Occasionally, I will hear a writer say they don’t read. It’s honestly a stunning comment. I can’t imagine trying to write without also being a voracious reader. For example, as I write this I am minutes from ending a binge of all of Kristi Ann Hunter’s books. I’ve read them all, and loved them, but when I read her spring 2021 release Winning the Gentleman, I realized she had woven in so many characters I loved from prior books that I decided to binge them all. And I have. In two weeks.

Why would I do that when I don’t write Regency? Because I wanted to learn why I cared about and remembered these characters, even if vaguely, years after reading the first book, The Noble Masquerade. In some ways it reminds of how often I reread Dee Henderson’s O’Malley series, because I loved the characters and kept coming back to them.

I’ve learned about word choice, point of view, making setting a character, and so much more by reading voraciously. Here are three reasons that if you want to be a successful writer, you also need to be a reader who pays attention to the craft.

When you read best-selling novels in your genre, you learn the conventions that readers expect in that category.

Writers who don’t read in their genre are going to disappoint readers. Why? They aren’t going to include the elements the readers expect to find in that genre. Don’t argue with an editor over what they know their readers want. Editors are often steeped in what helps books sell in their categories. One way you can learn that is to read books they’ve published. But it goes deeper. Readers read genres with a certain expectation. When I read Regency, I expect to be taken to a time that is very different from the one I live in. I expect to see class distinctions that are uncomfortable. But I also expect to learn something about the way life was back then. When I read suspense, I expect there to be stakes that are going to at a minimum change the world for the lead character. These are expectations I’ve created from reading many books in these genres.

That’s why it’s critical for you to read in your genre. That’s how you learn the promises that a book in that category makes to the readers. And then you can make sure you include those in your novel, so it doesn’t disappoint avid readers.

Reading and listening to the books aids in seeing what works in a book…and what doesn’t.

I read very fast. That means when I’m reading a paperback or ebook, I can flip the pages quickly. That also means I miss nuances. Switching to an audiobook helps me slow down (even at 1.25 to 1.5 speed) to absorb craft aspects like word choice, theme, and setting, that I might skim past otherwise. I love to read a book and then listen to it or vice versa. Each format helps me notice different elements. If you haven’t tried audio, Hoopla and Libby are two apps that connect with your public library to give you access to ebooks and audiobooks. They have become my best friends.

Read people who are at the top of their game. This means those who are best-sellers and bookclub choices. Discern why they are there.

I make it a point to read the books everyone is talking about as I can. Two that I read in the fall were All the Light We Cannot See and Where the Crawdads Sing. People have talking about both for a couple years, and the number of reviews on Amazon is STUNNING. Now that I’ve listened to both, I understand why. All the Light We Cannot See is set during WWII, a genre I have written ten books in, so I loved digging into why that book was successful. Where the Crawdads Sing is a split time novel set in time-periods I don’t write. It doesn’t matter. The book is compelling, and everyone is talking about it. That means I need to invest time in uncovering what makes it memorable.

I could go on about many other reasons that writers should read, but these are compelling reasons to make the time to read that next book.

What have you read lately that helped you become a better writer?