Reading your way to better writing
Volume 4, Number 6 | June 2010
Whether you want to be a poet, a playwright or just someone who writes really good emails that always get answered, there are only two ways to get there: (1), read more critically; and (2), write more, period.
The reason for writing more should be obvious: getting better at anything requires the active practicing of that thing. Ice skaters skate; singers sing; actors act. But willy-nilly practice won't cut it: focused practice is the ticket, as Malcolm Gladwell, Daniel Coyle and a host of others have already said far more eloquently than I. (Doubtless because of their additional hours of focused practice!)
This is where reading not just more, but more critically, can help you become a better writer. When you slow down to read carefully, you break writing down into components you can see clearly and which eventually, with practice, you can master and integrate into your own writing with your own voice.
Take a class
The "easiest" way in is to have someone guide you. A good writing class will always have you doing lots of writing, but it will also have you doing lots of reading. Even if it's just the other participants' pieces, reviewing what does and doesn't work in an essay, story or screenplay helps you see what will and won't work in your own writing. Yes, the great voices break the rules, but trust me—they learn them first.
Read everything twice
A former acting teacher used to say that he watched most movies two times: first, in civilian mode, with his popcorn and his Coke, enjoying the crazy ride; second, with his actor hat on, breaking the movie into scenes and an arc, the scenes into beats, the beats into motivations and actions. In other words, the first time, he took it all in as a complete package; the second, he deconstructed. Not everything merits a double-pass, but anything you're really interested in learning how to get better at will be well served by your taking the time to do it.
Read reviews
For years, the very first thing I flipped to when my copy of The New Yorker landed in the mailbox was Pauline Kael's review. This was back when I was consumed by movies and what made them work, and even if Kael and I disagreed completely, her lucid dissections helped me to understand a film's components. One small note: I would never, ever (well, almost never, anyway) read the review until after I'd seen the film. Not because I was worried about spoilers, but because I didn't want to lose the opportunity to form my own analysis. Play reviews, on the other hand, I'd often read beforehand to determine if I wanted to invest the time and energy it takes to see live theater.
Write reviews
The second-best thing I did after (publicly) goading myself into reading a book a week this year was (privately) daring myself to review one every two weeks. Learning to organize your thoughts so that you can describe to other people what does and doesn't work about a piece takes critical thinking to new levels, plus (bonus extra!) gives you practice writing. If you have a blog, consider writing even a short review as part of your blogging mix; if you don't, you can write short Amazon reviews; similar summaries at GoodReads, Shelfari or LibraryThing; or one-line "update" summaries on Facebook or Twitter. Bonus: all of the social "sharing" sites will lead you to more recommendations based on your likes and dislikes.
Join a book club (or just pretend you did)
Thanks to my beloved Oprah, critical reading is easier than it's been since elementary school, when the textbook editors would stick those annoying questions at the end of each chapter. More and more books feature discussion thoughtstarter questions at the close of the book; whether you're in a class, a club or just hanging out, reading by your lonesome, even looking over the questions will help you start to see the infrastructure holding up that story you love (or hate!).
Speaking of using critical thought to rev up your writing, today is your last chance to sign up for the World-Changing Writing Workshop, which starts tomorrow. (I'll be teaching a segment on July 8th, and I CANNOT WAIT!!) Registration closes at midnight tonight, June 9, so don't dilly-dally if you want in.
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MAGAZINE OF THE MONTH
Pardon me for not telling you sooner about Fear.less, a new online magazine devoted to exploring the many ways people venture outward from terror to create profound change in extraordinary ways. In my defense, it's almost too beautiful to take in all at once—breathtaking, it is. This month's issue, their second, contains a host of inspiring stories, both from people you may know (Ben Zander, Julia Cameron, Chris Guillebeau), and people you may not, but should. (My favorite: a life-changing moment the photographer Platon spent with a Greek fisherman.) I confess: fear.less is the first thing I've seen that's made me rue my lack of iPad: I want one so that I can read this wherever I go, so I can fall into the stories as I "page" through them on my lap, rather than my laptop. No matter. As the stories themselves remind me, this is a quibble, and I'm lucky to call it one. Founding editors Ishita Gupta and Clay Hebert have dreamed up a work of beautiful genius; Gupta, Matt Atkinson and their small team have done a near-flawless job of realizing it. No matter what your field of interest, you will find something here to inform and inspire you. Go! Go! Go!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
BLOG OF THE MONTH
Via the comments section of a post containing a very good list of female bloggers, I found this extraordinary site by a woman who documented her rather sudden and unexpected lurch into homelessness. The story, which unfolds over the course of roughly 18 months, is both everything and nothing you think it will be—unless you think it will be riveting through and through, in which case, you're right. Literate without being stuffy, full of unexpected twists and turns and incredibly illuminating on the very particular sort of suffering a whole mass of people are enduring because of this downturn, it is still, at its heart, the page-turning (or clicking) story of one woman, meeting the truth head on with courage, humor and smarts. Start at the end (which is the beginning) and work your way back.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
EYE-SAVER
OF THE MONTH
Like way too many people these days, I spend far too much time in front a glowing screen of some kind or another, and often, well into the evening. I know that looking at bright screens can have an adverse effect on sleep, yet I'm not willing to completely give up my nighttime surfing and viewing—okay, and working—habits. So about a month ago, I installed F.lux, a little program that resides on your computer and slowly (or quickly, depending on your settings) shifts the brightness and color values with the move into evening. Everything is still visible, there's no eyestrain and I find it is actually easier to go to sleep. There are versions for Mac and PC, if you want to give F.lux a try. You'll have to deal with your TV addiction on your own. (via Shepherd Hoodwin, who shares amazing resources on energy, technology, psychology and other, more woowoo topics via a private mailing list)
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