The Writer's Reading Challenge

Writers are Readers

If you’re a writer, it’s most likely you were a reader first. Reading is one of the easiest and most important tools in the writer’s toolkit. It introduces us to language, worldbuilding, conflict and suspense, and sparks our own imagination.

For a writer, it’s important to read—and read widely. Don’t limit yourself to reading only within your genre or keeping to just fiction or non-fiction. Reading widely exposes us to new worlds, ideas, perspectives, and experiences we may never have considered. And you never know, you might find a topic, genre, or author that you completely fall in love with.

Reading has a way of leading us to new worlds and new loves.

What is The Writer’s Reading Challenge?

The Writer’s Reading Challenge is a set of 12 book prompts geared toward the writing craft designed to help writers read books on the craft of writing (time to dig into that TBR pile!), learn from authors of other genres, older books that you might not have yet encountered, find old gems in familiar genres, and enhance your writing journey while learning from and about the craft of writing from those who’ve gone before us.

What you’ll need:

• curiosity

• a willingness to learn

• the reading challenge sheet

• notebook...for inspiration

• library card

• favorite pen or highlighter

• writing community

• beverage of choice (or two or three)

The Writer’s Reading Prompts:

• Read a writing craft book that's waiting on your TBR.

• Read a writing craft book written before 1980.

• Read a book by one of your favorite author's favorite authors.

• Read a genre writing craft book (ie, on writing romance, horror, mystery, etc.).

• Read a book in your genre that's at least 50 years old.

• Read a writing craft book that's not super popular.

• Read a book on a specific story structure topic: character development, conflict, plot, setting, etc.

• Read a backlist title from an author who writes about writing.

• Read a book of essays by and/or about women writers or storytellers.

• Read a writing book by a BIPOC writer.

• Read a writing book outside of the genre you write (ie, poetry, flash fiction, memoir, screenwriting, narrative nonfiction).

• Read a book on the business of writing.

BONUS: Read a book on literary criticism. Read a book by a travel or food writer.

Download The Writer’s Reading Challenge.

You’ll find a checklist of the 12 prompts, a page where you can fill in the books you plan to read, and two pages of bookmarks!

Why? Reading makes us better writers.

Studying the craft of writers who've gone before us, as well as writers in different genres, and learning from their experiences makes us better storytellers.

Reading outside our genre and our current time widens our understanding as writers. It reminds us that we are not the first, nor will we be the last. It helps us value and appreciate the work of other writers. It shows us we have more to discover and learn.

How? Choose your own adventure.

Pick a prompt. Then find a book! Start from the top and pair a different challenge prompt for each consecutive month. Or, go with the flow and pick whatever prompt sparks your interest. Aim for all 12 prompts or pick what you can manage. Or pick a book or two a quarter.

Read on your own, with a writing buddy, or critique partners.

Take notes (or not), share what inspired or challenged you as a writer, and take what serves your writing to the page. Share your writer’s reading journey using the #writersreadingchallenge hashtag on Instagram.

Get started!

1. Download The Writer’s Reading Challenge

2. Join the challenge on StoryGraph!

3. Follow along and share on Instagram: @jesslynnbooks and #writersreadingchallenge.