Why You Should Write About Other People’s Writings

Iran’s Book News Agency (IBNA) International Service – Elaheh Shams: Some of the best writings I have created so far have been about the work of other writers. I have read their stories and compiled recommended lists of their works based on theme; I have written personal essays and in-depth analyses about books that I couldn’t get out of my mind. I have both enjoyed and been proud of this type of work. I believe that more people should write about the works of others, and here’s why:

Learning the Craft of Writing

To write about a story, essay, or poem, you must first re-read it carefully. A single reading might be enough to provide a summary of the plot or main theme, but if you intend to delve deeper, it is necessary to read it several times, take notes, and write in the margins.

This careful reading means questioning: What is excellent (or weak) in this work? Are the descriptions short but vivid? Are the dialogues funny? Perhaps the way the author interwove past and present? Or maybe the narrator’s experiences opened a new window for looking at your own past?

Examining these elements helps you see what technical advice like “show, don’t tell” or “the hero must change” means in practice. By reading widely and extensively, your mind absorbs the rhythms of language (especially if it’s not your mother tongue), becomes familiar with various narrative structures, and recognizes common themes and patterns. Then you learn what components make a work successful — or what causes its weaknesses — so you can avoid them in your own writing.

Identifying Likes and Dislikes — Finding Inspiration

Along this path, you discover what you enjoy in a story or poem and what elements make you put a book aside. For example, I usually don’t like stories written in the second person (though there are a few exceptions) or excessive swearing in dialogue and narration. Instead, I enjoy descriptions of food and cities, and I love reading articles about the history of interesting people, especially writers.

Over time, I’ve been able to create a personal list of books, stories, and essays that I wished I had written myself. Whenever I get stuck or have a crisis about the kind of writer I want to be, I look at this list and tell myself: I want to write about an academic character like Isabella, or create a children’s book about mice and stories and soup.

We cannot exactly replicate the same stories or poems, but when we incorporate the things we love into our own writing, we undoubtedly move towards creating something new — or at least something we enjoy writing.

Lifting Each Other Up and Offering Support

One of the best aspects of writing about the works of others is that it reduces feelings of envy and competition. When I read an excellent story or essay, I immediately share it with other readers or write about it in my journal. I enthusiastically talk about its details, research, prose, or ending, adding many exclamation marks. In other words, I celebrate the work and marvel at the author’s ability to create it. I tell myself: “I wish I could write like that,” but always with admiration, not envy.

There’s no need for conscious effort to avoid envy — when the work is excellent, appreciation comes naturally. (Of course, this doesn’t mean eliminating criticism either.) Because I write about the works of others, I inevitably have to read more, and by reading more, truly good works stand out from the rest, and this distinction leads to natural appreciation. When this love arises naturally, writing about it also becomes easier; words flow spontaneously.

Turning Admiration into Criticism, Review, or Essay

We can show our interest in others’ writings by sharing links on blogs or social networks, adding a short comment. But sometimes, some works of art compel us to write about them more deeply. Such writings can take the form of a review, criticism, or even a personal essay or report about your relationship and others’ relationship with that work, which can be submitted or proposed to publications. In other words, writing about others’ work can lay the groundwork for your own creative work.

Discovering More Good Works

When you share your interests, others will introduce you to similar works in response. Every time I’ve published a suggestion or a list of stories for my book club members, people have introduced other works with similar themes or formats — stories I might never have discovered. We get excited about them together, and this is one of the most enjoyable parts of being a reader.

Being an Active Literary Citizen

Consider this quote from Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451: “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” Writing about the works of others is an act of literary citizenship. While our bodies may be alone when writing and reading, the true joy of this work comes from buying and borrowing books, sharing recommendations, and providing criticism and feedback. All of this accumulates so we can help each other tell better stories, support those who create and publish books (writers, booksellers, librarians, critics), and ensure that stories survive throughout the world.

Reading List

• “You Can Use This Exercise” by Simon Reader
• “In This Essay I Will: On Distraction” by David Schurman Wallace
• “Quarantine Serenity: On Falling Into the Solitude of Books” by Jaime Fuller
• “Love Letters as Poetry” by Janette Ayachi
• “Tell Me a Story with a Different Shape: Sci-Fi That Plays With Form” by Molly Templeton
• “Creativity vs. Control: The Bridge Between Bridge to Terabithia, The Boy and the Heron, and the Art of AI” by Wendy Xu

Source: authorspublish.com, October 23rd, 2025, by Ratika Deshpande