In this week’s episode of the Life Writers Vlog, I address a listener’s question, “Do I have to read to be a good writer?
I began reading later in life, but I strongly believe that reading is vital for good writing.
Immersing yourself in the genre you wish to write provides inspiration, enhances your writing skills, helps you understand structure and language, and equips you to write well.
Reading great writers can sometimes trigger a fear of not being good enough, but the benefits are far greater.
What do you think? Share your thoughts and experiences below.
My parents passed along their love of reading to me and my two brothers. As youngsters, we had access to the Frank L. Baum series of 20 or so books about the Wizard of Oz. Mother read each rainy Saturday afternoon to us. It wasn’t until I discovered Gone with the Wind and Wuthering Heights, which sent me on a new venue. But mostly as a child I played outside on the farm or rode horses in free time. Now I love to read history, biographies, spy novels or Special Ops thrillers. I read anything: labels, The Wall Street Journal,… Read more »
Unlike other Soviet children I did not go to kindergarten. My mom was a stay at home mom. She took care of me and my siblings. I was behind those kindergarten children when I started school. I did not know how to write or read until I entered the halls of knowledge. But I head a slight advantage ver my classmates; I had two older siblings and by the time I went to first grade, I memorized all the poem and book passages the teachers assigned to them as homework. I began reading in earnest at the age of nine.… Read more »
When I was five years old, Mom bought our first set of Encyclopedias. That was one of the most exciting days of my young life. A wooden bookcase came with the beautiful green books that sat in our living room. Sitting on the floor, I pulled out one from the top row and flipped the thin pages. I came to a section with pictures of horses. I knew a little about the Belgian Draught horses, the Clydesdale horses we had on the farm, but seeing dozens of horses on the glossy pages of the book surprised me. Although I couldn’t… Read more »
My dad was a reader. He read everything including cereal boxes and soup cans, which influenced me. So I am a lifelong reader.
I like reading the work of others because it opens my brain up to possibilities and ideas, although the quality of their writing is sometimes intimidating.