Reading Is More Important Than Writing

Carissa Ann Lynch

I know what you’re thinking: I’ve heard this before. If you want to be a writer, you must first and foremost be a reader blah blah blah …

Well, it’s true, actually. But I’d like to offer some deeper insight into my own writing process and how the role of reading plays a huge part in my success.

I read, on average, 100 books per year. This year, with the pandemic, I’m way over that — clocking in at 143 books as I write this article. I read because I enjoy it. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing—and that includes writing! But reading is also my job and I couldn’t write well without it. 

Here’s why: when I read a book, in addition to enjoying the pleasure of reading, I also take notes. I don’t mean lengthy summaries or scratching in the margins of my prized books…what I mean is that I keep small notebooks with me at all times, and when I read something that really stands out to me, I’ll note the title, author name, page/pages, and add a one line description of what it is I’m referencing/impressed by.

For example, there might be a fight scene on page 208 that I think was done brilliantly or a love scene in chapter nine that made me ugly cry or a perfect scene set-up on page 18, paragraph three. Even if it’s something I think I’ll never write about or need to look at again…if it moves me, it goes in the notebook. 

In these notebooks I have thousands of notes … and when I sit down to write myself, if I’m struggling with something, then I search for inspiration in my notes and I go and read those lines/pages/chapters that made me so excited. I seek out that author or body of work if I need to. This gets me in the perfect headspace to work on whatever the scene is I’m stuck on. I’ve read so many books, that it’s rare that I can’t find some inspiration in my notes when I’m stuck. If I’m struggling with something, then I want to reference someone else that did it perfectly so that I can bring some of that magic into my own story.

Another thing that I do: whenever I finish a book (or don’t finish), I ask myself how I feel about it. Was it great? Was it ‘meh’? Was I unable to finish? Most important is the answer here: WHY???

Recently, I finished a book that I simply adored, and it took me a while to understand the WHY of it. After a few days, I realized that it wasn’t the story itself that drew me in (the plot was one I’d read a hundred times and the ending wasn’t a huge shock); it was the snarky main character in the first couple chapters that hooked me and made me want to stay for the ride. It didn’t matter where she was going…I wanted to follow her there. I fell in love with her quirkiness and vulnerability, and I committed right then and there to her story. 

Other books I couldn’t finish … not because the writing was poor or the plot wasn’t amazing, but because the pacing felt off and I got bored, or because the main character was drab I couldn’t muster up enough reasons to care about their journey. Sometimes the character is flimsy, but the plot itself is so unique and addictive that it keeps me turning pages into the night. Sometimes the pacing is off, but the moral of the story feels so important that I don’t care about the pace.

My point is: you don’t have to get everything right to make a book “good” or “readable”. But, ideally, I’m aiming for all those sweet spots if I can hit them … 

So, what makes a book compulsively readable versus not? Of course, I’m only one person and can only speak for myself. Everyone’s tastes vary. But one or all of these areas has to be extraordinary for me: the character, the setting, the moral, the beauty in the writing, or the addictive plot. If you nail one or two of these things, chances are I’m in for the long haul. 

All of these lessons I gained from reading play a major role in my own writing process — how can I create a feeling that I, as a reader, want to experience myself? It’s tough to examine your own writing with a subjective eye, but as I’m writing I try to imagine myself in the readers’ shoes. And I LOVE consulting with beta readers about their early thoughts on a story—what did I do well? Where was I lacking? If I lost you along the way, when was it? This helps me pinpoint the areas in which I need to go back in and do better for my readers. 

I write in the thriller genre because it is my favorite genre to read—I’m guessing that’s how it is for most writers. But I also read widely—there is just as much to gain from an epic love story or a funny western or an immaculately built sci-fi world, as there is from reading books in my own thriller genre. In fact, I like to challenge myself to go way outside of my wheelhouse whenever possible. 

So, my advice IS typical: if you want to be a writer, then you need to read your ass off. But not just because reading improves your vocab and ability to write, and because reading is awesome…but also because there is so much to learn from others who do it well, and understanding the heart of a reader and the literature that is already out there will help you create a better story that they won’t want to stop reading. 

I will always be a reader first, writer second. 

Now, please don’t take this advice as me urging you to chase writing trends. If something is hugely popular at the moment (vampire novels, for instance), then there’s a good chance that by the time you finish your vampire book that the trends will have shifted elsewhere.

With that said, if you really want to write about vampires then DO IT. You must follow your passions, in my opinion. What I am suggesting, however, is that you home in on the books you love and WHY you love them and try to add some of those same skills to your own writing repertoire.

For example, if you’re struggling with world-building, I suggest reading some epic fantasy or science fiction because, in my opinion, authors in that genre are masters at it. Be honest with yourself about the skills you need to work on and then seek out the stories and writers that can show you how it’s done. 

I’d like to think that I’m not only a writer with stories of my own to tell, but I’m carrying around the influence of every book I’ve ever read when I do it! 

Happy writing, bookworms. 

—

Carissa Ann Lynch is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of My Sister Is Missing, Without a Trace, Like Follow Kill, The One Night Stand, She Lied She Died, Whisper Island, the Flocksdale Files trilogy, the Horror High series, Searching for Sullivan, This Is Not About Love, Midnight Moss, and Shades and Shadows. She resides in Floyds Knobs, Indiana, with her partner, children, and collection of books. With a background in psychology, she has always been a little obsessed with the darker areas of the mind. 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/carissaannlynch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarissaAnnLynchauthor

Instagram: @carissaannlynch_thrillers

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Category: How To and Tips, On Writing