What does it mean to “read like a writer”?
It does not mean reading aloud at an author event, although I now have a new idea for another Teaching Corner article.
To read like a writer means to read material not for pleasure, but for education. It requires a different skillset altogether.
Rather than immersing yourself in a story or reflecting on an idea put forth in a self-help book, a writer can choose to use published material as a master class in writing. A self-guided master class, to be clear.
How to Plan Your Master Class in Writing
1. Find writing material in your genre that wows you. This could be a novel, a short story, a personal essay, a blog post, a poem. You get the idea. Obviously, this means that you have to read in your genre.
The next time you’re reading for pleasure, bookmark or highlight a passage that stands out to you. Don’t worry about analyzing it in the moment. Just mark it for your next learning session.
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