For writers, the concept of “relaxing with a book” may be a little strange. We read to learn. Every story is an opportunity to improve our craft. This is the mission statement of Read to Write Stories. Blog editor and writer Michael Noll believes that anyone can become a better writer simply by reading. On Saturday, June 1st, he brought that philosophy to the Writing Barn in the form of the Read Well, Write Better workshop.
I’m a follower of the blog, so I when I saw the workshop announcement, I signed up, eager to get the classroom experience. The workshop description promised writing exercises – and lots of them! – for beginners and seasoned writers. The class delivered. Michael brought excerpts from authors such as Raymond Chandler, Anne Enright, and Ron Carlson. Each short piece exemplified a particular technique such as narrative voice, character, dialogue, or movement through time. Under Michael’s guidance, we gave each excerpt a close read, looking for the strategies and techniques that made it work.
After the craft discussion, Michael presented us with a writing exercise based on the strategies we’d discussed. We put the techniques to work in our own fiction, either by creating a completely new character or story or using something we were already working on. The link between reading and writing set this workshop apart from others I’ve taken. Being able to take a closer look at prose and then attempting to use the techniques leads not only to a deeper intellectual understanding of craft, but it expands the possibilities for our own writing.
In addition to the prepared lessons, Michael asked the participants to share a one-page excerpt from something we had read and enjoyed recently. This exercise was advertised as a workshop favorite and it’s easy to see why. As we shared our selections and examined prose across several different genres, I realized that the exercise embodies the workshop’s philosophy: there is something to be learned from every piece of writing.
I highly recommend taking one of Michael’s classes, but in the meantime, visit the Read to Write Stories blog. New selections and writing exercises are posted every Tuesday.
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Shellie Faught writes fiction for young adults and not-so-young adults. She has an MFA from Texas State University and her work has been published in Black Fox Literary Magazine. She is currently working on a novel.
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