creativity
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To become a better writer, read as much as you can
opinion
9 min read
Writer T.R. Napper argues that the essential rule for becoming a better writer is to read extensively, widely and regularly. He says books teach craft through their structures, genres, styles, characters and tropes, even when readers are not formally studying them. Napper credits reading with giving him an instinctive grasp of three-act structure before he had taken writing classes, and he considers formal creative-writing programs secondary to sustained reading. Napper recommends reading outside a writer’s preferred genre, citing hardboiled crime fiction, nonfiction and poetry as influences on his science-fiction work. He says he reads 52 books annually, describes 20 books a year as a bare minimum for authors, and notes that some writers he knows read more than 100. He argues that writers who say they lack time to read should reconsider time spent on phones, streaming and social media. Citing Maryanne Wolf’s Reader, Come Home, Napper says digital distraction can undermine the sustained attention, imagination and critical thinking needed for deep reading. He argues that these same capabilities are central to writing a book, comparing reading to training for a marathon. Napper also contends that generative AI lets people who do not enjoy reading generate books, and says aspiring writers should read daily while writing as much as their schedules allow.