This week I want to talk about reading in genres you don’t usually write in. When I first started writing I wouldn’t read anything because I was afraid I might inadvertently copy something I read. I thought I had to invent my own world and story with no input from anyone else. I didn’t want to borrow from those who went before.

Then I learned how helpful it was to read books in my genre. When I read Shannon Hale’s wonderful fairytales, I learned to paint a rich world by making up metaphors that fit that made-up world. When I read Diana Wynne Jones’ books, I learned to add in religious beliefs and ceremonies to make the world real.

But what about reading in other genres? I was at the end of my last novel when I read Scott Westerfeld’s dystopian series about the uglies and the pretties and the specials. I really enjoyed those books and sighed over the fact that I’d never be able to write books like them—I’m just not cool enough. I will forever be stuck in low-tech worlds because I’m an old dinosaur.

What happened, though, as I read Scott’s books, was that I was amazed at the way his heroine had to fight so hard to win. She was in trouble and then more trouble and then more trouble. She went from action to higher action to higher action. She had to really fight hard and when she fought she won. No one came in and won for her.

I finished up my novel, which is nothing like Scott’s novels, and I realized that I’d punked out in the end. I’d let circumstances save my heroine instead of making her fight and win on her own. So I rewrote. I had her struggle and finally she overcame her foe on her own. By her own strength of will, by her own determination.

My novel is nowhere as action packed as The Uglies, but after reading that book I tried to give my character more power, more drive, more force of will. I tried to make her more determined and I made her fight her own battles. The ending now has a struggle I think is worth reading whereas before I built up to this big fight and then I let my heroine off the hook and never made her fight it. Now she fights and so it is much more satisfying to see her win.

So my advice today is two-fold. 1) Read in other genres. Rather than making you look like you’re copying your neighbor’s work, what you pick up from other genres may lend your work an air of freshness and originality within its genre. And 2) make your character fight her own battles.

Other good writing tips I’ve found around the Internet this week? Well, why not stay with the writers I’ve mentioned above, who taught me much through their novels?

1. Let’s lead off with Scott Westerfeld’s tip on finishing everything you start.
2. And I like Shannon Hale’s collected quotes on rewriting.
3. Finally, here’s Diana Wynne Jones; writing tips page.

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