In order to write, you must read. I've heard this somewhere, sometime. Can't recall who said it, but it's true.
My desire to write a novel was triggered by reading the excellent works of Brandon Sanderson. If you don't know who I'm talking about, and you like Fantasy novels, go read Mistborn right now. This very instant. I also highly recommend Way of Kings (also by Sanderson) to anyone that loves a thick read (almost 1000 pages in hardcover!)
I had wanted to write a novel for a long time. It was something I thought would be cool. But the burning need to put words on paper didn't really start to consume me until I read Sanderson's books. They moved me, brought me to tears, and filled me with joy. I wanted to try and give something to the world that would do the same to other readers.
It's true of many different skills, and it's true of writing as well. To get better at it, you need to DO it (write), and you need to look at what others are doing as well (read). Film makers watch movies. Video game developers look at other video games. Authors read books.
General reading is of benefit, but in particular authors need to read the genre they want to write in. This means I read a LOT of fantasy novels. In the past year I have purchased 26 books, nearly all of which are Fantasy novels. I haven't read all of them yet, but on average I read 1-2 books in a month. A big part of being an aspiring author is figuring out what I want to focus on. Do I write a story with a ton of characters in a complex narrative? Do I focus on a small few and try to get to know them really well? Will I break any of the big "rules" of the genre? Breaking rules is usually bad - they tend to exist for a reason - but at the same time many of the best authors in existence have broken the rules and made something amazing.
It is my hope that I can write something amazing that people will be moved by, brought to tears by, and given joy by. So, I read, so I can write.
Next blog: Names! Names! Names!
My desire to write a novel was triggered by reading the excellent works of Brandon Sanderson. If you don't know who I'm talking about, and you like Fantasy novels, go read Mistborn right now. This very instant. I also highly recommend Way of Kings (also by Sanderson) to anyone that loves a thick read (almost 1000 pages in hardcover!)
I had wanted to write a novel for a long time. It was something I thought would be cool. But the burning need to put words on paper didn't really start to consume me until I read Sanderson's books. They moved me, brought me to tears, and filled me with joy. I wanted to try and give something to the world that would do the same to other readers.
It's true of many different skills, and it's true of writing as well. To get better at it, you need to DO it (write), and you need to look at what others are doing as well (read). Film makers watch movies. Video game developers look at other video games. Authors read books.
General reading is of benefit, but in particular authors need to read the genre they want to write in. This means I read a LOT of fantasy novels. In the past year I have purchased 26 books, nearly all of which are Fantasy novels. I haven't read all of them yet, but on average I read 1-2 books in a month. A big part of being an aspiring author is figuring out what I want to focus on. Do I write a story with a ton of characters in a complex narrative? Do I focus on a small few and try to get to know them really well? Will I break any of the big "rules" of the genre? Breaking rules is usually bad - they tend to exist for a reason - but at the same time many of the best authors in existence have broken the rules and made something amazing.
It is my hope that I can write something amazing that people will be moved by, brought to tears by, and given joy by. So, I read, so I can write.
Next blog: Names! Names! Names!
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