I’ll be honest, I used to be a very fussy reader; I used to read only certain genres, books intended for certain audiences, sticking to the themes and topics I liked best, and I very rarely strayed from the authors I knew I liked. In essence, it came down to the fact that I read what I knew I wanted to write. Even when I was quite young, I knew that authorship would be my goal and I wanted to read the things that I would eventually come to write. Why stray from what you know and love if what you know and love will be what you engage with at a later date?
Well, there are reasons you should stray, and I am going to admit to the fact that sticking to one genre, one theme, one target audience, one message, and one author (or maybe a handful) isn’t the best way to go about reading, even if you’re not aiming for publication one day. And I don’t want to say that I was wrong because I think that’s a harsh way to consider it given it was simply naïvety, but I will admit that I had a very narrow view and now that it has opened up, I couldn’t be more grateful.
It all started listening to a talk by one of my favourite authors. I love listening to authors, hearing different perspectives, listening to them answer questions about their stories, their process, their motivation, it’s all very inspiring to me. What inevitably happens is that a certain question arises, which is, ‘what do you suggest for someone who wants to become an author?’ It always happens and it’s probably safe to say it’s an inevitable question for anyone in a creative field; if you get an actor or a singer or a director in some sort of forum, that question of how to become successful will surface at some point, it’s a guarantee. A lot of times, they might have very specific advice, at others, it’s generally about persevering, not getting beaten down, learning to take criticism, all those sorts of things.
In one of these talks I was listening to, the author advised reading outside of your genre, and I was very resistant to that for just a little while. Part of me was aware that I was resistant to it because I knew reading only the genres I liked was reductive and limiting, and I suppose I didn’t quite want to admit that I knew that, I didn’t want to admit that I was limiting myself.
But it stuck with me and I knew that I had to give it a try. The author said that it’s a great way to expose yourself to other styles as well as helping you learn how different authors create their craft. How do horror authors write to create their terror? What do scifi authors do to build fantastical worlds? What is it that romance authors do to keep their romances enticing? How do thriller writers keep you hooked? Learning all of these techniques and more ultimately gives you a good base not only to help you craft in the way that works best for you and your stories but it also should allow you to take from different genres to make your writing better, stronger.
So I actively stopped reading only fantasy and only YA/NA, and I broadened my horizons. Obviously, I had read other novels in my time, mostly at school, I had been exposed to some Classics, and English Literature was and still is my favourite lesson. But somewhere between school and young adulthood, I had gotten stuck into reading only the things I liked best, and so I had to make an active and conscious decision to change that. I compiled a list, keeping fantasy in there now and again because it will always be important to know your genre, to know the authors writing what you want to write, to have references and to understand where your genre thrives best, but I also threw in mystery, horror, thriller, some Classics too. I made a list and I started to go through it. I even actively wrote down any and every recommendation somebody had for me because I wanted to expose myself to everything, and if someone I knew had a recommendation, I wanted to read it. Before, I used to say, I’ll have to check it out, whilst knowing I would never check it out which I know is something we can all be guilty of. So I made that change too, I wrote down recommendations and I added them to my list. It might mean that I don’t get around to it for a couple of years, but I would now make sure that I would get around to it and that I would let the person know what I thought.
And do you know what? It probably was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I haven’t been doing it all that long and you can follow along with the choices I’ve made over on my Goodreads, but I’ve been able to read some amazing books that I never would have touched otherwise. Whilst it’s true that not everything has been a gem and that there are some that don’t grip me the way others do, it has broadened my view and I get to engage with some incredible stories.
It’s really only ever going to be a boon to be well-read. Whether you want to be an author yourself one day or not, reading lots of different novels widens your perspective. It can allow you get better at critical thinking, you get to see from different points of view, you can expose yourself to different styles, different ways of thinking, you can learn proper media literacy that is so very important. It can even just be a lot of fun to partake in all these different stories, living alongside such a vast array of characters, exposing you to so many different worlds.
It’s true that everyone has preferences, fantasy will always be the thing that I love best. There will be people out there that love horror and couldn’t imagine reading romance, people who like scifi and would never indulge in literary fiction, people who adore nonfiction and wouldn’t dream of picking up a book of poems. But not only is it good to try different things because being open-minded is really what most stories require, but you might surprise yourself. There have been some novels that I’ve read because of this change that I’ve made that I have absolutely fallen in love with, novels that I never would have imagined even liking, let alone loving. There have also been instances where some novels require just that little bit of extra effort to push through, but I love finishing a novel, there’s something so satisfying about getting to that last page that will always be rewarding, whether it’s a book that you adored or one that required a little more effort. It can also be true that straying from what you love might teach you just how much you do love what you love, but I know how important it is to try and I am an example of just how well it can go.
Exposing myself to different genres, different styles, different authors, it has taught me a lot about writing. I know better than ever what genres I would love to write, and I know which styles I think are incredible and which ones simply aren’t for me. I have and am growing a catalogue of references which is only ever a good thing. Knowing how different authors make their craft work means that, should I be writing a fantasy story, I can inject good examples of enticing romance, I can throw in a splash of horror, perhaps a pinch of thriller too. Having an amazing catalogue of references helps you build your craft, and being well-read means that your own writing will become just that little more unique, allowing you to stand out because the catalogue you have will be different from someone else’s. You will end up pulling from references other people might not have, and that can only ever help you grow as an author. Your perspective will keep growing, and that makes your stories grow into something more interesting too.
So I’m a much better reader now than I was about a year and a half ago, and I’m excited to keep going, to read more, explore genres I wouldn’t have touched a few years ago. And I love getting recommendations too, so throw recommendations my way. I can’t guarantee how I might receive it, but I can guarantee it’ll be helpful for me on my journey as an author and for that, I’ll be eternally grateful.
Robyn x
R. A. Howard 