NaNoWriMo Day 28: To Write, You Must Read

Good morning, fellow scribes!

With just a two days left in this year's NaNoWriMo challenge—2 days!—I'm starting to reflect on some of the things I didn't do while I was scrambling to hit my word counts every day. Turns out, I didn't do a lot of reading.

Oh sure, I flipped through my Superman comics, and read a Goosebumps book (after seeing the movie last month, I had to!)—but I try to read at least two novels a month, and that just didn't happen. There's only so much time in the day.

But to be a good writer, you have to read. And not just because Stephen King says so, though if there was ever an authority to listen to, he'd be it.

The truth is, when we read, we absorb writing craft—the perfect way to phrase sentences or convey themes, how to describe characters, the best way to write dialogue, weave in backstory, or even assess pacing. You're still reading for pleasure—if the book is good enough, you can't help it—but your subconscious mind picks up on tips and tricks you can apply to your own writing.

It's easy to forget that when you're busy writing.

Tomorrow on the blog, I'll be talking about balance—how to fit in writing daily when you're not doing a challenge like NaNoWriMo—but I think today I'm going to carve out a half hour or so to read. I miss it.

What books will you dive into once the challenge is over? Share the name of the novel—or comic—you're most excited about in the comments and you could WIN a complete set of the Superman Duffy graphic novels. There's 16 of them!

Gotta jet! Happy writing...or reading.

~ Chase Superman Duffy