Read So You Can Write

During the summer, I drafted a novel in two months. It was my first young adult contemporary romance. I had the itch for a story that brought me to tears during a walk when it came to fruitation. Any free-ish moment I had, I was at the coffee shop for an hour at a time trying to get it down. I was stoked with how it turned out, given how fast it went. Then, I took a two week break and decided to fill down time with hoarded reading time before edits.

I've been an avid reader since my childhood. For the past several years, I dived heavily into YA fantasy, because that was what I was writing at the time. Another genre would be my second or bedside table read. This summer, I spent more time finding my comp titles, so I veered toward writers in the contemporary genre. I was thankful for that opportunity because I found some new authors/books to love. In general, I do read just about everything and two books at a time. One in a genre I'm writing, one in another, for the most part.

But the thing is, I was asked how I can even find time to read. However, I posed a question back to the person and said how do you fill your day? They answered with various hobbies, about three of them. My answer to them was when they are busy with their hobbies, I read. When I'm done with work, dinner, a walk, family time, etc.--I read. I read before I go to bed while in bed. I read when I have downtime at work. I read when I'm waiting in my car when I rarely need to. I read when I want to relax and everyone is off doing something else. I read after church to chill. I read when I'm going through emotions and need to escape. I read because that is my hobby, and the one thing I keep coming back to.

Part of my reading, is also part of knowing what I like in writing, research really. What I'd like to aspire to be, what worked and didn't work for me in a book, what writerly tricks, familiar tropes, prose styles are still workable. It's studying and learning. It's familiarizing yourself in a work you want to do and commit time to. If I were an artist, or aspiring artist, I would look at other people's art. I would want to go to galleries, look them up online, see their videos of how they did it, and what I'd like to try myself. If I were a singer, or aspiring singer, I would listen to other's songs. I would go to concerts, look up artists, watch their videos, and test my vocal range and style because of it.

If you're going to be a writer, read so you can write.

Love your guts, 

-Tammy-

Here's what I've read this year so far in fiction. Yes, I read non-fiction as well. (5 writing craft books, 1 self-help, 1 memoir) If you've read any of them listed below, or wondered how they are, let me know! 

ALL THE STARS AND TEETH by Adalyn Grace

FABLE by Adrienne Young

NAMESAKE by Adrienne Young

TIDES by Adrienne Young

THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab

MIDNIGHT SUN by Stephenie Meyer

FURIA by Yamile Said Mendez

CEMETERY BOYS by Aiden Thomas

LOVE ME AGAIN, COWBOY by Torsha Baker

THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo

CLAP WHEN YOU LAND by Elizabeth Acevedo

WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green

PAPERTOWNS by John Green

LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green

A PHO LOVE STORY by Loan Le

THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han

WHEN SUMMER ENDS by Jessica Pennington

AGAIN, AGAIN by E. Lockhart

SUNKISSED by Kasie West

BONE GAP by Laura Ruby

IN THE WILD LIGHT by Jeff Zentner

SIXTEENTH SUMMER by Michelle Dalton

MORE HAPPY THAN NOT by Adam Silvera

HISTORY IS ALL YOU LEFT ME by Adam Silvera

LOVE AND GELATO by Jenna Evans Welch

SOMEONE LIKE YOU by Sarah Dessen

THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER by Sarah Dessen

RANDOM ACTS OF MURDER: A MURPHY'S LAW MYSTERY by Terry Deighton

ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell

THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US by Tricia Levenseller

BEYOND THE MAPPED STARS by Rosalyn Eves