Improve Your Writing: Read a Lot
April 7, 2008 · Written by Melissa Donovan
Last month I presented five key ways to improve your writing. We’ve already discussed doing it daily, and the importance of proofreading and editing. Now let’s talk about why it’s so important for writers to read as much as possible.
The glasses in the picture up there aren’t mine but I do wear glasses when I’m reading or working at the computer. My eyes are shot and the reason for that is because I’ve worn them out on books. That’s right, I read so much I actually damaged my eyes. As a child, I used to read by poor light if necessary. I was supposed to be sleeping but as a lifelong insomniac, I opted to read by a dull night light instead of heading off to dreamland.
A friend of mine recently told me that she believes adult writers who were childhood readers have acquired a natural talent for word craft. She went on to explain that she didn’t read much as a kid; her love of writing drove her to read more as an adult and she feels she has to work harder at writing than her writer friends who grew up with their noses buried in books. Makes sense to me, but then again, I was one of those other kids.
The human brain is like a sponge. We soak up everything that we observe and experience throughout our lives and each thing we are exposed to becomes part of the very fiber of our beings. What we read is no exception. You may not be able to recite the Mother Goose nursery rhymes you read as a child, but they’re in that head of yours somewhere. When a little voice whispers jack be nimble, jack be quick, there’s a good chance you’ll recall that jack jumped over a candlestick. It’s embedded in your brain.
By reading a lot, you will develop a familiarity with language. Your vocabulary will expand and turns of phrase will wedge themselves into your memory. Even grammar sinks in. Forget memorizing all the rules, just read writers who are grammatically adept. Eventually it all will become part of your mental makeup.
If you know exactly what kind of writer you want to be, you’re in luck. Your best bet is to read a lot within your chosen genre. Find authors that resonate with your sensibility and read all their books. Notice that each writer has a very distinct voice, one that makes their work recognizable. If you read enough of one author’s work, you’ll probably be able to pick them out of a quotation lineup (I had to take that test in college).
At the same time, you don’t want to rope yourself off from experiencing a wide range of styles. You might like high literature and want to pen the next Pulitzer Prize winning work of fiction. You should read the classics, of course, but don’t completely avoid the bestsellers. There’s a mentality among some writers that you should only read that which you want to write. It’s hogwash. Reading outside your chosen area of specialty will diversify and expand your skills, and you’ll be equipped to bring new tricks and methodologies into your craft. If you so choose, you’ll even be able to walk, or perhaps cross, genre lines.
That’s why I think all writers will benefit from reading (and writing) poetry. It is one sure way to develop a killer vocabulary, the ability to formulate vivid imagery, and infuse other types of writing with creativity. I know, some writers don’t love poetry, but I have to pitch my passion, right?
Do you ever read for the sole purpose of improving your writing? I don’t. I just poke around for reading material that interests me. I’ve already shared a few of my favorite books with you. I try to read a little bit of everything from fiction to nonfiction to poetry to journalistic pieces. I like to open my mind and let it all in.
What are you reading these days?
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Geez… What am I reading right now?
I have books all over the place. In the morning with my coffee, I have a book-bag that sits next to my chair. I randomly open a well-worn page from any one of my favorite motivational writers, Zig Zigler, Jim Rohn, any of of six Stephen Covey books,or M. Scott Peck’s stuff,( Just to name a few) The Right to Write,and a few other books by Julia Cameran, The Simple Abundance book, ( Sarah Ban Breathnach) and the Bible. I also have a collection of books that are more celtic and some based on Native American spiritual beliefs.
(I love “The Four-Fold Way, by Angeles Areeien, PH,D.)
Also, my collection of classic children’s liturature takes up one whole bookshelf… I do agree with a Wrinkle in Time, I also loved the complete Wizard of Oz collection and all of the Mary Poppins books.
Then we get to my novels…ok, we aren’t going there. Well, maybe just one, I am almost finished with Going Postal,by Terry Prachett. It is very creative and a hoot. I am having so much fun with it.
Now, aren’t you sorry you asked? I am a book- aholic. Once you get me going, it’s so hard to stop. Every room of our house is taken over with books.I started reading at four and haven’t stopped since.
Surprisingly, I’ve only got two books going at the moment. “Charlie Wilson’s War,” and “The Last Camel Died at Noon” (perhaps one of the best book titles ever) as I work my way through the Amelia Peabody series.
As to the rest, I agree whole-heartedly. Reading is absolutely the first and most important step to writing–especially in those “pre-writing” childhood years. Because, really, I don’t think anybody would be remotely interested in the truly bad stories I tried to write when I was 9, but I was reading constantly. (Although, I never did the reading in bed with a flashlight thing.)
I was watching “You’ve Got Mail” the other night and one of the lines was, “When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does.”
Thank God.
@Wendi Kelly, No, I’m not sorry I asked! I love to hear about what other people are reading. I too have an entire shelf of classic children’s lit. Actually that shelf is overflowing and ready to become two shelves
I’ve almost picked up “The Four-Fold Way” several times but I always end up choosing something else. I guess I’ll have to get it next time I’m at the bookstore. For inspiration, I love Celestine Prophecy and Richard Bach’s work.
I’m a bookaholic too. I just haven’t had much time for reading since I started freelancing. Hopefully that will change soon. This month I’m reading and flipping through several of my poetry books, which is some of my favorite stuff!
@Deb (Punctuality), I haven’t heard of Amanda Peabody so I’ll have to look her up on Amazon. I don’t remember that quote from “You’ve Got Mail,” but I couldn’t agree more!
I wasn’t a big reader back in my young days. I didn’t like to spend to much time on the same thing. I like diversity and have a really short attention span. I did love watching TV though. That’s a bit fiction right. I used to be able to place myself in front of the tele all day long, not anymore because I feel as if I know every plot twist in history and I’m no longer surprised or excited by the most new TV series.
My three last books I read where all three in Spanish -it’s for one of my uni courses. I like reading in Spanish. It has a certain je-ne-sais-quoi. If I ever get proficient enough in Spanish, I might attempt to write something in the language. But for now I’m sticking with English.
@Manictastic, I’ve never been much of a TV watcher. There are a few shows that have hooked me over the years. Right now, I’m loving Without a Trace. Oh, and American Idol. Yes, I’m an Idol fan. Laugh if you want. I definitely think TV (and movies) can be a great source of inspiration. I do find that sometimes when I’m trying to write a piece or a story, I see it in my head like a film rather than in words like a book.
I took French for many years but I am not at all fluent. I can read it more than I can understand it when spoken. Still, I don’t think I could get through a whole book in French, so I admire you’re being able to read in two languages. I think that’s awesome. Wish I could do that.
It’s true–reading a lot will improve your writing.
I think most prolific writers are also prolific readers.
I credit a voracious appetite for reading as the most important aspect to my development as a writer.
Writers generally have a natural urge to read, although some need to be reminded of how helpful it is–and enjoyable as well.
@Jessie, I credit my reading for my development as a writer too! There are so many benefits to reading, it would be impossible to list them all, though maybe I should write a post about that one of these days