What does it mean to read like a writer?

And how do you do that?

So what does it mean to read like a writer?

It’s a practice that involves analyzing and dissecting the elements of a piece of writing to gain insights into the craft, including techniques used by the author. It’s also an ongoing practice because the more reading like a writer is engage with different texts and actively examine others’ writing, the more you’ll develop your writerly skills.

Here are 9 tips to help you read like a writer:

1. Read actively: Approach reading with an active mindset by paying attention to the choices the writer makes. Consider the structure, style, language, and themes. Take notes and underline sections that stand out to you.
2. Analyze the structure: Look at how the story is organized. See how the beginning, middle, and end are structured, and note transitions and/or patterns the author uses to guide the reader through the story.
3. Study the writing style: See how the author uses language, how they structure their sentence (and the cadence of the sentences). What words did the author use? What imagery, metaphors, and other literary devices were used in the story? How did these choices contribute to the overall tone and mood of the story?
4. Look for character development: Note how the author not only introduces their characters, but how they develop them. How did the author describe their appearance, behavior, and thoughts? How did the character change or evolve throughout the story?
5. Notice dialogue and voice: How does the author handle their dialogue between the characters? Pay attention to the tone, pacing, and distinct voices of the characters. How does the author use dialogue to contribute to a character’s development on their way to advance the plot?
6. Consider themes and motifs: Identify the primary themes or ideas the author explores in the story. Look for recurring patterns or symbols and consider their significance. How does the author develop and connect the patterns and themes throughout the work?
7. Reflect on pacing and tension: Look at how the author not only maintains but builds tension in the story. How does the author slow and speed up the pacing of the narrative? How do they create suspense and time, the key events of the story?
8. Compare different authors and genres: No two authors are alike, so it’s advisable to read a variety of authors and genres, which will expose yourself to different styles and techniques. To advance your active reading by comparing the differences in each writer’s approach to similar themes and storytelling elements.
9. Discuss and engage with others: Joining a book club or writing group can help you see how others interpret or view styles, techniques, themes, dialogue, etc. You can learn by sharing your insights and listening to others’ observations.

Now that you take all that you learned and honed from your reading like a writer and apply those lessons. Experiment with styles, techniques, and structures. Actively practicing writing will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of the choices authors make when you are make similar decisions on the choices. And you’ll see how your writing will improve.

Or, considering all of this, you can do what Hunter S. Thompson famously typed out word for word of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and Ernest Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms” to learn how to write like a master.