Writers have one thing in common: they all read. If you plan to have any success in writing, you have to be a reader. Reading is good for all sorts of reasons, but especially for helping you be a better writer. You must read both widely and deeply. Read novels, plays and poems, as well as nonfiction. See if you can find reading lists.
In 1999 the NY Times ran list of the 100 best journalism stories.
Some of the names will be familiar: John Hersey, Truman Capote, Lillian Ross, Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese. Some maybe will be less familiar: A.J. Liebling, Lincoln Steffens, Ida Tarbell. Check them out. It’s a long list, but you have a rich reading life ahead of you.
One of the best values on the market is The New Yorker magazine. It costs $35 a year, about the cost of one hardback book. Earlier in the semester I urged you to take advantage of the fantastic bargain f all the New Yorker on CDs for $20. It’s still available at that price. The hard drive is nicer, but more expensive at $179.
I keep up with serious books through the New York Review of Books. Expensive at $70 a year, but worth it to me. And of course the NY Times reviews books on Sundays and in the daily paper as well. Maybe you can only afford to read the Times one day a week. On Sundays. Sometimes the Sunday magazine stories are really good.
Some beginning writers struggle with the idea of being original. They’re afraid of imitation. But imitation is the best way of mastering an art or craft until you know enough to do something highly original. There’s nothing wrong with imitation, especially if you are imitating structure. You might not want to scream like Tom Wolfe, or go on psychedelic riffs like Hunter S. Thompson. That’s impersonation. But you could do well by imitating their structures and their intense reporting.
