I’m sure you’ve heard this advice from other writers. Read. A lot.

Why do people tell you to read? Because it sparks ideas.

You might love the way one author writes dialogue or another expresses emotions or still another describes setting. For that reason, reading is impactful. Reading lets you explore aspects of writing that you like and want to incorporate in your own stories.

Not only that, reading allows you to understand the norms of the genre that you’re writing in. Every genre whether historical fiction or young adult fantasy has its own norms. In mystery there has to be a death or missing person or unsolved case of some sort. Otherwise, it’s not a mystery. This sounds simple, but you’ll recognize other parameters, patterns, and tropes as you continue to read in the genres that interest you.

In my genre, young adult fantasy, some common tropes include the hero’s journey, magical teenagers, and absent or abusive parents.

This knowledge is helpful because you understand not only the expectations of your genre, but also tropes that you want to use, manipulate, or avoid. You can start to sculpt the familiar tropes in a way that seems new, like magical teenagers but at boarding school, which was a fresh take when J.K. Rowling did it. Since then, we’ve seen a lot of stories follow in that vein. Vampire Academy, anyone?

You can also learn what tropes you want to avoid. Royals are a huge topic in YA fantasy, but it might not be a topic you want to explore. It might seem overdone at this point or like you don’t have a different angle on it.

Right now, I’m seeing a big surge in the anti-hero storyline in my genre. I think this idea became popular with the rise of TV shows like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad. In my genre Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and Marie Lu’s The Young Elites are good examples. I believe writers welcomed the anti-hero as a challenge to the traditional norm of creating a “likable and accessible” character. Maybe even a rebellion to that idea.

What if a character did bad things, but had redeemable qualities that made us still want to follow their storyline? Voila, the anti-hero emerges. So, we still want to see what happens to Tony Soprano even as he’s crushing skulls and cheating on his wife, because we see his vulnerability in the therapist’s office and his desire to be a good father and son. What a mess of contradictions.

If you don’t read, you’ll miss all of these norms, tropes, and patterns.

Reading has another major benefit. The more you read, the better you’ll become at genre-bending. You can write a fantasy story with romantic elements or a political drama set in space. Leviathan Wakes, I’m looking at you. You can start to play with the norms of two genres, incorporating elements of both.

On another more magical note, reading keeps your imagination fresh. I often read at night and wake up in the morning with a new idea for where to take my own novel or a scene I want to write. Somehow reading other people’s words and other characters’ thoughts helps you envision where to go with your own.

So, friends, read as much as you can because it will make you a better writer.

What have you read recently that impacted your own writing?

Photos by Kaboompics .com and Leah Kelley