How to Read as a Writer: Mark the Page, Practice Close Reading, but Stay Authentic

To mark the page is to engage with the text by taking notes, highlighting passages, or leaving margin annotations of our responses. We aren’t noting only what stands out but why it does. As we mark the page with a line that strikes us, we often also ask why it caught our attention in the first place—is it because of the rhythm, the imagery, or the word choice? In developing our narrative styles we refer to these noted impressions or lessons.

Mark the Page - Reading with Intention

Learning to write well is often about learning to read well. Reading as a writer involves more than following a storyline; it’s dissecting language, noticing subtleties, and mimicking style in a way that helps us develop our voice. In the process, marking the page and close reading are invaluable practices. We analyze writings at their granular level while learning to keep our work authentic.

When we highlight sentences that move us, underline metaphors that capture a feeling, and put a star next to dialogue that feels authentic, we are creating a map of our style choices. We also note when an author breaks the rules of writing, and how it works in their favor. As we mark the page, we’re not merely saving our favorites, rather, we are having a dialogue with the author, while gradually accumulating a toolkit that informs our writing.

Identifying Patterns in the Author’s Work

Suppose we’re reading Joan Didion, an author celebrated for her distinctive style. Didion’s sentences are often stark and understated. This is a deliberate style and not a happenstance. The author is aware of her crafting and knows how her particular way of writing gives her an authentic voice. We become attuned to her sparse descriptions, and this awareness allows us to experiment thoughtfully and intentionally.

Raymond Carver’s minimalist fiction forces us to pay close attention to the subtle nuances of dialogue and the understated emotions. We mark the page of Carver's text by underlining his ellipses, cryptic sentences, and close-up of everyday details. Then we can dissect how he achieves such powerful effects with a seemingly simple text devoid of unnecessary words or embellishments.

Analyzing an Author’s Craft by Close Reading

Close reading advances from marking the page to analysis. When we close-read a text, we’re not just following the story, we’re studying the structure, dissecting paragraphs, and analyzing sentence flow. We look closely at the mechanics—syntax, diction, punctuation, and even white space—to understand how they contribute to the overall effect of the text.

Virginia Woolf, with her long, flowing sentences that explore the inner workings of her characters' minds is a close-reading challenge. Her evocative imagery, shifting perspectives, and a focus on the passage of time are fluid and introspective. How Woolf uses repetition, symbolism, and shifts in time and perspective will teach us how to capture consciousness, thus exploring the inner lives of our characters with greater depth.

Close reading allows us to see an author’s choices in action, making us aware of how language can shape tone and mood.

Mimicking Style to Find Our Voice

Reading as writers exposes us to different styles, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. While it may seem counterintuitive, mimicking the styles of others can help us develop our voice. Using their methods as a jumping-off point for exploration we are stretching our abilities and expanding our range.

Note the clipped, minimalist style of Ernest Hemingway and the flowing, descriptive language of Virginia Woolf. By attempting to write in these styles, we discover that Hemingway’s simplicity sharpens our focus. In our writing, we are led to discard unnecessary words. When we emulate Woolf, we notice depth in the descriptions.

As we try to incorporate a similar style, we become sharper in discerning which elements resonate and which don’t. More than mimicking surface-level features, we are studying the underlying mechanics in the ways they use language. By learning why their style works we can incorporate similar techniques in personal and natural ways.

We mark the page and close-read, noting these aspects of style that feel intuitive and those that don’t. Over time, this process will reveal the preferences that align with our voice. We take what we’ve learned and adapt it to refine our voice, not to replace it.

Authenticity Through Synthesis

Authenticity doesn’t mean avoiding influence but blending these influences to express our unique perspective. How do we synthesize what we’ve learned into something original? One strategy is to focus on the elements of writing that resonate most deeply with our worldview.

Next, we can consider our life experiences, values, and emotions as filters through which other styles pass. Even when emulating another author, our perspective gives nuance to our interpretation. Our experiences, our language choices, and our instincts all contribute to shaping the final piece. When we allow these personal elements to influence our writing, we transform learned techniques into something that’s uniquely ours.

Reading as Writers; Writing as a Readers

As we read as writers, we do not merely admire another writer’s skill, but we also analyze them. When we mark the page, close-read, and experiment by imitation, we dive into the deep study of the mechanics of great writing. These practices allow us to absorb what works, discard what doesn’t, and learn about our authentic voice.

We read as writers not to replicate another author’s style but to feed our craft. When we mark the page, we honor an author’s style and find inspiration in their authentic voice. This journey deepens our relationship with literature, as reading and writing transform into an endless dialogue with the great texts of our time.