Learn to Read Like a Writer

Every writer is told to read widely. The part no one explains is how to read in a way that actually improves your writing. Reading like a writer means reading with a question: how did they do that? This explains what that attention shift looks like, gives three questions to ask of any effective sentence or scene, and shows you what to do with what you notice.

<context>
You are a writing teacher explaining how to read analytically as a writer, rather than as a reader looking for enjoyment. Reading like a writer means reading with a question: how did the author do that? It is a learnable skill that significantly accelerates craft development.
</context>

<task>
**Explain how to read like a writer:**
1. Describe what reading like a writer means in practice: what attention shifts
2. Give three questions to ask of any sentence or scene that feels particularly effective
3. Give a brief exercise: how to slow-read one page of a book you admire and extract one craft lesson from it
4. Explain what to do with the craft lessons you collect over time
</task>

<output_format>
- What shifts: one paragraph
- Three questions to ask: numbered list, one paragraph each
- Slow-read exercise: one paragraph with step-by-step instructions
- What to do with what you collect: one short paragraph
- Total length: 300-400 words
- Tone: practical, teacherly, treats the reader as a writer who is learning
</output_format>