Writers Must Also Be Readers

 

In today's quote, Stephen King sounds almost harsh in the advice he gives to writers. "If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that." He is never one to use a lot of words. He uses as few as possible to get a point across.

I have always been a proponent of writers also needing to be readers. Not occasional but regular readers. You might counter that by telling me that you can't spend a lot of time reading as it cuts into writing time. Yes, it can cut down on the time you have allotted yourself for writing, but if extensive reading can help to make you a better writer, it might be worthwhile. 

I'm not suggesting that all your reading needs to be nonfiction books about the craft of writing. Read those, but also read novels of all kinds, books of essays, or poetry, anthologies and short story collections. In other words, read a wide variety. 

Because I am a writer, when I read, I pick up bits and pieces about the craft, sometimes subconsciously. When I read a particularly lovely phrase or descriptive sentence, I stop and read it again for the sheer pleasure of reading good writing. I take note of how the writer handles a problem the protagonist has. I notice if tension builds satisfactorily or not. I am aware of the lesson or universal truth the essayist writes about. Why?

I've read enough books on how to be a writer that I'm tuned into these things. The longer you write, the more aware you are when reading the work of others. 

Am I telling you to go ahead and copy this writer or that one? No. You want to develop your own voice, or style of writing. Learn from other writers' work, but do not attempt to be a clone of any one of them.

I have only known one writer on a personal basis who was not a reader. In fact, she shunned reading in a big way. She started writing late in life, and she told me she didn't have time to waste with a book in her hands when she could be typing on her keyboard turning out folksy stories on a regular basis. I often teased her about her aversion to the simple act of reading the work of other writers. Fortunately, she was in the minority.

I think that most writers have been readers over their lifetime. Most likely, reading in their early years helped nurture a desire to write. I have always been a voracious reader, and I wanted to write stories myself at a young age. Life got in my way, so I didn't start writing until I was in my mid-fifties, but I had continued to be an avid reader. I have no doubt that my reading helped my writing path.

Read for pleasure, but also to learn more about the craft of writing.

If you've not read Stephen King's On Writing book, consider reading it now. It's one of the best.