Creative reading (PART 1)

In the first of a regular column tackling the fundamentals of creative writing, acclaimed author and creative writing tutor Ian Ayris looks at reading and the writer

In this article I want to look at reading as it pertains to the writer. I saw something incredibly depressing – I think on Twitter – a few months ago. By averaging how long they take to read a book, then taking into account their current age, someone worked out how many books they could possibly read in the years they had left. The answer was comparatively few. In the hundreds, I think. The crushing truth is we do only have so much time on this wonderful planet, and there really are only so many books we’ll get to read. Stephen King says in his seminal On Writing we should read four hours a day and write four hours a day. If we had the life of Stephen King – and he so deserves that life being, in my mind, the writer’s writer par excellence – then perhaps we would. But most of us haven’t. His emphasis on the importance of reading, however, holds true. So, with the limited time we have and the millions of books out there, how can we as writers focus our reading to enhance our writing?

What to read?

Let’s begin with the classics.

Classics

A classic is conventionally seen as a book that has – in that awful cliché – stood the test of time. A classic could also be the finest example of a style of writing or genre or a groundbreaking form of writing. It could simply be an identifiable high point in the history of literature. But all this, as in most things in the world of books, is subjective.

One reader’s classic is another reader’s pretentious doorstop or sleeping tablet. There are vast lists of classics on the internet, going as far back as pre-history and Homer, through antiquity, the middle ages up to the late Victorians. But do we need to read them? Yes. Writing, like most things, has evolved over time. Think of the millions and millions of books that have been published since there was such a thing. Why have these few hundred books survived? Why can we all name – even on a tired day – twenty or so authors we would consider classic authors – even if we have read none of their work? We stand on the shoulders of giants, people. If you are a writer, you would do well to read the great writers of yesteryear, those giants upon whose shoulders we all stand.

Modern classics

Then there are the so-called ‘modern’ classics. These books refer to the great books from the dawn of the 20th century onwards, often depicting a change in style and subject matter from the more conventional literature previously published. Often simply a marketing ploy by publishers. The modern classics became a new surge of influence that evolved from – and in some cases were a reaction to – the literature gone by. Think the Modernism of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, the minimalism of Hemingway or the Magic Realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. In terms of modern classics, take a look also at the big prize shortlists – the Booker Prize, the Women’s Prize for Fiction, etc. These can be perceived as genius or elitist, depending on your point of view. But, before you have a point of view, read them – at least read a few.

Contemporary fiction

So much for the classics, what about contemporary authors? Should we read them? Of course we should. I must admit, I read very few, which is probably my loss. But then again, I’m fifty-three years old and time, my friends, she is a tickin’. Seriously, though, if you want to keep up with modern trends in literature, the cutting edge of what publishers are looking for, then reading contemporary authors is essential.

Genre

Now, publishers and readers love genre fiction. To write in a genre, you need to live and breathe it. You need to educate yourself in the conventions, tropes

and history of that genre. Love horror? Read as many horror books as you can – classic, modern classic, contemporary – whatever. Watch a ton of horror movies. But do not restrict yourself to the genre you write in. A horror writer is also a thriller writer and a mystery writer and often a crime writer – read these genres too. A touch of romance in your horror – don’t ignore it. Read the greats of your genre. Read the ones you see whispered in hushed tones on internet message boards or social media. Word of mouth is always the best way to seek out new authors.

And never, ever stop seeking. Know your genre. Know it well. Write detective fiction? Read the greats of detective fiction, read the contemporary exponents. Watch true crime documentaries. Read film scripts of the genre.

You get the idea.

Non-fiction

If you are writing a book requiring a degree of research, read around the subject, watch documentaries, read first-hand accounts, history books, newspaper articles, the lives of the key players. Do it all.

Biographies/Autobiographies

There is an argument to say we only ever write about ourselves. That every character and situation we put them in is, on some level, an expression of who we are and the struggles we have faced, or are still facing. Sounds a little trite? Read the lives of famous writers and you will see it might not be as trite as you think. If it is true for Dickens and Hemingway and Woolf, and every other author, why would it not be true for you?

Podcasts

I tend to live my daily life looking through the eyes of one born in the 1840s. I didn’t get a mobile phone till I was in my early forties and organise my life in Filofax. My kids know not to ask me anything much past about 1990. But, I’ve recently stumbled upon the value of podcasts and YouTube channels as absolute goldmines of information and inspiration for the writer. One of my favourites is The History of Literature (https://www.historyofliterature.com/).

Almost five hundred episodes – at the time of writing – each focusing on a book or an author. Hosted by the brilliant

Jacke Wilson, it is incredibly addictive. YouTube has a plethora of writing resources, whether it be on particular issues or topics, writer interviews, lectures, book reviews, and so much more. My favourite – amongst many

– is the channel hosted by Benjamin McEvoy (https://www.youtube.com/@ BenjaminMcEvoy). An erudite and very personable chap whose videos are stimulating and educational for both reader and writer.

To be a writer you have to immerse yourself in the world of words. Therefore, in our reading life we must include other formats such as plays, poems, film scripts, audiobooks and movies.

• Plays and film scripts are overwhelmingly dialogue driven and can be of immense help in sharpening our dialogue. They are also excellent in terms of their surety and brevity in the setting of a scene. The best display innovation in story structure and character development. The Internet Movie Script Database (https://imsdb. com/) has hundreds and hundreds of free to access film scripts and is well worth dipping into. To access free play scripts, try Simply Scripts (https:// www.simplyscripts.com/plays.html)

• Poems are the repositories of imagery, grace, subtlety, beauty and depth. To enhance your writing with these, you will find no better teacher than poetry.

• Audiobooks are fantastic for understanding that writing is all about the sound of the words, the rhythm of the sentence, the pace or tempo of the story. Reading is, primarily, an aural experience. And so is writing. I listen to audiobooks whilst I’m washing up, cooking the dinner, cleaning – and all those other writerly pursuits we so love. It’s amazing how many books you can get through in these little snatches of time. If you like your books on the olden – and completely free – side, try the amazing Librivox (https://librivox.org/).

• Movies are what we see inside our head before we find the words. Movies are the archetypal example of Show Don’t

Tell. To watch a movie is to experience a story told in moving pictures and dialogue, complete with mood and pace and tone, character development and story and plot. Movies are, literally, moving stories, stories that move. I think I just made that up.

I like that.

So, read plays and film scripts and poetry. Listen to audiobooks. Watch movies. All of these will inform your writing. And, of course, read books on the craft – my favourite, apart from King’s On Writing, is Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide from New York’s Acclaimed Creative Writing School from the Gotham Writers Workshop, plus anything by Ray Bradbury.

Yes, we do only have a limited time on this planet to read a limited amount of books. So target your reading. Not sure where to start? There are hundreds of ‘Must Read’ lists online, from classics and modern classics to genre specific and beyond. Have a look to see which books crop up most and catch your eye, and try a couple. Never read Shakespeare or Dickens or Hemingway or Woolf? Want to see what all the fuss is about? Give them a go. Not for you? That’s okay. Give something else a go. But remember, these writers are still read because something in the way they used words still resonates years – in Shakespeare’s case hundreds of years – after they died. And it is this use of words you want to attend to when you are reading, to read as a writer not a reader – but more about that in the next issue.

Disclaimer

On the evening before myself and my brother were to begin our first day of secondary school, my dad sat us down and said: ‘Boys, there will be teachers you will meet that will demand your respect. Do not give it to them until they have earned it.’ The same goes for books. Just because a certain book is deemed a classic or a modern classic, or a particular author is seen as one of the greats, does not mean they’re for you. The world of writing can be incredibly pretentious at times.

Have your own mind, your own opinion.

Always.