Learning effective writing techniques for your novel: The importance of reading

By Dennis Mellersh

In your efforts to learn about the process of writing a book, one of the most important requirements is to be very familiar with the attributes or characteristics of the type of book you want to write.

You already have a strong interest in writing books, or your search on the Internet would not have led you to this blog. A strong interest is vital as it will see you through the tough work needed to actually become a writer and author.

Although there is a lot of good material available describing the various types of books, such as novels, the best method for gaining the type of knowledge you need is through actually reading books – a lot of books.

You need to extend your reading to include original works (real novels) and not restrict yourself to reading material about “how to write a book” – such as this blog, for example. In other words, you learn about what makes good or quality writing by constantly reading examples of good writing.

To re-emphasize this point: if you are interested in writing novels, for example, you should read as many novels as possible. And you should read even more deeply in the particular types of novels that you want to write.

As Stephen King observes, “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

Read novels from different time periods and read translations of classics written in different languages. Some of the greatest novels, for example, were originally written in Russian, German, French, and other languages. Through your reading of established fiction writers, such as novelists, you will experience first-hand the techniques they use to create their books.

In your initial efforts to cover a lot of ground in your reading, don’t bog down your reading program by continuing to read a novel, which after reading a few dozen pages, appears to be too difficult for your reading experience level.

Rather, if the book you have chosen is a recognized, yet difficult classic, you can return to it after you have familiarized yourself with many other novel writers, at which point the original book you found to be too challenging will probably seem less so. At this point you can study it thoroughly and learn the writing techniques that make it an effective novel.

All of this is hard work, so do take some time to read novels purely for your own pleasure and not necessarily for “study.” And when doing so, here is some advice from Montaigne* who wrote the following in a light-hearted comment in his essay On Books, “When I meet with difficulties in my reading, I do not bite my nails over them; after making one or two attempts I give them up. If I were to sit down to them, I should be wasting myself and my time; my mind works at first leap. What I do not see immediately, I see even less by persisting.”

*p. 161, Montaigne Essays, translated with an introduction by J. M. Cohen, Penguin Classics, Penguin Books Ltd.