Learning from Books in Your Genre’
Hello fellow writers. I am always reading advice from established authors that if you want to be a better writer, you need to read the top books in your genre’, a lot.
I’d like to add something to that. Don’t just read the top-selling books in your genre’, read any book in your genre’ you’d like, but keep a few things in mind.
I’m going to share the things I take notice of and write down for future reference. When I’m writing, I refer to my notes to make sure I’m applying all I’ve learned from others.
In a notebook, I write what to do and what not to do according to what stood out to me, good or bad. Consider the following list the next time you’re about to begin a book.
Learning from Reading
Consider the following list next time you pick up a book.
- write down words, phrases, ideas you like
- write down what you love and what you don’t
- do you like the cover? Would you have chosen something different?
- what about the writing style do you like and dislike?
- is there great character development?
- did the books description give enough information to draw you in? Too much?
- What would you have written as a description after having read the book?
- Was the story lacking anything?
- Did the story have good flow? Character arc? Enough showing? Too much telling?
- What parts of the book would you have done differently?
These are some things I keep in mind as I’m reading others’ works. by taking notice of what worked, didn’t work, etc., I am able to apply that to my writing and have a better finished product because of it.
Why Should I Only Read Books in My Genre’?
Well, you certainly don’t need to stick to your writing genre’. Read anything you’d like, the more the better. You can apply what I shared here to any book, but it does help to read your own genre’.
If you’re a fantasy writer such as myself, reading books that are similar can show you what works, what doesn’t, what sells, and what doesn’t so you can avoid as many pitfalls as you can. That being said, reading all different genre’s can certainly help you become a more well-rounded writer.
Every little bit helps, right?
Have a wonderful week, keep on writing and pose any questions you may have or any accomplishments in my Facebook Group, The Ins and Outs of Novel Writing. It’s a fun little group I recently started and I’d love to have you join us. Take care and until next time…
Happy Writing! Gina
Enjoy the following books on Amazon:
“The Orphanage,” by Gina Burke
“A Girl from Nowhere,” by Gina Burke
“How to Create a Protagonist Your Readers Will Never Forget,” by Gina Burke
