For as long as I can remember, I have loved storytelling. I love how books have the power to become an oasis for people; they are a shelter against the harshness of reality and allow each person to live a thousand lives. By reading, I have battled villains, discovered new worlds, traveled all over the world, and fallen in love hundreds of times. As a writer, I want my stories to become an escape for people. I want my characters to teach them love and heartbreak, bravery and fear. I want to be the kind of writer whose works live on in the hearts of readers.
Whenever I can, I try to go to events where authors share their experiences or about their newest book. Last fall, I went to Stephen Graham Jones’ talk at CU, and this September, I went to Anthony Doerr’s at the Boulder Theatre. And each time I go, I ask the writer the same question: what advice do you have for an aspiring writer like me? And each time, without exception, they all say the same thing: read. Read everything and anything, read classics, read new releases, known authors or first-time writers, and every genre I can, even if it’s not my favorite (i.e., horror—I’ve never liked being scared).
At first, it seemed like a given. What writer doesn’t read? It’s practically in the job description to be a bookworm. But then, I thought it was useless advice. Wouldn’t reading actually be counterproductive? Sometimes it even discourages me, especially when I read great authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, or Toni Morrison. Would I ever be as great as them? Then, I’d slowly realize that there aren’t any original stories anymore. When everything becomes a cliché, it’s hard to be inventive, especially when those clichés seem to be the only ones that sell. What is there left to write about when everything’s already been written?
It turns out that I had been looking at it all wrong. Yes, I probably won’t be as good as the greats, and yes, every story imaginable has already been written. But that’s not the point. By reading, I broaden my horizons, defy my self-imposed limitations and challenge my creativity. Reading Oscar Wilde taught me that dialogue doesn’t have to be one line; it can take up a whole page. Reading Toni Morrison taught me that I don’t need to be a man to write a compelling and complex male character. Reading popular YA like “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “Red, White & Royal Blue” taught me not to shy away from clichés like teenage first love and fake-dating relationships. They’re cliché for a reason, and that doesn’t mean I can’t write them. I just have to write them as mine and not worry about how other writers are doing it.
Reading also makes me more creative. It can take me out of any writer’s block and it can make me excited about writing. Every time I read “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (my favorite novel), I’m reminded of how much I love the written word. When I read, I think of new characters and what their stories look like, and then I write them without the fear and worry that I’ll never compare to the greats.
If that 14-year-old on Wattpad can write and publish about a girl being sold to One Direction with every typo and plot hole imaginable, then I can write about a girl’s heart being broken by a jackass, or about a girl with a tea set, or a guy adopting a dog. I can write a poem about love even though there are a million other poems about love. I can write anything, and it’ll still be unique because it’ll be mine.
