Why does reading help us become better fiction writers?
It's common information at this point: reading more often helps us become better writers. This is information that I, and others, have discussed plenty.
The real question I have is, why is it that reading helps us become better fiction writers? Is it because we get to pick up the little idiosyncrasies of our favourite authors? Is it because we're constantly exposed to the proper formatting of how a novel should be? Is it because it helps us understand how good stories are structured?
If it happens to be the third option, does this mean any sort of story can provide us with a better idea of how good stories are structured?
We can find stories everywhere. It's found in movies, theatre, TV shows, and video games. Even music! From the storytelling in a song like "Girls Like Girls" by Hayley Kiyoko, to the associated music video, it demonstrates a story. That's only the first example that came to my mind.
if all of them are structured in similar ways, does this mean that as fiction writers, we can become better by absorbing all sorts of media? 'Cause I might start living like that's true, and have less guilt in the hours I've put into certain lore-driven video games.
In conclusion, maybe it's not the books that make us better fiction writers. Maybe it's the stories that we see in nearly every media we consume. ♥
