Reading for Craft Log

Who this is for

Reading as a writer, written down. For each book you note the technique that caught your attention, the page where it happens and what you want to try in your own project, so the lessons are there when you need them.

Novelists, short story writers and students of creative writing who read to learn how other writers solve the problems in front of them.

What this helps you track

• The books read for craft, with author and genre
• The technique noticed: openings, structure, dialogue, viewpoint and more
• The page or passage that shows it, so you can find it again
• What to apply to your own current project
• Which books proved most useful to study

How to use it

1. Write the period, your current project and the craft problem you are working on at the top.
2. When you finish a book, or a chapter that teaches something, add a line with the title, author and date.
3. Name the technique and note the page or passage where it happens, briefly enough to find it again.
4. Write one concrete thing to try in your own draft, then rate how useful the book was for this project.
5. Read the log back when you are stuck on the same problem in your own work.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How is this different from an ordinary reading log?

A reading log records what you read and whether you liked it. This one records what a book taught you about writing and where to find the example, which is what you need when you are revising.

Do I need to log every book I read?

No. Log the ones that show you something about your current craft focus. Some writers log a single chapter or a short story rather than a whole book.

What does the usefulness rating mean?

How much the book helped with your current project and focus, not how good it is. A book you disliked can still teach a great deal about one technique.