Becoming a writer: the reading list
When I decided to start writing fantasy and science fiction seriously last year, I realized I had a lot of homework to do. I had read a lot of fiction as a teenager, but recently I'd been mostly just dipping into nonfiction books related to my hobbies (languages, spirituality, philosophy, gaming, gardening, cooking...) I didn't feel at all "plugged in" with what was happening in speculative fiction these days.
I've heard some aspiring writers say they don't want to read published fiction, either because reading impinges on writing time or because they don't want to be influenced by what other writers are doing. I take the contrary view, I think it's helpful to be as widely read as possible. Editors and readers read a great deal, and I want to know how they are likely to view my own writing. Furthermore, I do enjoy fantasy and science fiction, and find well-written stories and novels inspiring. I also believe a writer will have more trouble finding their own voice and style if they read too little, rather than too much.
I set myself a goal of reading 20 books and 200 short stories in 2009. I essentially met this goal, polishing off 18 books and 196 short stories (not counting the 50 or so I read to critique through Critters). I read short stories in anthologies, print magazines, and online magazines. My book reading included not just novels, but nonfiction books about writing and speculative fiction, and books on topics that were relevant research for my writing. Also on my reading list are some works of literary fiction, horror, and paranormal mystery (most of which I haven't actually gotten to yet). As you can see, I try to keep some diversity in my reading, although of course there is only so much time! 178 different writers are represented on my reading list.
In addition, I read Locus magazine cover to cover for reviews and news of the sf/fantasy writing world, and read the reviews and nonfiction articles in the other magazines I read. I also read Science News, to keep a connection with the world of science. The articles there didn't specifically inspire any of my science fiction stories, but it's good to "prime the pump" with science and technology news and lingo.
I regret not having read more novels this year (I read only five). This was partly a consequence of spending time in anthologies I had begun before setting my goals, and partly being bogged down in a long fantasy novel I didn't really enjoy in the midst of the year. (I'm pretty determined to finish reading things, even if I'm not enjoying them much.)
I rated everything I read on a scale of 1 to 5. Among short stories and books by sf/fantasy writers, I rated 27 as "2", 83 as "3", 70 as "4", and 24 as "5". That's a pretty balanced histogram, centered between 3 ("OK") and 4 ("good").
The ratings allowed me to keep tabs on which writers, magazines, and anthologies I liked best. Favorite print magazines were Fantasy and Science Fiction (3.7 average) and Realms of Fantasy (3.5). On line, I especially enjoyed Clarkesworld (3.6), Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies (both 3.5). My favorite anthology was Jonathan Strahan's The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, volume 2, which earned an impressive 3.8 average.
New "favorite" writers I've discovered during this year's reading include (in no particular order) Octavia E. Butler, Aliette de Bodard, Daniel Abraham, Fred Chappell, Ted Chiang, Ken Scholes, Marie Brennan, Steven Baxter, Susan Palwick, and Tony Pi.
Now, looking back, I feel that this reading program has been wonderfully helpful. I do feel "plugged in" again now. I feel like I know what's being done, what the really good stuff is like, and am even getting a sense of where my own niche as a writer lies. Additionally, reading all this published fiction has been a good "reality check" regarding what is (and is not) needed to make a work publishable. It's both frustrating and encouraging to see mediocre fiction in print. It's also helpful to notice truly excellent writers who don't adhere to all the writing-class rules that I can sometimes take too much to heart.
It's been a good year, and my reading experiences have affirmed my conviction that it's good for an aspiring writer to read frequently and widely.
I've heard some aspiring writers say they don't want to read published fiction, either because reading impinges on writing time or because they don't want to be influenced by what other writers are doing. I take the contrary view, I think it's helpful to be as widely read as possible. Editors and readers read a great deal, and I want to know how they are likely to view my own writing. Furthermore, I do enjoy fantasy and science fiction, and find well-written stories and novels inspiring. I also believe a writer will have more trouble finding their own voice and style if they read too little, rather than too much.
I set myself a goal of reading 20 books and 200 short stories in 2009. I essentially met this goal, polishing off 18 books and 196 short stories (not counting the 50 or so I read to critique through Critters). I read short stories in anthologies, print magazines, and online magazines. My book reading included not just novels, but nonfiction books about writing and speculative fiction, and books on topics that were relevant research for my writing. Also on my reading list are some works of literary fiction, horror, and paranormal mystery (most of which I haven't actually gotten to yet). As you can see, I try to keep some diversity in my reading, although of course there is only so much time! 178 different writers are represented on my reading list.
In addition, I read Locus magazine cover to cover for reviews and news of the sf/fantasy writing world, and read the reviews and nonfiction articles in the other magazines I read. I also read Science News, to keep a connection with the world of science. The articles there didn't specifically inspire any of my science fiction stories, but it's good to "prime the pump" with science and technology news and lingo.
I regret not having read more novels this year (I read only five). This was partly a consequence of spending time in anthologies I had begun before setting my goals, and partly being bogged down in a long fantasy novel I didn't really enjoy in the midst of the year. (I'm pretty determined to finish reading things, even if I'm not enjoying them much.)
I rated everything I read on a scale of 1 to 5. Among short stories and books by sf/fantasy writers, I rated 27 as "2", 83 as "3", 70 as "4", and 24 as "5". That's a pretty balanced histogram, centered between 3 ("OK") and 4 ("good").
The ratings allowed me to keep tabs on which writers, magazines, and anthologies I liked best. Favorite print magazines were Fantasy and Science Fiction (3.7 average) and Realms of Fantasy (3.5). On line, I especially enjoyed Clarkesworld (3.6), Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies (both 3.5). My favorite anthology was Jonathan Strahan's The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, volume 2, which earned an impressive 3.8 average.
New "favorite" writers I've discovered during this year's reading include (in no particular order) Octavia E. Butler, Aliette de Bodard, Daniel Abraham, Fred Chappell, Ted Chiang, Ken Scholes, Marie Brennan, Steven Baxter, Susan Palwick, and Tony Pi.
Now, looking back, I feel that this reading program has been wonderfully helpful. I do feel "plugged in" again now. I feel like I know what's being done, what the really good stuff is like, and am even getting a sense of where my own niche as a writer lies. Additionally, reading all this published fiction has been a good "reality check" regarding what is (and is not) needed to make a work publishable. It's both frustrating and encouraging to see mediocre fiction in print. It's also helpful to notice truly excellent writers who don't adhere to all the writing-class rules that I can sometimes take too much to heart.
It's been a good year, and my reading experiences have affirmed my conviction that it's good for an aspiring writer to read frequently and widely.
I like that you rated the stories that you read in the various magazines and then did the overall rating of the magazines. I found that interesting. You named specific authors that you liked -- were there specific stories that you thought were excellent? Were there novels that blew you away?
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Wow, that's a great bunch of lists you've got. Octavia Butler is one of my faves but I'm sure some of the others would come on if I actually, you know, read them! I'm writing a fantasy novel myself and have a few genre shorts in various stages but definitely need to get plugged back into the scene. Might just need to add some of those magazines/anthologies to my must have lists!
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Hey Annette, Gourmez - thanks for dropping by!
Annette, my favorite of the five novels I actually got to this year was Butler's Wild Seed. You can find everything I read, along with my ratings, here on the blog, month-by-month updates under the "reading" category.
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I believe very firmly in reading the type of books you want to write... I believe it even more firmly after going against that belief when I wrote a fantasy novel without immersing myself in the genre first.
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Being a good writer definitely implies having an impressive lecture behind that, we learn from books. Reading good books to create in turn a good book yourself is about finding inspiration and transform it trough your own creativity. By reading we become a lot richer, we should all know that by now.
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