Read to Learn
Can you learn to write by reading good books?
Can you learn to make a film by watching a movie?
Can you learn to play the piano by listening to a concert pianist?
Can you learn to play hockey by watching the NHL?
It seems obvious the answer is no. And yes, it is no—sort of. You can’t just pick up a book, read it, set it down and simply start to write. But you can study a book, just like musicians and filmmakers and athletes study other people’s performances, games, films, etc. Reading for pleasure should be paramount. But reading to study, engage with, and analyze a book can also be pleasurable. Writing is hard, so it’s not always going to be fun, fun, fun, which means breaking down a book to search for invisible threads masterfully holding a story together isn’t always easy. But it can be wholly worthwhile.
As long as you remember this: the greater the author who writes, the harder it is to learn from them. They are magicians, weaving together a beautiful tale wrought with an alchemy that is difficult to explain. How did they do that? It may not be easy to figure out. And that’s okay! Reading other people’s books to learn how to write your own is just one tool in your writerly toolbox. And it’s one you don’t have to use.
In other words, if you just want to read for reading’s sake, by all means. You get to decide the right way to write.