Read Like a Writer to Become a More Compelling Storyteller

Active reading, reviewing, and asking the right questions can help you create and consume content at the same time.

When you read like a writer, you pay attention to the plot devices & twists the author used so you can deploy similar techniques in your stories.

The idea is to carefully examine each passage, each scene, and keep a note of the methods so you can use them in your writing.

This Memo is about how to take a book apart piece by piece & understand the mechanism of what makes it work.

The points are structured around fiction but can work for self-help or technical writing as well.

How to read like a writer

Be mindful of what you are reading.

Pay attention to each word & consciously try to understand why the author used that particular sentence or phrase in that position.

Don’t hesitate to underline, highlight, and take notes.

1. Highlight & bookmark

Highlight the parts in the prose that hit you the hardest. Bookmark the scenes that make you feel.



Do this for the whole book, & once you're done, come back to each scene you bookmarked & ask yourself what is it about that part that you liked so much.

2. Analyze characters

Ask yourself these questions-

- What makes the character unique?

- Do they have a distinguishing trait that makes them stand out?

- What is their usual mood?



Your answers will help you take apart the magic of the author so you can use it in your own story

3. Dissect the dialogue

Answer the following:

- What is it about the dialogue that makes it sound natural?

- Do the characters use short sentences, local influences, or are stopped mid-way by other characters?

- Do they make gestures that go with the emotion they are expressing

4. Think BIG & examine the overall structure

Look at the bigger picture & try to see how early the author introduced Chekhov’s guns.

How was the foreshadowing done?



How long did the author stretch the tension and how was it effectively done that didn’t bore the reader?

6. Revise & review

Revisit your notes. Go through your highlights & bookmarks & observe how your perception changed over time.

How did the author manage to do that?



Can you apply a similar trick in your next story?

The next time you write, try to recreate the magic.

The lessons you learned from their book, infused with your unique voice, will result in a magic that is entirely different from, and yet, magically reminiscent of the book you just dissected.