5 Strong Reasons Why Every Writer Must Also Be a Reader

Are you aspiring to be a great writer?

There is a common mistake writers, throughout the community, don't take into account.

Not reading books.

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. - Stephen King.

Writing constantly is a must, that's one key to success, but. The second part of getting better at art is by reading a lot. We get inspired and see lots of patterns that later on, subconsciously, we will use in our own writing.

Writing is practice, reading is theory.

Both of them are crucial.

Here are 5 reasons why you should also read, but not only write - 

#1: Create Your Own Style

Don't be generic, be yourself.

Imagine living your whole life in a bubble, being surrounded by your things, thoughts and yourself.

Sooner or later you will go insane.

When you are reading books, you find out that every author has a unique style. You start developing a relationship with them. Confidence is built, because the author is truthful, being himself/herself. By reading books you get inspired, taking bits and pieces and adding them to your mixture.

If you only get inspired by the community's articles, you will sound like everyone else.

Develop your own style, and become special.

#2: Break The Writer's Block, Get Inspired

How often are you uninspired?

A lot of people give up on writing because they lack ideas to write about.

The more you read, the more ideas, hypotheses, and arguments you encounter. You start engaging with these thoughts, giving arguments and creating conversations between you and the book. If reading becomes a habit, inspiration will be always present.

Books offer lots of knowledge with hidden ideas and lessons that are waiting for you.

Don't miss out on them.

#3: Expand Your Vocabulary, Improve Your Grammar

Remember that the basic rule of vocabulary is: to use the first word that comes to your mind if it is appropriate and colourful. - Stephen King.

Keep your writing simple, don't confuse yourself and others.

However,

That doesn't mean you should repeat the same word 3 times in a paragraph. Some simple grammar mistakes are ok, but they often make the reader confused. Not making any sense or delivering a false message, which you didn't mean to, is the worst possible outcome.

The balance between vocabulary and grammar creates a flow to your writing, making the reading experience comfortable.

When reading books you:

Expand your vocabulary and understand grammar better.

#4: Develop Critical Thinking Skills

"Am I a good writer?"

The question everyone is asking themselves.

You are automatically turning into a critic when reading a book.

When you are reading a novel, you start to think about the characters' motives, what is happening in the plot, themes, symbolism, and subtext the author may have used. When it comes to non-fiction books, you come across facts or opinions the writer presents, and whether the piece has any credibility or merit.

Critically analyzing the work of other authors will help you learn and determine what makes good writing good.

You will become your own critic, you'll be better able to bring a similar thoughtfulness to your own work.

#5: Expand Your General Knowledge

Reading books makes you smarter.

You start consuming and learning more. 

As you read books, especially non-fiction, you are learning lots of new things. Building solid general knowledge will help you explain your thoughts in different ways. You will start using metaphors from different niches. This will help finding out more about yourself, and developing your own style.

Having additional knowledge of something will never harm you, moreover, it will come in handy quite often.

If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. - Stephen King.

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Thanks for reading :)