be quite jarring. So, where does the balance lie?

Understanding paragraphing as a form of literary respiration can help. Each new paragraph presents an opportunity to inhale, allowing us to exhale gradually as we progress through the text, and fully exhaling upon reaching the last word. This rhythm affords us moments for contemplation and maintains reading flow. Short paragraphs might come across as short-winded, while lengthy ones can potentially be overwhelming (and not in a romantic sense!).

If you find it tricky to relate to this analogy, visualize paragraphs as cinematic shots, an approach employed by French novelist Stendhal. In his novel "The Red and the Black", he introduces a small French town as the backdrop, starting with a panoramic view and gradually zooming in with each subsequent paragraph. We get an aerial perspective of the town before heading to a bustling main street teeming with people, then focusing on a specific individual — who happens to be our protagonist!

Engaging narrators capture your curiosity.

A story can unfold from countless vantage points. However, while narratives from the perspective of an animal or an inanimate object like a brick in a family's house wall may provide unique stylistic excursions, first-person and third-person narrations continue to be the most prevalent and adaptable methods.

Each of these narrative approaches presents its own opportunities and obstacles. Once you've determined your narrator, along with an accompanying tone and attitude, your task is to convey the tale through these unique lenses.

In a first-person narration, it's crucial to make the reader captivated by the narrator's persona. It doesn't necessarily imply that your narrator should be agreeable — but she certainly must be intriguing enough for your reader to want to explore her story throughout the text.

A compelling example is Vladimir Nabokov’s character Humbert Humbert, the narrator of his provocative novel "Lolita". Humbert harbors a sexual fixation with a young girl and likely isn't someone you'd willingly socialize with.

However, as readers, Nabokov ensures that we stay hooked. Who could resist entrancing ramblings like these: “Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins...Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.” While we may not find Humbert likable or trustworthy, we remain intrigued to understand the workings of his bizarre mind.

On the opposite side, we have the third-person narration, an omniscient viewpoint that observes and knows everything. As a mere observer, this narrator's voice is typically impartial, unbiased, and unnoticeable. However, on occasion, even a third-person narrator can subtly display an intriguing character.

In Jane Bowles’ novel "Two Serious Ladies", the narrator's peculiar mix of formal and juvenile tones suggests a gifted, yet mildly eccentric child controlling the narrative: “Christina...took off her shoes and stockings and remained in a short white underslip. This was not a very pleasant sight to behold, because Christina at this time was very heavy and her legs were quite fat.” Unless you've come across a child who scrunches her face and complains about an "unpleasant sight to behold," this narrative voice will definitely pique your curiosity.

Through action, thoughts, and dialogue, a character's distinct personality is disclosed to the reader.

In the literary realm, much like in life, three pivotal elements define you: your actions, your thoughts, and your words. Some may include appearance, but let's be real, us bibliophiles hardly fixate on superficialities!

While the capacity to bring characters to life and leave lasting impressions is shared amongst all acclaimed writers, the techniques they employ to develop these characters greatly vary. Certain writers rely on a character's actions to shape their personality. One such writer is Heinrich von Kleist. Readers' understanding of his characters is gleaned from their responses to varied situations such as unabashed injustice, awkward proposals, or even life-threatening earthquakes. The characters' internal thoughts are seldom spelled out.

On the other hand, Jane Austen breathes life into her characters by divulging their deepest worries and reflections. Complete paragraphs are dedicated to a character's pondering over their own splendid generosity, which readers readily perceive as the rumination of a complete self-absorber.

Dialogues serve as another avenue to get acquainted with characters. Skillfully crafted dialogues can expose a character's anxieties, desires, or even concealed motives, conveyed through their choice of words and the manner of speaking. Let's dive into another scene from Bowles' "Two Serious Ladies". After a social gathering, the protagonist, Miss Goering, gets invited by the young Arnold, just as his authoritative and traditional father interrupts:

“Well, lady,” he inquires, “are you an artist too?”

“No,” replies Miss Goering, “I aspired to be a religious leader in my younger days, and now I simply reside in my house and try not to wallow in misery. Having a friend live with me eases things a bit.”

Her abrupt yet honest summarization of her life provides readers with a deep insight into the complexity and desperation of Miss Goering’s existence. A few choice words convey it all.

Details breathe life into characters and narratives.

How would you rate your ability to tell fibs — are you proficient or poor? If you're unsure, here's an easy distinction: while unskilled liars clumsily pile up facts and reasons to appear more trustworthy, skillful deceivers understand that incorporating realistic details is the key to maintaining their falsehoods undetected.

In several aspects, accomplished writers mirror successful fibbers. Both fabricate stories that are false yet persuasive, and both comprehend the art of making themselves believable by employing specific, believable details. Simply incorporating an insignificant, yet highly distinct element to your story gives the impression of authenticity — otherwise, why would you even bring up such a detail?

An example of such a detail could be the make of a car. In William Trevor's story "Access to the Children", the protagonist is described as "a fair, tallish man in a green tweed suit that needed pressing," and a divorced man permitted to visit his children once a week. His choice of vehicle? Predictably, a decade-old Volvo!

Another type of detail that enhances the authenticity of your narrative pertains to physical gestures. Much like spoken words, body language can divulge a character's deepest thoughts and emotions and can even evolve into a distinct trait that sets them apart.

In a section from Ivan Turgenev’s "First Love", a captivating young woman ensnares the narrator's attention, leading him on the brink of falling for her. Four other men also harbor intentions to court her. Her response? She lightly taps each one of them on the forehead with a cluster of delicate gray flowers. This peculiar yet endearing gesture accentuates the young woman’s individuality.

Keep your senses tuned to small details like these when reading books. They offer a window into how authors conjure an illusory world that feels so real that you lose yourself in it, complete with characters as distinct as the people you encounter in everyday life. Nothing could be more vital for both readers and writers alike!

Final roundup

The paramount takeaway from this book:

The next time you delve into a novel, take it easy! Revel in each word to access the layers of concealed meaning behind them. By scrutinizing the patterns and minutiae in the narration, dialogue, and even the structure and choice of words in single sentences, you're adopting the vantage point of the literary maestro who penned it.