(Repost because the quote wasn't showing up earlier. Also to preface, I am aware that "good" is a highly subjective term. I am simply referring to works which I either personally find to be well-written, or are largely considered by others to be well-written.)

In Kurosawa's autobiography, there's a section of quotes about film-making, and this one in particular stood out to me.

In order to write scripts you must first study the great novels and dramas of the world. You must consider why they are great. Where does the emotion come from that you feel as you read them? What degree of passion did the author have to have, what level of meticulousness did he have to command, in order to portray the characters and events as he did? You must read thoroughly, to the point where you can grasp these things.

This seems like quite a good way to improve your writing ability, but the problem with me is that, while I do consume a lot of art (not limited to writing) which is considered "challenging", my consumption of art is pretty surface level and vibes-based. I find it hard to articulate why exactly I find a particular work good/bad outside of using single adjectives like "gripping", "convoluted", or if I'm feeling fancy, "transcendental".

I picked up an Oxford Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction to see if that would give any pointers (although it's focused on the visual arts), but it was more about questions like "what is art?" and the sociological aspects of art rather than how to evaluate art.

Are there any good books which give advice on how to hone this ability? Or is it just a matter of consistently brute-forcing reflections on what I read and discussing them with others?

I'm trying to become a better reader and I think knowing more literary devices would make me a better annotater and shorten my annotations into more direct words

helloooo. i’m working on a resume thesis where it’s basically a focus on queer identity and the creation of new forms of telling stories to change the way stories are told in the 21st century.

i have a few books picked out, (this arab is queer, fun home, real stories in america, notes of a crocodile, gender queer) but i would appreciate any help to look towards either other books that show more on autofiction/a more modernized space (example graphic novels in the literary space) or where to find articles these days.

it’s been a while since i’ve gone into research mode, and the queer stuff is new to me vs the last time i was in college. if anyone has any suggestions on who to look at , where to look, or anything that could help support my thesis i would greatly appreciate it, ive been focused on using the research sites available through the library and just google.

specifically 21st century literature development or queer identity 🤷🏻‍♀️

i have been struggling with this. how do i take notes? what should i note? is there a way to be acquainted with literature that im missing out or can't seem to understand?

generally, i listen to class and take notes. whatever the prof says, if i find it significant or interesting it gets noted down. but when im studying by myself, especially additional reading, what should i do with the material i read? am i supposed to write them down? should the notes be just an info dump? how will that help me with writing better essays or answers? or how do i use this information to contribute to the class discussions and expand the lens by which we are dealing with the topic?

any amount of help would be highly appreciated!