Reading the Genre—On Purpose

                                                                                    A Good Read, art by Jennifer DeDonato

It’s surprising to me that I often encounter aspiring writers who don’t read  much, who perhaps don’t understand the reading/writing connection.

Although some people seem to have a natural flair for written expression because of having a “good ear,” most achieve clear written expression as a result of, for one thing, gaining a sense for language from years of reading, from an unconscious internalization of the rhythms of language. And from reading widely—which means reading a variety of text ranging from prescription inserts to editorials to fiction to nonfiction prose.

And we read especially in the genre we write in—in this case, travel literature, essays, memoir, for example—in order to internalize the rhythms of the “language” of that genre.

It is said that aspiring to artistic achievement comes from a desire to write, paint, sing like an admired professional—an “I’d like to do that!” attitude—rather, than the brashness of “I can do that!” Humility, rather than arrogance, better sustains as a driving force.

Reading good literature is a given for professional writers, for many reasons—to jump start their writing day, to get out of a writing funk, to remember why they write. Usually writers read as often and as naturally as they would breathe. It’s not planned and not an afterthought; it’s an ordinary pattern to staying alive.  

So, if you’re a beginning writer, start there. Get to know the genre.