Writing is something I’ve always dabbled with but it wasn’t until my early twenties that I really put pen to paper and finished my first novel. But what I never anticipated was how this would ultimately change my reading experience forever!
After the dreaded rewrite of my first novel (which was written so terribly that it needed countless go-throughs to get it right!) I learnt so much in the way of editing (in thanks part to my proof reader friends including one in the publishing business) that I caught what I now call ‘Writer’s Eye’.
Writer’s Eye is the way you look at a piece of writing. A reader, who may never have considered the work behind the words sees the story glowing off of the pages, letting themself be fully immersed and absorbed.
A writer, however, sees the words, the grammar, the spelling, the way they might alter a sentence or add some description.
And the mistakes!
Would you believe how many mistakes I’ve spotted in books since I started writing? Only tiny, small meaningless things like missing words and punctuation. But I also find these things in my own novels! After ten, twenty even thirty re-reads I still find tiny errors!
Our minds are on autocorrect! – even when I’ve had several friends read my books their minds have also corrected the mistakes!
Don’t get me wrong writer’s eye doesn’t ruin books for me it’s more that I now see the words on the page as well as the beautiful story they weave together. And that is, afterall, what books are for.
How about you? Have you caught Writer’s Eye!?
Caroline Peckham 
I’m hoping to catch the “Writer’s Eye” someday. Unfortunately, every time I read I get so caught up in the story that I usually just rush on by all the words…however, I do find myself studying plotting and characters in movies, lol.
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Haha I’m not sure whether it’s a good thing or not! I know what you mean about films though, and I also consider the thought gone into the script and the way the director must position everyone on screen. It’s almost like a physical form of writing!
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I’ve definitely caught Writer’s Eye. And I’m so thankful! But it also impedes my enjoyment of reading sometimes. Do you feel that way, too? I even found mistakes and things I’d have re-done in Harry Potter! *Gasp* Shocking, right? 🙂
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I know ! Strangely I actually picked up Harry Potter also the other day (I haven’t read it in years) and have since acquired this way of looking at writing and, shock horror, I saw it with such different eyes!
I can generally turn it off enough though and don’t feel it takes away my passion for a story (thank goodness!)
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Oh, I still love to read, don’t get me wrong. But I certainly don’t read in the same fashion I did before I started writing more.
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I know it’s altered the reading world forever!
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My mind reads what should be there in my own manuscript- which is why I need the professionals… but in other people’s work the mistakes jump off the page!
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I know what you mean! Sometimes I’ll see a scene so clearly and realise I’ve missed details in the physical description! I think that’s why rewriting takes so long it’s hard to see outside of your own work objectively 🙂
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I can definitely relate to this “Writer’s Eye” thing! (Didn’t even realise it was a thing until I read this post…)
A great tip I once got from a novel (“The World According to Garp”) was to read books that you like and, as you read, think about why you like them. Since then, I reckon I’ve been more analytical / critical when I read, but rather than detracting from the reading experience, I feel like it’s helped me to REALLY appreciate good writing.
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Thanks so much I’m glad you enjoyed the post!
That’s a great tip. I think you’re right, it definately helps you appreciate good writing and I feel more connected to authors nowadays as I can imagine the thought process, feelings etc they went through in writing their novels 🙂
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