To be a writer 101

First, you must be a reader. “Do I have to?” I hear the younger crowd say. Of course not, if you have talent and are magnificent you can do what ever you want. However, I have never met a successful writer who wasn’t an avid reader.

So what should you read? You should read the classics, of course. Not all the classics, not all at once, and certainly not all before you start writing; you'd be something like 80 before you started. There are other things you should read. You should read the markets you want to sell to, you should read the criticism of those markets, but most of all you should read what you like. It is most important to read what you like. And if that’s all you have time for, screw the classics.

I’ve found there are two main types of books. As a writer of F&SF, I can classify these by author. The first is Asimov, Jordan, and Tolkien, these are the classics and fabulous reads. They are, however, deadening to my brain. I mean that when I read these authors my mind switches off creatively. I watch my creative output drop to nearly nothing when I’m reading authors in this category. Along with the classics I also lump most research texts, currently I am reading the Blue Book of Fairy Tales. It’s really interesting, and there is a lot of grist for the mill in there. But, again, I’m hardly writing and few spurious ideas are coming. Don’t get me wrong, I like reading authors in this category, but Arthur C. Clarke just leaves me dry in creativity.

The next category, in my opinion, is the best category. This area is populated with authors like Bradbury, de Lint, Gaiman, Brust, and Cook. When I’m reading these authors my mind is on fire, ideas drop from trees like ripened fruit in the fall and smack me on the head. These ideas don’t normally have anything to do with what I’m reading, it’s just I have more creative juice when I’m reading books and stories by these people. I also would like to write like these authors. That doesn’t mean I want to rip them off, I just want my voice to have the same felicity and strength that theirs have. If I could write a yarn like _American Gods_ (which you should read) or create a character and world like the Vlad Taltos stories, I would be in ecstasy

My suggestion would be to fill your library with authors who fit the second category. Get the first group from your town library. But definitely find authors that fit that second category. Again, these aren’t all authors I Would Like to Write Like(tm), but they are the fire of my imagination, and they speed my writing.