The most talented and successful writers agree: to be a good writer, you have to read. A lot. All the time, really. And if your first thought is, “I don’t have the time to read!” — well, that must mean you don’t have the time to write, either.
The truth of the matter is that I would not be a decent article writer without also spending a lot of my time reading articles. I’ve read a lot, but there are a select few that I always go back to whenever I need inspiration. Here they are.
- “30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30” by Taylor Swift
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Not only is Taylor Swift a fantastic songwriter, she’s just a fantastic writer, period. I’ve followed Taylor since she was about my age, so reading this article was quite the trip because I had to remind myself that oh, hey, she’s an adult woman now and not a scared and oblivious teenager like me. I think sometimes we forget that celebrities grow up and change, too, just like regular people.
I’ve always looked up to Taylor, so it was really interesting reading about the advice that she finds most important. Specifically, lesson number two (“Being sweet to everyone all the time can get you in a lot of trouble”) really resonated with me as a chronic people-pleaser. I guarantee that something will resonate with you, too.
- “I know I’m late.” by Becky Albertalli
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Becky Albertalli came under scrutiny after her queer novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, was a huge success—especially after it was adapted into the movie Love, Simon. At the time, she identified as a straight woman, and a lot of people didn’t like that one of the most successful queer novels was written by someone who herself was not queer.
In this article, Albertalli talks about how that scrutiny really messed with her journey in figuring out her sexuality. The books she wrote helped her realize who she was. The toxic social media outlook did not.
I feel like everyone questions their sexuality nowadays as we’re becoming more educated about the LGBTQ+ spectrum. I think it’s important to realize that everyone is on their own path of self-discovery and that no one, absolutely no one, should force you to label yourself while you’re in the process of figuring out what that label even is. Please, give this one a read.
- “Samirah al-Abbas and other thoughts” by Rick Riordan
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If you read my article on books I read over quarantine, you already know: I absolutely love Rick Riordan. He’s a master at writing representative audiences, and I think all writers who want to incorporate diversity into their works should look to him as a model.
As a Muslim myself, I was curious to see how Riordan went about writing his Muslim character, Samirah al-Abbas. Let me tell you, I was shocked to learn how dedicated the man was to his research. He read three different English translations of the Quran—I haven’t even done that. He fasted during the month of Ramadan, he took an Arabic course…he did all of these things and more.
This is how it should be all the time. Writers should be dedicated to making their minority characters as representative, accurate, and real as possible. Read this article, and then read it again. Because this one is a guide. - “Timothee Chalamet meets Harry Styles” by Harry Styles & Timothee Chalamet
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Come on. This one is a classic.
From creativity to addiction, from politics to masculinity, these two heartthrobs cover a lot of ground in this interview. This was the collaboration that none of us knew we needed but are so thankful that we got.
In short, this article is the meeting of not one, but two fantastic minds of two of the greatest artists of this decade. Need I say more?
Writer’s block is so real, so it’s really important to have constant sources of inspiration. These articles are that inspiration for me. Even if you’re not a writer, it’s important to feed your mind and allow your thoughts to be poked and prodded at. If nothing else, these articles will get you thinking.
So, go ahead and get thinking.