Open Draft - with Fabio Cerpelloni How I Read Books with a Writer's Brain 🧠
9 snips
Dec 22, 2023 Exploring reading techniques for writers, including stealing impactful expressions from various sources and learning from other writers. The importance of consistent reading habits, exploring different genres, and dedicating time to reading. Techniques for reading books as a writer, such as copying paragraphs, and a Christmas wish from the hosts.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Steal Short Phrases To Enrich Your Voice
- Steal small memorable phrases and metaphors from what you read to brighten your writing.
- Highlight lines like Will Smith's "Dad feels like a lion that can't find anything to kill" and reuse brief vivid images, not whole passages.
Gary Provost Gave Permission To Steal Lines
- Fabio recounts reading Gary Provost's advice to "brighten up your story with a metaphor you read in the Sunday paper."
- He uses that permission to highlight Will Smith's line and stop feeling like a cheat when reusing good lines.
Read To Learn Specific Craft Techniques
- Notice how other writers handle specific problems you struggle with, like punctuation or sentence structure.
- Observing expert usage in context helped Fabio improve his punctuation by copying techniques from books he reads.