I recently had an “ah-ha” moment while reading Cormac McCarthy’s Border Trilogy. In that moment, I finally understood what my teachers meant when they told me I needed to be a good reader if I wanted to be a good writer. Of course, I already understood logically why reading fiction leads to better writing: through reading good fiction we learn how to structure plots and develop characters and write dialogue, etc. But it was still blurry to me as to how reading a novel or short story would concretely enhance my craft.

Each time I read a book and write a critique of it, I dig deep to figure out what I like about the story and what I want to apply to my own writing. Then, I determine what I didn’t like and what potential pitfalls I want avoid. After processing and formulating ideas, I take one or two things away from the book that stick with me. But I had a different experience when I read All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy. When I finished this novel, I didn’t need to formulate thoughts or dissect the plot or decide what I liked or disliked. When I finished reading this novel, I knew, without a doubt, that I was a instantly a better writer for having read it.

How does this work? I still don’t know exactly. The same book may mean nothing to you. It is terribly subjective. We all have different styles in which we enjoy to read and write, but there are certain books out there that will effortlessly enhance your craft. But how do you find those books? Well, you have to keep reading. There is no shortcut. The only way to know if a book will impact you is to read it. Someone else’s top ten list may not make your top 100. And someone else’s list of “worst books ever” may include some of your favorites. You may have to wade through fifty novels or collections of short stories before you get to that one piece of literature that has the “wow” factor. And if you’re lucky, like I was, that book will be part of a trilogy in which all the books are written in the same style.

It will be worth the wait. But don’t get discouraged or discount the process of finding that book. Everything you read does affect your writing, even if the impact isn’t obvious or immediate. The critical analysis of fiction will stick with you in one way or another, especially as you begin to see patterns and trends in fiction.

So, keep reading, knowing that soon, you will read something unforgettable. Something that requires no analysis or critique. Something that immediately fuses itself into your own writing. And, until then, diligently study everything else that doesn’t have the immediate impact on you.