As writers, we learn from each other in writers’ groups, courses, and conferences. Wouldn’t it be cool to also learn from writers who don’t offer classes or aren’t with us anymore?

You can. Your favorite authors publish free lessons on writing craft. They’re waiting for you on the pages of their books, if you’re willing to do the work.

Reading with intention

Everyone tells you to read a lot if you want to be a writer. And that’s great advice.

But exactly how do you translate that reading into your own craft? If you get caught up in your reading, you might close a book thinking, “Wow, that’s great. Too bad I don’t write like that.”

That’s not helpful.

When you approach reading like a student of craft, you find lessons everywhere. Start with intention and curiosity.

How to get those free writing classes 

Let’s say you’re working on a nonfiction book. Start by finding books by other nonfiction authors you admire. If you study books in different subject areas, you’ll be less tempted to copy what the writers do.

For example, if you’re writing a business book, pick up a few great history books. Writing self-help? Dip into inspirational books or works on psychology. Trying to explain a complicated topic? Turn to great science writers. 

Look for books that match the overall feel or impact that you hope to achieve in your work. Your objective is to notice what the authors do and select aspects of their craft that you might like to try. 

Don’t try to copy their approach—that rarely works. At best, you’ll be a weak imitation of someone else. 

But you can learn from others to adapt and strengthen your craft. Pay attention to what you like and what does or doesn’t feel true to your own work.

Developing your craft through reading

Let’s look at how this might work. Do you want to use stories in your work? (I hope you do!)

Find a few authors you love and check out how they use stories to support their points.

• Where and how do they use stories? 
• Are they long or short? How many in a chapter, or is there one overarching story?
• Where do the stories come from? The author’s own experience? The news/popular culture? Research? Is there a blend or balance?

Think about what you like or don’t like about that balance, and what you might try yourself.

If you write about complicated topics like technology or the law, notice what the great explainers do:

• What’s the balance of abstraction to detail?
• Where or how do they use analogies?
• How deep into detail do they go for their audience?

Then, see what you can use. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to use an analogy or framework to help people understand. 

Maybe you hope to motivate and inspire someone with your work and thus want to make a deeper connection with your readers. Choose books or essays by authors that you connect with yourself, and see what you learn from them.

• How ‘visible’ is the author in the piece? Do they stay behind the scenes or show up as a fully formed human being?
• Do you trust the writer? If so, what have they done to make you trust them?
• What does their tone and voice sound like? If you had to describe the feel of the book in two or three adjectives, what would they be?

Having answered these questions, ask yourself what you can apply to your own work? You may not possess the same authoritative voice as your favorite author. (Don’t we all wish we could?) But, you could use a few of their strategies to enhance your own.

Ready to enroll in your reading study?

With a well-stocked bookshelf or library and a little time, you already have everything you need to get to work. If you want a boost, here are a few resources:

If you write nonfiction, the Nonfiction Author’s Association gives you another place to learn from others, with monthly meetings and masterminds. This post was first published on the NFAA blog.