Learning From Exposure

The advice is often given that the best way to learn how to write is by reading good authors. I mostly disagree with that sentiment. The best way to learn how to write is by studying writing method and practicing.

However, I have found that you definitely can learn from exposure. I have been spending all of my free time listening to reviews and critiques of movies, TV shows, and games for a week or two, and I seriously feel like a much stronger critic because of it. A friend of mine recently asked for my review of Stargate Universe and was blown away with my response. (So it's not entirely me blowing smoke when I talk about my improvement.)

The thing with exposure is that you do need to use your brain. You need to analyze what the authors are doing. What is their subject material? What is it they choose to say? What have they left behind?

The major issue I have with exposure-as-teacher is that good examples show you what can be done, but they don't tell you what to avoid. The bad examples do even that out. So if nothing else, the correct advice would be to read as many authors as possible and make sure you get good and bad ones.

I will always support study and practice as the best instructors and developers of authors. Those are your staples. That said, there's nothing wrong with supplements. Once you have an understanding of the basics of writing, definitely get that exposure to authors, good and bad. With your established knowledge, it will give you the tools to analyze what they're doing and understand why it succeeds or fails. And that is how you really get the most out of it.