When you start writing your own novel, this is exactly what happens. You start to read other novels with a new awareness of what the author is doing in terms of

When you start writing your own novel, this is exactly what happens. You start to read other novels with a new awareness of what the author is doing in terms of word choice, pacing, and explication. You read with an eye to how you would have done it--and are often shocked when you realize how much of the craft of writing you were previously just skimming through.