Why Writers Must Read

Writers always tend to be crunched for time, whether it be looming deadlines or a very small writing window between lunch and picking up the dog from the kennel. Writing is hard enough, but should you take that extra step and block out a set time to read? And when you do choose to read, do you read those “contemporary novels” or only the “finest literature”?

Here’s my experience.

As a writer, most other writers will tell you this. In order to fall in love with writing, you must read. Once you read a book that YOU find great, whether its a book of poetry or the latest novel by the current reigning New York Times’ best selling author, then you will find the motivation to work to make your own writing perfect. In order to learn how to run, you must learn how to walk. And how do writers learn to walk? It’s simple, we find the joys of telling stories. We find the pleasure in being immersed in the fairy tales that inspired us to all become writers in the first place.

If you don’t read, then how can you write? If you never dare to dream, then how can you one day make those same dreams come true?